Small beginnings

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)

If you have ever considered the size of a mustard seed, you will likely have noted it is only 1-2 millimeters in diameter. While it is a small seed, the 'tree' produced (or actually a type of shrub) is about 20 feet across and just about as tall! From such a small seed come what some may say is 'remarkable growth'. The leaves start out as very green, then 'morph' into a yellow tone as they age. The ability to not only see physical growth in the height and width of the tree, but to also observe the 'maturity' of the tree by the color of its leaves is kind of neat. One suggests a good connection, while the other suggests a continued connection that allows growth to develop into maturity - something Christ wants for each of us!

While we might focus on the seed and all the wonderful things this seed can do, we cannot neglect the succulent leaves and stems, as they have a beautiful yellow-green flower that is produced with rather long tendrils (some about 12 inches long). The flowers develop into small pink or scarlet berries, which are translucent. The tree actually grows best in dry, rather arid conditions since they are prone to 'mold' if things are too wet for them. While we all dream of the lush green valleys, with lots of coolness and comfort, could it be that we might just thrive the best in the dry and arid conditions of our soul, when life seems to be less evident in others?

While the older, more mature trees don't take all that much maintenance, they do require a whole lot of attention in the earlier stages of their growth (much like us). The early maintenance is not only important to ensure the seed sprouts, but that good root penetration takes place once the seedling is planted. The eventual growth that comes from the proper root penetration not only ensures 'good anchorage' of the plant, but sufficient resources for its continued growth. As the branches begin to form, the tree takes form. Birds nest in the branches - a place of safety and refuge. As Christ's character grows within each of us, our greatest hope is that our lives become a place of safety and refuge for others who need hope and a community in which to 'take root' themselves. Just sayin!

A chance to reconnect

They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything. (Bil Keane)

Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Don’t try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18)

As we move on with our 'new year', perhaps it would be good to rekindle a few relationships that have grown a bit too cool over the past year. It begins with the one we have with our heavenly Father first, then it flows outward. As we recommit to spending time with Jesus each day, getting into his word, and allowing him to guide our path, we need to prayerfully consider other relationships that may need a little 'uplift'. If we haven't invested ourselves deeply, it could be that God is asking us to do so this year. I know some may feel they are being prompted to begin anew with relationships that need a bit more of their attentiveness. It may have become easy to think 'time spent together' is 'building' a relationship, but it is more than 'time' a relationship needs. It requires attentiveness!

As we become attentive within a relationship, it is quite possible we will see things others 'do wrong' or have done without 'total awareness'. It is time to forgive those things and remove the 'distance' these things have probably created in the relationship. The distance has actually made it possible to merely 'spend time' together but still be very disconnected and aloof from each other in the process. As long as that distance remains, intimacy will not be regained. Maybe it is time for us to 'reinvest' a little more of ourselves into the relationship and a little less 'activity'. It is possible the 'activity' has become a substitute for truthful sharing of emotions, meaningful connection with each other, and the ability to be entirely transparent with each other. If so, today may be the beginning of a new focus - each other.

Parents and children can exist in the same room - each scrolling their phones, talking occasionally about something trivial, and be totally disconnected. Coworkers can be engaged in the same project but be devoid of any real connectedness with the others they are working alongside. Friends can meet for coffee and still walk away with things unsaid, knowing they have some hurts in their life held close to the breast, and feel like they are all alone in the battle. Today is a new day - a chance to reconnect - to lose a few of the 'habits' that have driven us apart and establish some new ones that will draw us closer together. Just sayin!

Connected?

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, 8)

As we close out another year, let us keep in mind two things Christ asks of each of us - two things that will give us the best start to our new year. First and foremost, connect with him. We cannot expect to make wise decisions about our future, much less our present circumstances when we are not actively connecting with him. Secondly, we need to remain in a close relationship with him. The branches of a vine are no good without connection, but when connected, they have a source for life. Branches that are intertwined will actually grow stronger than those that are just trying to do things on their own. One vining branch may attempt to grow in the opposite direction of the rest, producing just a bit of fruit, but in time, the heat of day will scorch it, the birds will pick it clean, and the landscaper will lop it off!

