{"id":884,"date":"2009-10-05T15:39:34","date_gmt":"2009-10-05T15:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html"},"modified":"2009-10-05T15:39:34","modified_gmt":"2009-10-05T15:39:34","slug":"shortcomings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html","title":{"rendered":"Shortcomings"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"weston1.jpg\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘A  <\/span>frank response to
\nFrank, who said, “regrets I’ve had a few,<\/p>\n

But far too few to mention… I did it my way”  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shortcomings just like snowflakes, <\/p>\n

Are always piling up,<\/p>\n

A life time of the little things<\/p>\n

Filling up life’s cup. 
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then some day, and in some way<\/p>\n

They have their full impact<\/p>\n

On family, friends or foes alike,<\/p>\n

Too late to then retract.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Too late to start anew that day<\/p>\n

Too late for quick reprise<\/p>\n

The bills have now come fully due<\/p>\n

Much to our surprise. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sometimes we think that life consists<\/p>\n

Of only major things<\/p>\n

Of beautiful blue sky days<\/p>\n

When all the birds do sing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Of birthdays and holidays<\/p>\n

A picture postcard beach<\/p>\n

Where shortcomings can be ignored<\/p>\n

And outcomes out of reach.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But net effect one day weighs in,<\/p>\n

Our hopes are undermined<\/p>\n

The gravity of  <\/span>apathy<\/p>\n

Our dreams are left behind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Faithful in the small things<\/p>\n

Be faithful when there’s much<\/p>\n

You need to sweat the small stuff<\/p>\n

The Kingdom is of such.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I failed to finish what was asked<\/p>\n

I failed to love enough<\/p>\n

I failed to be there when you called<\/p>\n

When times were really tough<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I failed to notice when you smiled<\/p>\n

I missed the telltale signs<\/p>\n

I failed to see when you were tired<\/p>\n

With worries on your mind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I failed to hold you when you cried<\/p>\n

I failed to finish strong<\/p>\n

I failed to be there when you died,<\/p>\n

I chose to move along.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some say the cost of what we do<\/p>\n

Is usually outweighed<\/p>\n

By all the things that we neglect<\/p>\n

Every single day.  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When did I see you without bread<\/p>\n

Or with no clothes to wear<\/p>\n

When did I know you were in jail<\/p>\n

But never visited there? <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The sin’s in what I have not done<\/p>\n

For stranger, neighbor, kin<\/p>\n

‘The saddest words of pen or tongue<\/p>\n

What might have been, what might have been.’<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oct. 3, 2009<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BW3<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  ‘A  frank response to Frank, who said, “regrets I’ve had a few, But far too few to mention… I did it my way”    Shortcomings just like snowflakes, Are always piling up, A life time of the little things Filling up life’s cup.    Then some day, and in some way They have their…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nShortcomings - The Bible and Culture<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shortcomings - The Bible and Culture\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  ‘A  frank response to Frank, who said, “regrets I’ve had a few, But far too few to mention… I did it my way”    Shortcomings just like snowflakes, Are always piling up, A life time of the little things Filling up life’s cup.    Then some day, and in some way They have their…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Bible and Culture\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2009-10-05T15:39:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/files\/import\/assets_c\/2009\/10\/weston1-thumb-500x280-8268.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ben Witherington\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Shortcomings - The Bible and Culture","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Shortcomings - The Bible and Culture","og_description":"  ‘A  frank response to Frank, who said, “regrets I’ve had a few, But far too few to mention… I did it my way”    Shortcomings just like snowflakes, Are always piling up, A life time of the little things Filling up life’s cup.    Then some day, and in some way They have their…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html","og_site_name":"The Bible and Culture","article_published_time":"2009-10-05T15:39:34+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/files\/import\/assets_c\/2009\/10\/weston1-thumb-500x280-8268.jpg"}],"author":"Ben Witherington","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html","name":"Shortcomings - The Bible and Culture","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/files\/import\/assets_c\/2009\/10\/weston1-thumb-500x280-8268.jpg","datePublished":"2009-10-05T15:39:34+00:00","dateModified":"2009-10-05T15:39:34+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/#\/schema\/person\/d1fd6c7893819eabc624db38ecfd8426"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/files\/import\/assets_c\/2009\/10\/weston1-thumb-500x280-8268.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/files\/import\/assets_c\/2009\/10\/weston1-thumb-500x280-8268.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/10\/shortcomings.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Shortcomings"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/","name":"The Bible and Culture","description":"All Things Biblical and Christian","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/#\/schema\/person\/d1fd6c7893819eabc624db38ecfd8426","name":"Ben Witherington","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/75e\/75ec11e1916a2008bc4cc638a0a0de2fx96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/75e\/75ec11e1916a2008bc4cc638a0a0de2fx96.jpg","caption":"Ben Witherington"},"description":"Bible scholar Ben Witherington is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is now considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS, a society dedicated to New Testament studies. Witherington has also taught at Ashland Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University, Duke Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell. A popular lecturer, Witherington has presented seminars for churches, colleges and biblical meetings not only in the United States but also in England, Estonia, Russia, Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia. He has also led tours to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Witherington has written over thirty books, including The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest, both of which were selected as top biblical studies works by Christianity Today. He also writes for many church and scholarly publications, and is a frequent contributor to the Beliefnet website. Along with many interviews on radio networks across the country, Witherington has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&E, and the PAX Network.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/author\/bwitherington"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}