我真的沒有錯嗎？(Am I not wrong at all?)

我真的沒有錯嗎？

冬天到了，能夠在晚餐時和家人一起吃火鍋，是件很幸福的事。在台灣，最常用的火鍋湯底是蕃茄、白菜、豆腐、海帶和玉米。用這些食材先熬煮成湯，既鮮甜又健康。有一次阿娜答在喝湯時說，「玉米的鬚好像很營養！」。我也記得書上有這麼寫過，所以就決定在下次煮火鍋時，把玉米鬚洗乾淨留下來，全部都放進去一起煮。

沒想到，一根玉米的鬚鬚真是多得不得了。阿娜答一撈起來就皺眉頭，他很生氣得把它們往肚子裡吞，一句話也不想說。我嘗試著解釋：「因為你說玉米鬚很有營養，我看書上也這麼說，所以就把它們都煮進去了。」聽我這樣解釋，阿娜答更生氣的說：「要煮也不能煮那麼多啊，吃了很容易嗆到耶！」

我聽了深覺委屈，心裡有千百個理由要辯解。第一：是你說這個東西很好的。第二：洗這些玉米鬚有多辛苦，你知道嗎？第三：你是大人又不是小孩，吃東西可以自己控制，小心一點就不會被嗆到了啊！……..我不想和他吵架，決心和他冷戰以示我的抗議。但是有個微小的聲音出現在我心中：「我真的沒有錯嗎？」

其實在清洗的過程，我也很訝異這些玉米鬚的數量之多，我有發現這個事實，卻還是把它們全部煮下去。當別人指正我時，因為不想認輸，所以就想找理由來解釋我的行為，這不是和夏娃當年的行徑一樣嗎？我心中的怒氣慢慢的減少了，於是對阿娜答說：「真是抱歉，下次我不會放那麼多玉米鬚了。」阿娜答一聽我這麼說，他也收起那冰冷的臉孔，拍拍我說：「妳煮飯也辛苦了！」

有人說，「夫妻關係沒有你贏我輸，只有雙贏或雙輸。」只要我們能彼此互相退讓一步，就都可以成為贏家了。

 以弗所書5:22-25

  「你們做妻子的，當順服自己的丈夫，如同順服主；因為丈夫是妻子的頭，如同基督是教會的頭，他又是教會全體的救主。教會怎樣順服基督，妻子也要怎樣凡事順服丈夫。你們做丈夫的，要愛你們的妻子，正如基督愛教會，為教會捨己。」

(Photo taken at MOS)

                                                      

                                                                                       

Am I not wrong at all?

Winter comes, it is a happiness to enjoy hot pot with family for dinner.  In Taiwan, people often use tomato, Chinese cabbage, tofu, kelp and corn as base.  Taking these ingredients to make stock, it is not only fresh sweet but also healthy.  One night my husband ate soup and said：「It seems that corn silk are very nutrient.」  I have remembered that one book has mentioned it, too.  Therefore I decided to clean and collect all corn silk to cook with other ingredients for hot pot next time.     

  

The silk of one corn are so much beyond my expectation.  My husband scooped a lot corn silk and swallowed them frowned with no words.  I tried to explain: 「I put all corn silk into stock, because you said the corn silk are very nutrient, and I have ever seen the same point on one book.」  He became more angry after my explanation and said snappily: 「You cannot cook too much corn silk!  It is very easy to be choked!」  I felt so wronged and tried to defend by hundreds of reasons.  First, you said it is good for health.  Second, do you know how hard it was to wash them?  Third, you are adult not child.  You can control how to eat.  If you are careful, you will not be choked! …….. I did not like to argue with him, so I decided to give him the silent treatment in order to show my protest.  But a small voice appeared in my heart:「Am I not wrong at all?」 

  In fact, I was also surprised the amount of corn silk in the cleaning process.  I have found the situation but still cooked all of them.  It was difficult for me to admit my mistake while others corrected my way, so I tried to find excuses for my behavior.  Did I do the same thing as Eve before?  My anger in heart became less.  I turned to my husband: 「I feel so sorry.  Next time I will not cook so much corn silk.」  Once he heard my words, he changed his serious face and patted my back: 「It was hard for you to prepare dinner！」 

  Some people say: 「There is no winner or loser between man and wife, only both winners or losers.」  As long as we make concession to each other, we can all be winners.