The vine always has a 'trunk' to which it is connected. That 'trunk' is what has the root system attached to it - the means by which all the vine requires for growth will enter into the vine. Without connection to the 'source', the vine cannot expect to find nourishment, fruit will become non-existent, and it will soon wither and die. Perhaps the best thing we can do as we enter this new year is examine where we are finding our connection. If it is in the things of this world such as the value of our bank accounts, the upward mobility of our career, or the 'steadiness' of a hoped-for relationship, we may find ourselves a bit 'dry' and the fruit of the Spirit pretty much non-existent in our lives. If the source of our lives is the connection we find with Jesus each and every day, the fruit may not always be evident, but it is on the way!

If we want a strong start to our year, we will refocus our attention toward making the 'right connection' - that which is found in relationship with Jesus and nothing else. Then we will find that the strength that comes as we 'intertwine' with others who have also made such a commitment to remain connected to the source of all life (Jesus) will be exactly what we need in order to realize the growth and development of true spiritual fruit. Connection is paramount - to Christ first, then to others who also follow him. We may experience seasons of 'leanness' at times, but as long as the connection remains secure to the source of all life, the 'leanness' of what appears to be a non-fruit bearing season in our lives will reveal just how much prep has gone into the development of the fruit that is just about to break forth! Just sayin!

Beware the foxes

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5,8)

John Calvin said a dog barks when he sees his master attacked. Why would we ever think God wouldn't raise a ruckus when the enemy of our soul even attempts to snatch away one of his own? Those who remain in him can always be assured of his protective oversight in their lives. We have a protected relationship and one that is intended to be quite productive. It is no wonder our enemy wants so badly to get at us! 

To remain indicates a specific state is met and maintained. In other words, we don't move from where are because it is a place specifically designed for us - a place designed for his presence to dwell. If we want to go beyond that protection, we will find ourselves kind of on our own - outside of the place where the best fruit can be developed in our lives. Maybe this is why we haven't produced fruit - we have 'detached' ourselves from the vine long enough that we are drying up.

Some think 'remaining' means you will be 'stuck' doing the same things, in the same way, in the same place. To God, 'remaining' means a vital, growing relationship. We don't remain the same - we are always changing. A branch attached to a tree doesn't remain the same year after year. It lengthens, thickens, grows new leaves, drops old ones, and even produces some type of 'fruit' while attached. It is a 'life-cycle' that is being 'lived out'. God asks his kiddos to 'live out' this spiritual life-cycle close to him.

Much fruit - not just a little here or there, but a bigger and bigger harvest as long as we remain in him. This only happens because we make a place for him in our lives at the center of our lives. The vine produces fruit because it has a good root. The vine is important, but the root is foundational to all growth. "Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!" (Song of Solomon 2:15) There will always be 'little foxes' attempting to disturb that connection between the vine and the root. God's instruction to us is to be alert to their presence, then to catch them before they go to work!

We might not realize just how hard our enemy is working to sever that relationship of connection but be sure that he is there. The foxes aren't easily seen in the vineyard, for they can hide deep within the vines. Sometimes sin hides deep within our hearts - working to destroy the root of grace, freedom, and peace that God plants there. Don't forget to look for the foxes - their presence is never welcome! Just sayin!

In attendance

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. (John 15:1-4)

Our Arizona sun has done a number on our garden this year. What started out so healthy, green, and fruit bearing has now become brittle, yellowed, and the fruit is nowhere to be found. The severe heat of the day, despite covering the plants with shade covers, has made what should have been a very fruitful spring/summer harvest a dud. I have observed something similar in God's kids on occasion. They seem to spring up with all kinds of gusto and good intentions, then when life's heat turns up a bit, they almost wither on the vine. I am not sure what happens to them, but they usually just drift for a while and most eventually 'come back', but you can certainly see that they have been through the 'pruning process'. If we want things to grow as they should, there is always going to be this 'pruning process'. We might find it a bit harsh at times, while we barely notice it happening at others. 

