A little miracle in the middle of the Mundane

Over the past week, it seems as though everything has gone wrong, maybe not completely wrong but at least a little wrong. A lot of the frustration has been with the toddler who has been acting like…well, she has been acting like a toddler. Last night, my parents came and took the toddler to spend the night with them. Insert sigh of relief; I was going to enjoy a few minutes of toddler-less life. Actually, instead of relaxing, I was hoping to get some class work done. I sat down at my computer but had the most difficult time concentrating because my child had left my house in such a wreck. I got up and started a little cleaning.

I straightened the house, scoured the bathrooms and the kitchen, swept and vacuumed. I was in the last room with the vacuum when I heard this loud crack and something went flying across the dining room. I had sucked up a gorilla paper clamp. Needless to say, the vacuum stopped dead in its tracks. I was so frustrated. I tinkered. I turned it back on. Nothing. I tinkered some more. I turned it back on. Nothing. On the third try, sitting in the middle of the dining room floor with my head in my hands, I prayed. I know it sounds silly to pray about a vacuum but I was that fed up. Low and behold! The third try, that bad boy started right up. It was sucking up stuff way better than it had before. I was able to finish the house cleaning and because my mind was free and clear I was able to get a good bit of homework finished. I even had a little time to watch television before going to bed. It turned out to be a relaxing evening after all.

I woke early this morning to cut the grass. I was hoping to be finished before it got too hot, which in central Georgia means before the sun comes up. I walked out the back door a little before 7:00am. I saw a yard strewn with toys, shoes, gloves, limbs. Ugh, this was going to take forever. By the time I finished picking up everything it was 7:30. I put in my iPod earbuds and was ready to kick it around the yard with my little red mower. I cranked it and made one ten foot pass and it died. It was out of gas. To be perfectly honest, I used profanity this time. I have to explain that my little mower is new to me and I had not yet purchased a can because I was using my dad’s. I didn’t want to wake him that early so I went to the gas station to buy a can and some gas. Do you know how much the gas station sells their cans for? It is highway robbery! So, I went to Dollar General and waited for them to open. Then I went back to the gas station. When I finally got back home and got the mower gassed up it was well after 8:00 and getting hot. I pulled the choke and got nothing. You have got to be kidding me! I try again… more profanity. Then, I turn to Him and simply say, “I have faith that you can and will make this mower run.” I even promised God that if He would start that mower, that I would post to the blog about it. Sure enough, He was faithful to start the mower, so I am faithfully posting about it.

You probably think this is silly to be telling you or God about my mundane madness. But it appears that God wants us to talk to Him about all this mundane-ness. He wants to be a continual part of our lives -- every hour, every minute, every second. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 says “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” The whole verse 17 is devoted to “pray[ing] continually.” Another verse, Philippians 4: 6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" I emphasize the part that says “in EVERYTHING, by prayer…present your requests to God.”

I am not saying that God will always fix the vacuum or lawn mower, but I am saying that He wants to hear about it. And, sometimes in the middle of that mundane madness a listening ear is all you need to turn the madness into a little miracle.



On a side note: I have been hearing from a lot of people who are going through or have recently gone through a divorce. To God be the Glory! It turns out that this blog is reaching people – even people I have never met! (And I thought my mother was my only reader. :) ) I want this blog to offer support to those who are hurting from divorce. Until I can figure out how to do it more efficiently, I want to encourage those of you who are willing to share your stories to do so in the comments section. Let me, and others hear about your experience, talk with you and pray with you about it.

One last thing: Several of my friends and I have started another blog that follows our efforts at weight loss and creating a healthier lifestyle. I would love for you to pay it a visit at manchestermoms.blogspot.com

The Sunday Evening crowd at our church is a small and unique group. Because of this, Sunday evening takes on an atmosphere of a Bible study rather than a formal worship service. Our pastor has recently begun a series titled What’s so Amazing About Grace? This past week’s mail-out contained a segment that I wanted to pass along to you. It was written by Lewis Smedes:

“When we forgive someone, we do not forget the hurtful act, as if forgetting came along with the forgiveness package, the way strings come with a violin… Forgiving, in fact, may be a dangerous way to escape the inner surgery of the heart that we call forgiving…

Once we have forgiven, however, we get a new freedom to forget. This time (after forgiveness happens) forgetting is a sign of health; it is not a trick to avoid spiritual surgery. We can forget because we have been healed. Be even if it is easier to forget after we forgive, we should not make forgetting a test of our forgiving. The test of forgiving lies with healing the lingering pain of the past, not with forgetting that the past ever happened.