 Ephesians 5:22-25 

 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,  his body, of which he is the Savior.    Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.    Husbands, love your wives,  just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

苦難的背後 (The Behind of Suffering)

在聖經列王記下6:24-7:2有這麼一段記載：

亞蘭王率領軍隊圍困以色列的撒瑪利亞城，使得撒瑪利亞城鬧飢荒，食物貴到無法想像，一個驢子的頭要賣到80舍客勒，就連二升鴿子糞也要賣5舍客勒。（註：鴿子糞是一種白色植物，生長在山坡上，一撮一撮的，看起來很像鴿子糞，所以俗稱鴿子糞）

有一個婦人來哭求以色列王的幫助，因為另一個婦人叫她把孩子帶來，讓她們今日可以把孩子吃了，明日她們再一起吃那婦人的孩子，可是隔日那婦人卻把自己的孩子藏了起來，不准別人吃他。以色列王聽了很傷心，沒想到大家的生活苦到這種地步，沒有食物可以吃，竟然要把自己的孩子都吃了。

以色列王很生氣的帶著人馬去找先知以利沙，恨不得把以利沙給殺了，因為當初若不是以利沙叫他把那些亞蘭人放虎歸山，如今亞蘭人就不會來圍攻撒瑪利亞城，他的百姓也不至於落到這個光景。

以色列王對以利沙說，「這災禍是從耶和華那裡來的，我何必再仰望耶和華呢？」他實在不能理解，原本日子過得好好的，耶和華怎麼會讓這種事發生呢？他把所有的責任都推到以利沙身上，他也不要再信靠耶和華，他要靠自己來掌控全局。

以利沙安慰以色列王和一同前來的軍兵們說，「你們要聽耶和華的話。耶和華如此說，明日約到這時候，這城就要豐裕了，一細亞細麵要賣一舍客勒，二細亞大麥也要賣一舍客勒。」意思是說，明天市場上就可以買到好吃的細麵和大麥了，食物的供應會很充裕，再也不用花大把的銀子，只能買到難吃的驢頭和鴿子糞。

以色列王旁邊的一個軍長說，「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶，也不能有這事。」他覺得以利沙說這話很可笑，哪有飢荒在一天之內就可以解決呢？這簡直是天方夜譚。

以利沙聽得出來他話中輕蔑之意，就回答他說，「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」

到了傍晚，耶和華使長期包圍在撒瑪利亞城外的亞蘭大軍，突然聽見不知從何而來的千軍萬馬響聲，他們以為是以色列人去找了許多救兵來，害怕再晚一步就會被四面包圍，所以就撇下所有的東西急忙逃走。

(Art Work of D. Yang)

第二天，當以色列人聽說亞蘭軍隊無緣無故的潰逃了，並且留下大量的食物、衣物和金銀，大家你推我擠的要出城去搶食物，以色列王旁的那個軍長就在那混亂中被人民踐踏而死了。以利沙所說的真的實現了：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」

苦難常常會蒙蔽我們的眼睛，苦難常常使我們唱出悲嘆的哀歌，苦難更會使我們的心剛硬，拒絕從神而來的安慰，拒絕接受神慈愛的召喚。

然而，聖經中不斷的告所我們，苦難是神要靠近我們的一個方法，苦難的背後一定有神的祝福。神慈愛的應許已經藉著先知告訴歷世歷代的人們，更藉著祂的愛子耶穌基督為我們的罪死在十字架上表明出來。

神要救我們脫離苦難的應許一定會實現的，我們千萬不要像以利沙告訴那以色列王旁的軍長一樣：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」，因為不願意相信，而永遠不能得享神要給我們的福份啊！