The truly amazing thing is not that God cares enough about us to 'save' us from wild and unhealthy growth, but that he ensures the best possible growth by ensuring we are 'grafted into' his healthy 'stock'. If we remained where some of us were planted originally, we'd just be a bundle of gangly branches with dead leaves and gangly, unyielding branches. When the 'pruning process' begins, we might feel a little 'naked' for a bit, but because of the exposure of things previously hidden under so much 'overgrown deadness', we begin to put forth new growth. New growth always seems to come from the most unlikely places within us. That may frighten some of us because we never imagined growth to be possible from those 'dead' and 'damaged' places. In God's hands, there is always the potential for new life!

The Word of God is life to those who hear it - it is also the very 'shears' that will 'prune and purify' our lives. To neglect the Word of God is to neglect a very necessary 'pruning'! Too many times we think we can get away with a little 'nip' here and there, but what we really need is a good old fashioned 'deep pruning'. We want the pruning process to be over quickly, but God's Word has a way of being there each and every time death is uncovered. When we yield to the Word of God, we are ensuring the 'graft' remains strong and vital. That strong and vital connection with God is what actually ensures not only growth, but fruit. How many of us want an unyielding garden? We want it to flourish, giving its fruit in season, and continually revealing that the gardener has 'been in attendance'. Just sayin!

A little bridge building is required

You are right and you do right, God; your decisions are right on target. You rightly instruct us in how to live ever faithful to you. My rivals nearly did me in, they persistently ignored your commandments. Your promise has been tested through and through, and I, your servant, love it dearly. I’m too young to be important, but I don’t forget what you tell me. Your righteousness is eternally right, your revelation is the only truth. Even though troubles came down on me hard, your commands always gave me delight. The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest. (Psalm 119:140-144)

I don't imagine it is many of us who can say we are true to our word - for we all struggle with this at times - no matter how much we live in a manner where we strive to consistently follow through on what we say we will do. We struggle with the "promises" we make God more than we do the ones we make to our fellow man. Scripture outlines two inter-related character traits: Faithfulness and Fullness. It is in learning to be faithful where we are led into quite a full life! I think we follow through on what is important to us. If we hear our doctor tell us we will be dead in a year unless we make some dramatic changes in the way we eat and exercise, I daresay most of us would be on Weight Watchers, Keto, or the treadmill by the end of the day! We "value" our time on this earth, so we will make the necessary adjustments to our way of living because we want more than a year! If the "thing" motivates us enough, we take whatever steps are required in order to realize the goal, don't we? This is exactly where the "rub" comes at times in our lives. We find certain "value" in some things because they have an immediate evidence of "return" - such as when we get our haircut in order to deal with our "dowdiness". The haircut lifts our spirits and makes us feel better about our appearance. When the "value" of something isn't immediate, we sometimes wane in our commitment to it because we don't see the "return" for quite some time.

Faithfulness is something God honors - scripture reminds us God is right and always does right - his decisions for our lives are right on target. Why do we struggle with his decisions so often? I think it may be the "immediacy" of the "return" we are struggling with more than the decision! Faithfulness is based on a certain steadiness of allegiance - commitment to a purpose, the ability to remain even when the going gets tough (or the results just don't seem to surface immediately). Faithfulness begins in the action of listening. What we are "willing" to hear often makes the determination of heart much easier. When we "hear" the doctor with both our mind and heart, we are moved to action. If we just hear it as a "suggestion" of change, we might just linger in our unhealthy lifestyle a little longer. God rightly instructs us on HOW to live faithful lives. Any good teacher will confirm that a student only learns when he takes what he hears and puts it into action. This is the "bridge" between knowledge and learning. We can possess knowledge but be devoid of real learning. God's desire is for the "bridge" to be made between knowledge and learning.