…Can you stop your memory on a dime, put it in reverse, and spin it in another direction the way you can reverse direction on a tape recorder? We cannot forget on command. So we just have to let the forgetting happen as it will; we shouldn’t rush it, and we certainly should not doubt the genuineness of our forgiving if we happen to remember. The really important thins is that we have the power to forgive what we still do remember.”

Over the past few weeks, during this study, I have had some thoughts about this forgiveness. I wonder why some people seem to be able to forgive the most atrocious acts with seemingly no difficulty at all while other people face years of anger and turmoil because of wrongs done them in the distant past. Several posts ago, March 18th to be exact, I mentioned that I don’t know how to reach the point of offering our enemies forgiveness.

Now, however, I think I am figuring it out. In Matthew chapter 18 one may find the "Parable of the Unmerciful Servant." Most every church go-er will immediately recognize this passage as being the “seventy times seven passage.” It is through this parable Jesus suggests that we forgive our brother seventy times seven times for a grand total of 490 times. (Yes, I used a calculator and no, I am not ashamed.) The same church go-er has heard many a sermon on how that seventy times seven does not actually mean 490 times but as many times as it takes even into the thousands. Having heard about 490 of such sermons myself, I have always thought that meant to continue to forgive that many different offenses. Essentially, our brother (or sister) could commit 490 heinous acts against us, but we are charged to forgive each and every last one. But, what if, we look at this passage a little differently? What if we tried to forgive just one offense that many times? What if God recognized that we are human and we will struggle to forgive and will darn near fail at forgetting major offenses? What if God meant to tell us through this parable that every time we remember that offense, or every time we become angry again, or every time we fail at forgiving and forgetting we should sit down, say a prayer and forgive the offense all over again. Perhaps, the intention was to provide a plan of offering that forgiveness even if it takes us 490 tries.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 21 – 35)

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[f]

23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[g] was brought to him.

25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'

27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[h] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."



The painting is Lute Player by the Italian Baroque painter Orazio Gentileschi. He was a follower of Caravaggio and a teacher. His best pupil (and my personal favorite painter) was his daughter Artemisia. She is historically considered the first female painter.

Let it be revisited...

Every time I write a post, I sit down at the computer and pray for two things. First, that God will give me the words to type so that this will be of Him and not me. And second, that if this is truly what He wants me to be doing he will provide confirmation. The confirmation has been overwhelming. Not only has this been an excellent outlet to release emotional frustrations for me, but I have received so many encouraging words from readers, that it seems that this is actually worth while. At the very least, I am thrilled to have readers that are not listed as my next of kin on medical forms.

This morning, I received a comment from a friend on last night’s post. She suggested that I take a listen to Kris Allen’s version of “Let It Be.” Not being an American Idol fan, I had never heard of Kris Allen (my apologies). It is well done and worth a listen. But, while watching, what struck me were the images of Haiti in the background. I think that this just brings the idea of turmoil in our lives back to the forefront. However, this time the turmoil is not internal but external.

So often we focus on the negatives within our own lives. I am the first to admit guilt. After all, I am the one who has spent the last six months writing blog posts about getting over those negatives. But when we turn to look at the turmoil in other’s lives, that which is internal seems rather microscopic.I mean, I was not personally affected by an earthquake on January 13th, or even on February 28 in Chili. I am not busy trying to figure out how to get out of the tent and into sturdier living arrangements before the flood season and hurricanes arrive. I did not have to jump ten stories off a burning oil rig in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Nor, has my lively hood been affected by the oil spill.My home was not destroyed by the Yazoo, Mississippi tornado or the Nashville, Tennessee floods. Some of these tragedies seem so distant because they occurred on foreign soil. But, some of these happened very close to home, perhaps even affecting loved ones. The point is, that regardless of our situation, I am willing to bet that you can always find someone more desperate than yourself. When you view that turmoil from an external point of view, it diminishes the internal anguish.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow stated, “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”Now, obviously, I am not saying the victims of the disasters I have listed are enemies. But, you can list a few people who you might think of as enemies. Have you ever considered the hardship they have faced within their lives? Is it possible that some of that hardship could have influenced the situation that began your anger toward them? Have you ever examined the life of that ex-spouse and realized that rather than you being the one in need of empathy, compassion or perhaps even pity, it is actually them?