啟示錄  3:20

「看哪，我站在門外叩門。若有聽見我聲音就開門的，我要進到他那裡去，我與他，他與我一同坐席。」

禱告

「神啊，有時我真不明白，你為什麼一定要給以色列人苦頭吃？為什麼我們的人生一定要有苦難？更多的時候，我覺得我在苦難中，無法自拔，無人可救。如果你真是那位創造天地萬物的神，請你在我向你呼求的時候給我一點點回應，好讓我知道你不是高高在上，袖手旁觀我搞砸自己的人生。請你幫助我相信，你要救我的應許一定會實現，讓我敞開心門接受你的安慰和幫助。奉耶穌的名禱告，阿們。」

The Behind of Suffering

In Bible 2 Kings 6:24-7:2 has recorded:

Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and laid siege to Samaria.  There was a great famine in the city.  The food was too expensive to imagine.  A donkey’s head sold for 80 shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for 5 shekels.

As the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”  Because another woman told her, “Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.”  The next day, however, she had hidden her son, didn’t allow others to eat him.  The king of Israel was very sad after hearing these words.  He cannot believe the life of his people was so hard; they didn’t have food to eat, and then turn to eat their own children.

The king of Israel was very angry and came to Elisha with soldiers.  He could not wait to cut off Elisha’s head.  Because if Elisha didn’t tell him not to kill those Arameans before, they wouldn’t lay siege to Samaria now and his people wouldn’t fall into this severe situation.

The king of Israel said to Elisha, “This disaster is from the Lord.  Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”  He cannot understand their life was smoothly, why the Lord allows this disaster to happen?  He put all the blame on Elisha.  He didn’t want to rely on the Lord anymore and he wished to be in charge of the whole situation.

Elisha comforted the king of Israel and soldiers, “Hear the word of the Lord.  This is what the Lord says:  About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”  That meaning was:  People can buy delicious flour and barley in Samaria tomorrow.  Food supply will be sufficient in market.  It is not necessary to spend much money to get distasteful donkey’s head and cab of seed pods.

(Art Work of D. Yang)

The officer on whose arm the king said, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of heavens, could this happen?”  He thought the words of Elisha were very funny.  How could the famine be solved within one day?  It was really ridiculous.

Elisha realized his words showing contempt and answered him, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”

At dusk the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, they thought the Israeli ask Egyptian kings to attack them, so they got up and fled and abandoned their tents, horses and donkeys, ran for their lives. 

The next day Israeli heard that Arameans fled without any reasons and had thrown away a lot of foods, clothes, silver and gold.  Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans.  The officer of the king was trampled in the gateway and died.  Elisha’s words really became true, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”

Sufferings always becloud our eyes.  Sufferings often make us singing painful lamentations.  Furthermore, sufferings will make our heart hard to reject the comfort and the love calling from God.

But Bible constantly told us the suffering is one of the methods that God wants to be close to us.  The behind of suffering must be God’s blessing.  God’s mercy has promised by prophets telling to every generation people, and now reveal through His son, Jesus Christ died for our sin on the cross.

God saves us from sufferings will be promised.  Please do not be same as the officer of the king: “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”  Due to his doubt, he will never get the blessings from God!

Revelation 3:20

「Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.」

Prayer:

「Dear Lord, sometimes I do not understand why you give hardship to Israelis?  And why should we have sufferings for sure in lifetime?  More often I feel in the sufferings I cannot extricate myself and no one can help me.  If you are the true God created the heaven and earth.  Please give me a little respond when I cry to you, in order that I know you are not just sitting in heaven and standing idly to watch me messing up my life.  Please help me believe that your promise saving me will implement certainly.  Help me to open my mind to accept your comfort and support.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.」

「德國流物質減法，心靈加法整理術」讀後感

我很敬佩擅長「整理」、「打掃」這類型的人，因為那意味著他們做事是很有效率的，在要著手一件事之前，心中就會有一些藍圖或是想法。反觀像我這樣凡事都是隨性而行，優點是不拘小節，缺點就是毫無章法的過日子。年輕時可能還以為是浪漫，有點年紀了就越來越感到時間不夠用。