Why is it we can stand on God's promises? Isn't it because they have been tested and they stand true? Then why do we struggle with them so much? For example, Matthew 6:33 tells us one of God's promises is to be anxious for nothing - to seek first his purposes - and then we will have all our needs met (maybe not all our "wants", but definitely all our "needs"). How many times do we worry over where we will find the money to pay the next bill, what we will do when we lose our jobs, or when we will see an end to a certain uncomfortable circumstance? There are even "smaller" worries we take into our lives each and every day - not because we don't have the resources to see them met, but because we aren't making this "knowledge - learning" bridge. We have the knowledge of the promise - we just don't have the "connecting" bridge which makes it a fact in our hearts! Faithfulness is directly linked to fullness. When we have this "connection" between "hearing" and "doing", there is a certain "fullness" which is created in the deep places of our lives. Fullness is defined as containing all that can be held. The amazing thing about God is his ability to expand our capacity! When we think we have come to the place of holding all which can be held, he gives us more capacity! Not capacity for "stuff", but capacity for him! 

Maybe this is where we find our struggle with faithfulness - in seeking "stuff" instead of him. We "want", but our "want" is sometimes for stuff that actually limits our capacity for being filled! I think it can be said - capacity is directly linked to our willingness to be emptied. "The way you tell me to live is always right." Look at what comes next: "Help me understand it..." There is nothing God loves more than to hear us ask for his help with understanding his ways in our lives. I don't think he ever leaves us hanging when we do. In fact, he often begins to "piece together" the knowledge we possess until they are "learned". He is "piecing together" the very bridge which will become our lifeline in times of need. The "piecing together" process may seem a little tedious at times in our lives - seeming to not show immediate evidence of the "bridge" but be assured of this - no bridge is built without a good master plan. Every piece fits perfectly because there is a plan for it. We want a bridge - no matter how well constructed. God wants it to endure! In order to endure, sometimes there is a "clearing process" in order to lay the foundations of endurance. Empty vessels are God's choicest vessels, for it is the empty ones he can fill! Just sayin!

Never apologize

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth. 

(Benjamin Disraeli)

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. (Romans 12:15-16)

It is hard to hear how much tragedy is touching families these days. Family members lost to this virus; others surviving it, but left with life-long debility. Jobs lost; mementos buried under rubble; homes no longer habitable due to natural disasters. Entire countries in unrest; people senselessly murdered for their beliefs or unwillingness to bow their knee to the ruling authorities. The worst of the worst can leave one wondering where it will all end. It is likely you have been 'emotionally' vested in the lives of those who have experienced such a tragedy. Crying until tears no longer come - groaning in agony with those who suffer such loss and devastation. Connection in community means we will share in the happy times, but it also means we will weep with those who weep. Never apologize for that connection, my friends. It is what makes us 'community'.

I have seen first-hand the tragedy of this devastating viral attack on our world. As a member of the healthcare profession I have never seen anything so massively destructive as this one virus. I have seen the loss of young lives, not just the older, frailer ones. I have also observed something many of you have not: the extreme sorrow and devastation of heart that our healthcare workers have endured. Doctors pushed to the point of exhaustion - awakened all hours of the night to make adjustments to treatment protocols. Nurses endlessly garbed in protective gear, knowing they are not just 'delivering care', but rather fighting for the lives they see before them. Techs and nursing assistants running endlessly to keep patients turned, clean, linens changed, and supplies ready at the hand of the doctors and nurses. Respiratory Therapists pushed to their limits by endless hours of ventilatory support for their patients. I have also seen the families standing by for word of their loved one's recovery - even one iota of hope held out bringing some measure of peace to their aching hearts. Others struggling to let go, knowing their loved one has very little hope of recovery. 