For me, this focus on the external is causing a great need to go help someone else. For several weeks, I have been feeling this need. It started with going to volunteer with the clean up in Gulf Shores. I am currently Google-ing mission trips to Haiti. We will see where this leads. Perhaps, this is something that you may consider. While we can’t be personally responsible for the turmoil – we do need to “let it be”. We can offer support in various forms to those who suffer far more than we do.

Citations:
The comment and Kris Allen suggestion were made by Lucia Craven via Facebook.

The picture of the Haitian Tent City may be found at Grassrooty.com. Grassrooty is a non-profit organization with the intention of collecting tents for use by earthquake victims.

The picture of the baby is three-day-old premature baby Jessica Thelusma. She rests in a bed made from a cardboard box in the emergency room at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince. You may find the picture and corresponding article at http://www.time.com/time/picturesoftheweek/0,29409,1989214_2137688,00.html#ixzz0oOPs3BPP

The shrimp boat is taking part in a cleaning operation for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. This picture and article can be viewed at http://www.time.com/time/picturesoftheweek/0,29409,1987647,00.html#ixzz0oOQ8sHla

Let it Be

I am writing this the night before yet another anniversary. Tomorrow will be two years to the day that my ex-husband and I separated. Six months ago, about the time I began this blog, I would have thought that tomorrow would leave me depressed and longing for some kind of hope. To my utter surprise, I am writing this post with a much different attitude. I now have a spirit of peace about me. As I look to the future, I know it is bright for both me and the toddler. Two years later, with a very peculiar change of thought, I can honestly say that I feel blessed to be divorced.

You see, I have had the opportunity to experience true love and then to have lost it. Because of this, I now have a far better understanding of what it takes to make love last. I look forward to the day that I am again blessed with love as I know that I will offer that love a better home. I have the opportunity to go back and make good on the hope, ambitions and dreams that I “gave up” when I married right out of college. My master’s program is going well (I have a 3.5 GPA). Graduation is still sometime away in December of 2011, but there is a light at the end of that tunnel. There are numerous other “blessings” that have come about because of this divorce. My parents are watching the toddler grow on a daily basis rather than being long distance grandparents. I have made new friends and reunited with old ones which has allowed me to feel God’s presence through caring relationships. I have matured mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The list goes on and on.

Most important, though, I have learned that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. For so long, I had felt as though I could only do things if there was someone else to support me. At first, it was a parent, then friends and finally a husband that I clung to for approval. I now know that the only approval I need is His. With that knowledge, I feel almost invincible. And, truth be told, as long as what I am doing is for Him, I am invincible. No… really… I am. That is what Philippians 4:13 means.

To HIM be the Glory!!

With all that said, when thinking about this post, I kept thinking of a Beatles song. I know, what you are thinking…this is a devotion that is supposed to be related to God and I am using a song by the Beatles. I am well aware the life choices that were / are made by the members of the group and that a lot of those decisions are not in keeping with what one might term a “Christian Lifestyle.” I even know that in an interview John Lennon actually stated that Christianity is dying and that “the Beatles are more popular than Jesus.” I am also aware that they were arguably the best musical group to ever exist and it just so happens that they wrote a song that fits perfectly with today’s post. So here goes…

The year was 1968. Johnson was serving his last year as president. The Tet Offensive began in January. On April 4th, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. Then on June 5th in Los Angeles, Robert Kennedy was assassinated. The Civil Rights Movement and Anti-War demonstrations had reached a fevered pitch. Students were rioting in France. Greece had just experienced a military coup. Israel and all the surrounding countries were trying to blow one another off the planet. Nixon was narrowly elected president in November. It was a rough year. On a slightly lesser historical note, the Beatles were on the verge of breaking up. The group was weathering public divorces, drug charges and arrests, failed movies, and record deals gone bad. Paul McCartney composed “Let It Be” late in 1968 after having a dream of his late mother, Mary. In the dream his mother, who had died when he was just 14, had advised him to let the turmoil go.


