Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
May 22, 2012

“Loose as a Goose, or Straight as an Arrow?”
“For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.” – Proverbs 5:23

Have you ever wondered where some of the phrases we use come from? Phrases like, “sick as a dog,” which actually dates back to the early 1700’s. “Dead as a doornail,” which seems to have originated with William Shakespeare. Other phrases that appear to have originated with Shakespeare are, “fight fire with fire.” “Eaten out of house and home.” “In a pickle.” “In the twinkling of an eye.” And so on and so forth. (Not sure who originated that one.) It would take too long to try and explain each of these phrases—needless to say we have found many ways to express ourselves given certain situations. But I need to give one more.
Most of you have heard the phrase, “Loose as a goose.” I must admit that when I read the above referenced verse from Proverbs that was the first thing or thought that came into my mind! What I discovered when going through the origins of that idiom how close I was to what it really means. According to a number of sources it describes a person with very loose morals. In 18th Century England geese were the most common “domestic” birds in the land and were thought of in the same way we think of chickens today. Because of their long necks when they walk they almost have the appearance that their head will fall off. The term, “Loosey Goosey” was used to refer to people who made idiotic mistakes, not using their heads in making decisions.
Later, the reference would be used exclusively to describe women of ill repute, whose reputation was less than stellar. If you were a woman and were described as being, “loose as a goose,” let’s just say your reputation was pretty much shot! Throughout practically this entire chapter Solomon has been dealing with this very issue—and in many ways it comes down to this: Your actions and lifestyle will define you. But let us be cautious to not label people simply because of reputation. What we see on the outside may not truly define what God sees on the inside. Phrases may be adequate in one regard, but may miss the mark entirely when it comes to who that person is—and sometimes it may be us!
Jeff Pierce was the 1994 captain of the Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff professional cycling team and a world top cycling competitor. In 1987 he won one stage of the Tour de France, the Superbowl of cycling. In 1994, according to USA Today, he accepted an interesting and potentially dangerous assignment. To prepare for an article he planned to write for a magazine called Bicycle Guide, Pierce worked for a month as a bike messenger in downtown New York. On the streets for eleven hours a day, he dodged taxis and buses, sometimes reaching a speed of thirty-nine miles an hour on his custom-made, $2,500 racing bike. Was he worried about this expensive bike being stolen as he dashed into buildings to deliver his packages? YOU BET HE WAS!!
To thwart thieves, Pierce wrapped duct tape around the frame of his bike and spray-painted it black. His bike looked like a piece of junk, and his plan worked. No one touched it!! We too often judge by appearance. God told the prophet Samuel, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
We may see someone who on the outside does not measure up to "our" expectations...but on the inside they are priceless to God! We might think they are “loose as a goose,” but in reality they may actually be, “straight as an arrow!”
Pastor J. T. Carnell