This Don't Make No Sense

The title of this blog is from one of the best movies ever made in the history of the world, "Oh Brother Where Art Though?" There some things in this world that don't make sense, but they are--TRUE. I guess these things might make sense if we understood the natural way of things better, But they don't make sense to our instinct or experience.
Years ago, I planted a tree. Planting a tree is something that should be in everyone's bucket list. In northwestern Oklahoma City, the dirt is not like it is in Roger Mills County where I grew up. Here, it is a red clay that is more like rock than dirt. This means digging a hole turns in to work really fast. The first tree planting went so well though I decided to plant another one. I've heard the saying "call before you dig." But I reasoned, that in this whole yard what would be the chances of hitting any utility or pipe with a small hole for a tree. Well, evidently, the chances were better than I thought. Because about two feet down, I hit a pipe. Turns out, I'm pretty good at finding the sewer pipe even when not looking for it. Luckily, no damage was done.
I filled the hole in with the dirt I had taken out of the hole. But the oddest thing happened, There was not enough dirt to go back into the hole I just dug. Now, "This don't make no sense" I thought to myself. It will remain one of those things I just will never understand about life. Why does the dirt taken out of the hole not match the dirt placed in the hole.
There's something else that doesn't make any sense. Often when we spend money on ourselves, we just end up with less money in our pocket. But, when we give money away, somehow we seem to get money back. The prosperity preachers have taken advantage of this unusual fact and made an entire theology and a fortune out of it. I don't know how this works. I certainly don't know if God keeps account of things like this. I do know there is a "natural law" that seems to bring money back those who give.
In our book, A Rainbow in the Dark, Skeet Carney is shown as a giving man. He was more giving than anyone knows. As I have spoken with people, I believe now that Skeet Carney gave away as much money as he ever made, yet he never wanted for money. Skeet seemed to figure this odd secret out early in his life. A story that is not in the book, but actually happened involved Kirk's class ring. Kirk went to Skeet one day and asked for an advance in his pay. He needed $5 as a down payment of his class ring. Skeet asked "How much does the ring cost?" When Kirk told him "$36.10.", Skeet quietly went to his little office and wrote a check for the entire amount and told Kirk it was his gift.
This is not the only example of Skeet's giving. I met a man the other day that is a doctor from Atoka. When he read A Rainbow in the Dark, he wept. He wept because he knew Skeet well. He knew the Skeet we captured in the book was the Skeet he knew. This doctor told me when he graduated from High School in Atoka, Skeet came to his house with a card. In that card was a $100 bill. Who knows how many young people Skeet did this for. It seemed to be his way of telling young people, "I believe in you. I'm investing in you!" There is no doubt Skeet did this sort of thing for countless people. Yet, another one of his passions was saving money. He always asked young people if they were saving money for the future. Skeet was an odd little man. I think he was filled up with more of God than anyone I've ever heard of. Yet, no one ever mentions how Skeet told them about God. Everyone that knew him, seems to tell of how he showed them God. Now that is something that makes sense.

BOOK SITE: A RAINBOW IN THE DARK