The lyrics to "Let it Be:"
When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,
there will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,
there will be an answer. let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....

And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light, that shines on me,
shine until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....


McCartney was unable to be responsible for all the turmoil of that year both in the world, his band or his life. Ultimately, at some point, we have to “let it be,” too. At some point, we have to relinquish the turmoil that is in our lives. God knew that Paul McCartney, The Beatles, President Johnson, you and I would be unable to bear the burden of turbulence in our lives. That is why He gave us the following:

"Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” Psalm 116:7

Psalm 46:10 as translated by me, says, “relax and know that God can take care of all the stuff I can’t.” 1 Peter 5:7 as translated by me states “Don’t worry, be happy ‘cuz God loves you a lot.” (That one should be read with a Jamaican accent.) And Psalm 116:7 says, “no matter what you have experienced, or will experience you can rest and find peace in the goodness that is God.” This all may seem a little simplistic, but for me, the only thing left to do is let it – whatever it is – just let it be.

The Power

My father is a member of a men's chorus called the Sons of Jubal. It is an excellent group comprised of Ministers of Music from across the state. On a regular basis, the group receives an e-mail from the director, Jon Duncan, that contains devotions from members of the choir. Daddy passed the devotion on to me and it was particularly poignant so I thought I would pass it on to you. Enjoy.


Devotional by Jon Duncan

In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years. Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, "Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable." He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson 's astonishment, the engine roared to life.

For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work. In John 15: 4-5 we discover the need to be grafted into the vine. Dependence in the "True Vine" offers strength, power, and life. I can certainly identify with the story above. It is easy to become self-reliant. Ministry is demanding. The task list continues to grow, and we find that loads are more than we can handle. We often look for the "newest and latest" that can help us push a powerless car down the road. It is true that we need such help from time to time. There are times, however, that we are neglectful of simple maintenance. As one who has experienced pushing cars too often, let me encourage a little maintenance check. We may discover a "loose" wire or two. How's your connection to the Vine? Check out the connection. In these times we really need a source of power beyond our own strength. Such power comes from the Vine.



Comments from Shannon:
As a product of the 90's, my first thought upon reading this devotion was the early 90's dance hit by the German-America Techno group call Snap. The song was called "The Power". (Some of you are laughing, but you know you loved it, too.) After hearing and occasionally dancing to this song for two decades, I was surprised to find that it has actual verses, albeit senseless verses. The whole point of the song though, is that this rapper called Turbo B has The Power. The power to do what, I don't know. When comparing this song and the devotion, I am relieved that we don't have to have all the power. It seems that when we, humans in general, try to have the power, we end up pushing a car for two years or like the song -- not making much sense.



Here are a few verses that correspond nicely with Dr. Duncan's devotion. They follow:

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

"Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all." 1 Chronicles 29:12

"Then He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12: 9


Citations:
The devotion is reprinted from Jon Duncan, Sons of Jubal e-mail.

The picture is from "Journey Across Africa" which is a blog written by a Peach Corps Volunteer named Mike. You may find his blog at http://journeyacrossafrica.blogspot.com/2003_12_01_archive.html

A Little Appetizer

A friend gave me several poems and quotes that have been special to me over the past couple of years. I thought this one would be appropriate for passing along. If nothing else, consider this an appetizer while waiting for the impending entrée of the next post. I am still quite busy with school but am working on my next post. Stay Tuned…

Cratered landscape at the Ouvrage de Thiaumont, in the heart of the fighting at Verdun from February 1916 to December 1916.


Forgiveness by George Roemisch

Forgiveness is the wind-blown bud
which blooms in placid beauty at Verdun.

Forgiveness is the tiny slate-gray sparrow
which has built its nest of twigs and string
among the shards of glass upon
the wall of shame.

Forgiveness is the child who
laughs in merry ecstasy
beneath the toothed fence that
closes in Da Nang.

Forgiveness is the fragrance of the violet
which still clings fast to the
heel that crushed it.

Forgiveness is the broken dream
which hides itself within the corner of the mind
oft called forgetfulness so that
it will not bring pain to the dreamer.

Forgiveness is the reed
which stands up straight and green
when nature’s mighty rampage halts, full spent.

Forgiveness is a God who will not leave us
after all we’ve done.

