“But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”’
~ Job 33:33
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you have friends? Do you like to have friends? Your grandmaa and grandpaa know guys and gals who they would call friends but they do not know many guys and gals who they would call really good friends. For a kid to become to you a really good friend, what would that kid have to do or be like? When your grandmaa and grandpaa arrived in Bolivia with your dad and your Aunt Lynn, your grandpaa decided that one way that he could get used to being with Bolivian guys was to watch them play volleyball. Bolivian guys would get together to play volleyball on Sunday afternoons behind a church – the Alto San Pedro church, that was about two blocks away from where your grandpaa was staying – which was at the South American Mission mission base in Santa Cruz. When the Bolivian guys played volleyball behind the Alto San Pedro church, volleyball rules were obeyed. Six guys would play against six guys. The team of six guys who lost would have to let the next team of six guys play against the team of six guys who won. If a guy on a team touched the net while the volleyball was in play or if he carried the volleyball instead of bumping it, the other team would get a point. When your grandpaa first arrived in Bolivia, your grandpaa had a really difficult time understanding and speaking Spanish. When your grandpaa first showed up to where volleyball was being played behind the Alto San Pedro church, your grandpaa could barely understand anything that was being said. When your grandpaa first started going on Sunday afternoons to the Alto San Pedro church to play volleyball, your grandpaa could barely say anything at all in Spanish. No one told your grandpaa what he should do or what he should expect the very first Sunday afternoon when your grandpaa went to the Alto San Pedro church. No guy had asked your grandpaa to go with him to watch volleyball being played behind the Alto San Pedro church. When your grandpaa got to the Alto San Pedro church to watch guys play volleyball, your grandpaa remembers feeling very conspicuous. When your grandpaa arrived at where guys were playing volleyball behind the Alto San Pedro church, your grandpaa had no idea what to do next other than to watch guys play volleyball. Your grandpaa remembers standing behind the Alto San Pedro church – wondering why he had decided to . . . , when a guy – Papi Cardona, said something to your grandpaa. Your grandpaa really had no idea who Papi was and what Papi was saying to him but . . . the next thing that your grandpaa knew, Papi was pulling your grandpaa by his arm unto the volleyball court and he was pointing to your grandpaa where he wanted your grandpaa to play – which was alongside him. Because your grandpaa is taller than most Bolivians and because your grandpaa is somewhat athletic, your grandpaa was pretty good at blocking balls at the net plus your grandpaa was good at always serving the ball over the net. Your grandpaa had not gone to the Alto San Pedro church expecting to play volleyball but . . . after that first Sunday afternoon of playing volleyball behind the the Alto San Pedro church, your grandpaa almost always – whenever the volleyball team that Papi was on played, played next to Papi. After the team that your grandpaa and Papi were on lost that very first Sunday afternoon, Papi bought your grandpaa a mocachincha to drink and an empanada to eat. After playing volleyball behind the the Alto San Pedro church a couple of Sunday afternoons, your grandpaa looked forward to going back to the Alto San Pedro church each Sunday afternoon to play volleyball because your grandpaa knew that there would be a guy there who was wanting to unconditionally help your grandpaa.
Job found out what kind of friends that he had when horrific things happened to him. Job’s self-proclaimed friends thought that they needed to tell Job why his kids had been killed, why his possessions had been taken and why he was covered with nasty sores. Job’s friends thought that Job needed to know that they knew that he was not trusting God enough and because of that, God was punishing him. Four guys decided that they needed to confront Job after Job’s kids were killed, after Job’s things were either taken or destroyed and after Job’s body was covered with sores. Three of the guys – Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, who called themselves Job’s friends, took turns telling Job what he must have done and what he needed to do if . . . these three guys did not get far with Job. Elihu – the fourth guy, was younger than the other three guys. Elihu did not say anything until the other three guys had said what they wanted to say. Once Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar had finished with what they wanted to say to Job, Elihu knew that it was his time to tell Job what he really thought was Job’s problem. Elihu – who was probably younger than Job, ended up giving Job four straight speeches on what he believed Job needed to do in order for God to bless him again. Job 33 is the second part of Elihu’s first speech. Elihu had come to the conclusion that because Job was going through all kinds of misfortunes and because he – Elihu, was not going through any misfortunes, God had to have made him more superior than Job. Elihu used Job’s own words to try to convince Job how wrong Job’s attitude was. Verse 33 has an arrogant guy telling Job “But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”’
Almost twelve years after your grandpaa played volleyball on Sundays with Papi at the Alto San Pedro church, your grandpaa spotted Papi walking down a street. Your grandpaa had not seen Papi in years. When your grandpaa saw Papi again, your grandpaa stopped his car to get out of it to say hi to Papi. When Papi saw your grandpaa, Papi ran to your grandpaa to give your grandpaa a great big Bolivian hug greeting. A good friend would be a guy who listens and who unconditionally is willing to help. Do you have any Papi friends? Are you a Papi friend to any kids?
Job 33 (208)