On teeth...and trust

It's been too long since I've blogged. Nathan is making slow but steady progress in his rehab. He has, this past week, gotten out of the wheelchair to walk around on crutches (for a few meters). The Shaffers, the couple with whom I am staying in Klosterneuburg, were kind enough to take us along to see an English movie in Vienna, and Nathan managed to get in and out of the theatre on crutches. I am working on making arrangements to move him to the USA this coming week for more rehab and oral surgery.

Over the weeks I've enjoyed interacting with Fr. Jim Connelly, the director of the Salzburg program Nathan was enrolled in before the accident, and with Eva Aussermair, Nathan's theology instructor in Salzburg. Both Fr. Jim and Eva pray through the entire book of Psalms. I mentioned to Fr. Jim and to Eva that I've always been taken aback by the imprecatory psalms (the ones in which the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies). After Nathan's accident, I was particularly taken aback by Psalm 3:7: "Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked!" I thought to myself, "That's exactly what happened to Nathan! He was struck in the face (by a side-view mirror), shattering his teeth. That's awful! Who would wish that on anyone?!"

But Eva dearly loves the Psalms, and when I mentioned my being taken aback by the imprecatory psalms, she shared with me three helpful thoughts on those psalms (off the top of her head!):

1) The psalmist is calling on the Lord to act on his behalf, not announcing his intentions to "take matters into his own hands."

2) The Lord, through the psalmists, lets us know that He is not put off by our honestly expressing our strong feelings. In fact, He invites us to pour out our hearts to Him. (Psalm 62:8, for example, says "O my people.... Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.")

3) The imprecatory psalms can serve as a reminder to try to see ourselves as others see us. That is, might it be that there be those who are so angered by the way that I have, in some way, hurt them, that they are, right now, inclined to pray God's judgment on me?!! A sobering and humbling thought.

I was reminded of the imprecatory psalms this past week when Nathan and I learned that both the driver of the car that hit him and the company that insures the car have been trying to avoid taking responsibility for the accident. The driver did not even report the accident to the insurance company, and now the company is ignoring Nathan's attorney's letters. Nathan and I were frustrated...and angry. And that reminded me of the sentiments of the psalmists who penned those imprecations....and of Eva's thoughts on those psalms. (1) It is good to be honest--with oneself and with God--about how we feel. (2) At the same time, He wants us to trust Him to deal with injustice...in His time. The verse immediately following Psalm 3:7's "shatter their teeth" imprecation says: "Victory comes from You, O Lord! May your blessings rest on your people." That's what I'm counting on!