What does a broken heart feel like, my friends? I think it might feel a little like a life being undone by the tragedy they face - like the life's blood was being sucked from the individual drop by drop until nothing remained but a weakened framework of humanity. Weep for those who weep; hold close those who hunger for just one touch to assure them they are not alone. Never apologize for being moved by life's greatest challenges - embrace them and embrace those who go through them alongside you. Stand together. If I could but request one thing of each of my friends today it would be the simple task of reaching out to another in a place of emotional need today. Will it cost you something? Yes, it will likely cost you a little bit of your emotional strength and connection, but that tiny bit of strength and connection you share with those hurting so terribly may be what helps pull them through to the other side. Let's be a community that steps up, reaches out, and holds close those who are so deeply touched by what seeks to undo them today. Just sayin!

Quench that stench

If you have ever had your eyes diverted for just a moment or two while driving, then realized how dangerously close you were to heading into the tail-end of another car or swerving into someone else's lane, then you probably also know the 'immediacy' of your reaction to 'correct' your course. You immediately brake, bringing the car back into a safe distance behind the one in front of you, or you get back into the lane you were to be in and then remain vigilant to remain there! With all the texting while driving I see these days, it is easy to see how accidents can be on the rise - for diverted eyes only take a moment to allow the catastrophic to occur. The same is true in our spiritual lives - diversions are dangerous to us - they change our course, put us in harm's way, and can take a little bit more 'over-correction' than we might first imagine.

God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—my whole life one long, obedient response. Guide me down the road of your commandments;
I love traveling this freeway! (Psalm 119:33-35)

God doesn't go about 'teaching us' stuff from his Word - things about the way he works, what to expect of his careful attentiveness over our lives - just so we can live as we please. He expects us to use these truths to guide us into 'carefully lived' lives ourselves. This means we have to guard against the diversions that come our way. Back in the days when warfare was a little less 'scientific' than it is today, one of the tactics utilized was to 'divert' the supply of water, food, and needed supplies away from the place you were attempting to 'take over'. They did this to cut them off - so they'd get desperate and let their guard down. Desperate people do desperate things - not always all that carefully thought out or purposeful!

If they diverted the flow of water coming into the township, there would arise a panic because water was a necessary part of daily life. If it wasn't available any longer, the chances of survival were significantly reduced. Yes, they could look for alternatives, but eventually they'd need the water. The  body isn't made to survive without it. Similarly, the spirit of man isn't meant to be cut-off from God - although one may survive for a while, the vitality of life soon fades and you begin to experience a sense of being 'dry' on the inside. The human spirit needs connection with God's Spirit - continual and uninterrupted. Only then do we sense the 'fullness of grace' that God desires for each of us.

Diversions also lead to chaos in our lives. If you have ever been diverted from doing something that needs to be done, but you chose something else in place of that action, you know what I am referring to with this thought. Leave the laundry just a few days beyond when you should have addressed those piles and you will become desperate for clean underwear at some point! Sure, it could be as simple as 'buying new' to further avoid the needed task, but eventually the piles will require some action on your part. Eventually the stench of dirty laundry will reach your nostrils! Diversions can lead us away from the course we should be on and take us down ones we might find add a little bit of a 'stench' to our lives. When this happens, the stench can only be avoided for so long! Eventually we will desire to 'quench the stench'!

Divert your attention away from God long enough and you will find your living a very barren and dry life filled with all manner of not so 'sweet' a scent to it! The connection we maintain is one of attentive and purposeful choice to stay on course - to not be enticed by diversionary tactics used by the enemy of our soul. I choose not to text and drive. I choose to pay attention to the road. If we can make this purposeful choice in our driving habits, why can't w make similar choices when it comes to our spiritual focus and purposeful connection with a loving God who cares for us so deeply? Just asking!

Need a little glue?

