Clearing the Decks . . .

  . . . is an idiom, which means to finish dealing with what you are doing so that you can start to do something more important. Its original usage was,  “If navy officers clear the decks they prepare a ship for war.” (Source)

War is hell – but we, Americans, have been embroiled in them throughout our history: literally and figuratively. After more than a decade of literal war against an ideological enemy bent on destroying us, our brave soldiers and our citizens are exhausted, and our resources are depleted. After waging war on poverty and illiteracy, the news is as draining and discouraging.  And many folks I love are in hellish battles to recover their health, finances, marriages and children; some are fighting for their sanity and sobriety.    Turning a page on a calendar doesn’t ameliorate the heat of the battle.

But one idea that this idiom reinforces is making sure extraneous stuff isn’t lying about to confuse ongoing preparation for war. I hope our elected leaders can clear the decks and see their way clear to fight for our nation’s security: financially, militarily, and diplomatically. 

This goes for all the radio, TV and Internet pundits and prognosticators: SHUT-UP with the diatribes! 

And for the folks I love, today is the day to clear the decks of our minds and hearts – turn over everything to God. That Baby grew up, as I have said before; He has the muscle and the resolve to do what we can’t: clean up our act! He will enable us to forgive, reconcile and persevere in troubled relationships and troubling circumstances.  

His promise is to show us solutions when we ask that we could not imagine. (Jeremiah 33:3) Our hope, when we call to Him, is that He will do immeasurably more than we can conceive. (Ephesians 3:21-22)

·      Faith is not without worry or care, but faith is fear that has said a prayer.  ~Author Unknown


Faith is like radar that sees through the fog.  ~Corrie Ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord


Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right.  ~John Donne

And I repeat a favorite quote from Winston Churchill that seems apt after we have cleared all those decks: If you are going through Hell, keep going.  

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