這本書吸引我的是書旁的副標題「每天只要5分鐘，環境清爽簡單，人生輕盈無負擔！」，真的只要5分鐘這麼容易嗎？當然是不可能的吧？！即便作者是日本知名的掃除天后 沖 幸子，但我還是很好奇為什麼她可以這麼大膽的說：每天只要5分鐘！

原來作者提出了三個重點：

1.物質減法。2.弄髒之前就要清理乾淨。3.掃除工具越簡單越好。

這幾個不起眼的重點，就是作者強調的「5分鐘」。我從一開始的懷疑，到讀完書後慢慢體會，如果能認真執行作者所說的方式，生活一定能帶來很不一樣的改變。也許每天真的只要5分鐘，使環境清爽簡單就不再是遙不可及的夢想了。

一、物質減法

從字面上來看就是去除多餘物品的意思，但不是一口氣丟掉很多東西，而是一天丟一點點，設定每樣物品的使用期限，慢慢丟棄，循序漸進地完成物質減法。

除了去除多餘的物品，另一方面還要慎選新添購的物品，學習控制自己的購物行為，不僅是日用品、衣物，就連食物、食材也要謹慎購買。作者提醒我們不要過度相信冰箱的保鮮功能，盡量吃新鮮食物，自然就能改變購物型態，不論多便宜也不會多買。

想想現在各大賣場都有印刷精美的目錄，搭配許多誘人的折扣方案，著實令人眼花撩亂又心動不已。其實真正冷靜下來思考，只有省了一點點錢，卻得把超額的錢先花出去，再加上把目錄從頭看到尾所花的時間，真正是浪費時間和金錢啊！

二、弄髒之前就要清理乾淨

這個概念就是要養成減少髒污的習慣，例如在弄髒一點點地板的時候就馬上處理一下，吃過的碗盤要趁早清洗，更不可堆積到下一餐，這樣清潔工作就可以省時省力。

作者是在德國唸書時，才從房東太太那裡學到要好好整理打掃自己的家，所以書中也帶進許多德國人的生活觀念。他們認為打掃整理是人生的一半，對人的一生很重要，只要屋內井然有序，身邊沒有多餘的物品，就能度過愉快、整潔又充實的人生。環境中有看得見和看不見的污垢，我們的身體與心靈健康亦是如此，一定要在問題尚未發生前或是變得更嚴重時先行處理。

三、掃除工具越簡單越好

只要除塵撢、吸塵器、毛巾、中性清潔劑與研磨性清潔劑這幾樣工具就可以完成大部分的清潔工作，而善用毛巾就是讓打掃不再是件苦差事的利器，毛巾的材質既不傷肌膚，又不傷家俱，還可以重複清潔再使用。

事先想好要打掃的時間和場所，並且不要「同時」、「長時間」重複相同的動作，例如清潔浴室是很花體力的，就不能再緊接著清潔廚房，如此打掃起來才能輕鬆自在，達到事半功倍的效果。

原本只是想從這本書學習一些整理、打掃的方法，但是讀完後最大的收穫莫過於看到作者書寫的層次透過對居家生活的減法，延伸到讓生活更快樂的心靈加法。誠如作者所說，隨著年紀的增長，我們都需要一邊想像自己的生活，一邊調整目前的生活型態，每個人都會遇到生病、受傷、家庭成員的變化、失業、退休等經濟變化，這些都是改變人生的轉機，遇到這種時候更要積極樂觀地重整生活型態。

什麼時候需要開始減法生活呢？作者說越早開始越好，減少了有形的物質東西，心靈就會豐富輕盈。一年即將要結束了，我也要趕緊檢視自己的心靈與身體需求，培養不造成身心負擔的打掃與整理習慣，期盼如書中所說，徹底清除隨著歲月累積的生活污垢和多餘雜物，才能讓人生下半場更加豐富充實。