Bad fruit and Why I am Slow

I want to start this post by apologizing. When I began this blog, I had hoped to post at least once a week. As you have read, my posts are quite long and they require of me a good amount of time researching and writing. As most of my readers know me personally, you realize that I am a both a graduate student and stay-at-home mom; uninterrupted time at the computer is precious and recently that time has been devoted to my studies. While posting to the blog has been less frequent it has certainly not been forgotten.

I have a long list of posts that I intend to write as time allows, but one thing that constantly plagues me as I write these posts is the story of Cain and Abel. Years ago, when I was still a member of my father’s children’s choir, he told his choir the story from Genesis chapter four. He told of how the two brothers presented God with their offerings and explained that Cain brought God an offering of fruits and vegetables that were wilted and not fit to be eaten but Abel brought God an offering of the prized sheep from his flocks. God was pleased with Abel and displeased with Cain. My father then explained that everything we do is presented to God as an offering so everything we do should be done to the very best of our ability. Daddy was probably telling the group of fourth graders that we needed to sing better or behave better but that has stuck with me ever sense. I say all of that to explain why I want each of my posts to be the very best they can be. I am offering this blog to God for His service, so I am going to postpone posting for another couple weeks, so that it will hopefully be my very best offering and be pleasing to Him.

In the mean time, I am going to leave you with a little tid-bit from some of my quiet time that may be meaningful. I invite any readers (hopefully, I have readers other than my mother) to comment if you have inspirational words, scriptures or even web links -- whatever you feel like sharing is welcome. I monitor the comments, so it may take a couple of days for it to post, but I promise to get to it.


The following is from Come Away My Beloved. It is a sort of follow up to the previous post on hatred. It tells of the dangers of allowing unhealthy emotions destroy not only our relationship with God but also our physical well-being. As you read, imagine that God is speaking the words directly to you. Because these words are all scriptural God has in essence already spoken them to you. Not only will it provide a sense of peace, but it allows better understand on how God does speak.

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously… Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2Corinthians 9:6 and 10

How can I give you healing for your body while there is anxiety in your mind? So long as there is disease in your thoughts, there will be disease in your body. You need many things, but one thing in particular you must develop for your own preservation, and that is an absolute confidence in My loving care.

It is written, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Only when your mind is at rest can your body build health. Worry is an actively destructive force. Anxiety produces tension, and tension is the road to pain. Fear is devastating to the physical well-being of the body. Anger throw poison into the system that no antibiotic can ever counteract.

“Be sure your sin will find you out,” the Bible states (Numbers 32:23). One of the most common ways that hidden sin is revealed is through the maladies of the body. Resentments and ill will bring about more arthritis than is caused by wrong diet. More asthma is caused by repressed fury than by pollen or cat fur.

There was no illness in the body of Jesus because there was no sin in His soul. There was weariness as a natural result of labor and sacrificial service, but there was no undue fatigue and exhaustion brought on by anxiety.

Ten minutes of unbridled temper can waste enough strength to do a half day of wholesome work. Your physical energy is a gift from God, entrusted to you to be employed for His glory. It is a sin to take His gift and dissipate it through the trap doors of the disposition’s evil emotions.

Do not condemn others for jeopardizing their health by harmful habits and wasting their energies on vain pursuits while you undermine your health by unworthy emotions. You waste time by entertaining such things as self-pity and remorse and evil surmising when you might be keeping your mind in an attitude of praise and faith. Your mind could be constructively employed, but instead you allow this to be a period of destructive action.

You cannot risk giving your thoughts free reign. They will never choose the right path until you bridle them and control them by your own disciplined will. You are master of your own house. You do not have to invite into your mind the foul birds of evil thoughts and allow them to nest there and bring forth their young.

Whatsoever you sow in your secret thought life, that you will reap. Sow love and kindness, and you shall be rewarded openly. Sow charity and forgiveness, and you shall reap in kind. Sow generosity and gratitude, and you shall never feel poor. Sow hope, and you shall reap fulfillment. Sow praise, and you shall reap joy and well-being and a strong faith. Sow bountifully, and you shall reap bountifully. Sow! You shall see your seed and be satisfied.

Passage from Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

The painting is "Vanitas still life" by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. He painted this in 1587. Caravaggio was a remarkable Italian Baroque painter who knew all too well the ills caused by emotions.