We all know there are things in this world 'joined together' that just don't stay together very well! I have had chairs get wobbly over the course of scooting in and out, with joints coming loose and requiring much effort to get them 'firmed up' again. I have had papers placed in right order, stapled and bound, only to find that after repeated examination those pages 'wear loose' and sometimes even tear away from their bound edges. Heaven knows there are tons of relationships, once strong and vibrant, now withered and worn, no longer with anything holding them together - although once bound together, they are now separate and standing alone. It is not God's plan to have what he joins with him ever loose that connection, though. His intent is that we are joined with him - in an intimate and growing relationship - not to be separated from him again!

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples. “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples." John 15:5,8 MSG

When we are correctly joined with Jesus - he grafts us into his life source. There is no doubting where the life comes from, for the power is supernatural, the energies oftentimes way beyond our own natural energies, and the outcome far exceeds what we could produce in any effort of our own. Living and vital connection yields vital growth - fruit is born from such a connection. Sometimes people share with me their frustration over not 'seeing' much change in their lives - as though they somehow expected to be instantly free of frustrations that have been a constant cause of stress in their lives. I guess I'd have to ask a couple of questions of those individuals. 

Is the connection you made with those things that frustrate you so much now really a connection you need to keep now that you are connected with Christ? I am not telling you it is okay to abandon your marriage if that is the point of frustration, but maybe you could abandon some of the things you have held onto within that relationship that haven't been producing the right outcome within that relationship. For example, if you have learned it is okay to raise your voice at one another, yelling and arguing all the time about who knows what, maybe it is time to let go of some of those 'bad habits' you have allowed to interfere with the growth within that relationship.

Is your frustration with certain things because you are expecting to see growth without any investment on your part? God doesn't just 'pump life into us' - he expects us to invest in that life sustaining connection. The grafted branch doesn't just sit there - it begins the process of meshing with the branch it has been grafted into. It works to make the connection just as strong as possible - as much as the branch it has been grafted into works to supply all that will be needed to accomplish that vital connection and 'growth possibility'. We might want to just sit in relationship with Jesus and have all handed to us on a silver platter, but there are times when God asks us to take a step and then he backs that step with his power.

Fruit is a result of connection. Connection is only possible when two are willing to be 'merged together'. Solid connection is something that must be maintained - for every connection can be weakened by stress against the joints that bind the parts together. We must maintain the connection with Christ on a daily basis - a connection that will bear fruit in time - not instantly! Just sayin!

Maybe it doesn't come from a store....

Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store. (Dr. Seuss)

“Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing. My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to my Father." 

(John 15:5,8 TLB)

Could it be that Christmas begins with "connection"? It took Christ's "connection" with human form in order to actually re-establish "connection" of the human with the divine! I have had some times of "loose connection" in my life - with Christ, others, and tasks or responsibilities. Let's just be honest here - maintaining "tight" and "permanent" connections is kind of hard sometimes. It requires constant attention to the details because it doesn't take much to disturb connection!

In what ways are connection lost? The first thing that might come to mind is by it coming "loose". In other words, something jarred it to the point it became loose - either through friction, bumps and bangs, or just plain "vibration". In the course of time, the connection gives into the constant movement and there is a "backing away" from the contact it had been making. This is why it is so important to examine those contacts from time to time, because this "backing off" can occur almost unnoticed. In time, the vital connection is lost and it takes work to realize how to restore that connection.

The second way I can think of that connections are lost is through corrosion. Things get into where they shouldn't be and the resulting effect of those interlopers is corrosion. It doesn't take much to interrupt that connection - the tiniest bit of corrosion can lead to disturbances - perhaps intermittent at first, but as more corrosion occurs, that connection is disturbed completely. There is nothing passing through as it should be. The thing about corrosive things is that they don't stop with just a little corrosion - the corrosive substance just keeps working until more and more interruption occurs. To deal with corrosion means we keep the things out that shouldn't get in and we do frequent inspections of the connection, removing anything that corrupts that connection as quickly as possible.

The last thing we might consider as affecting connection is what might be referred to as "normal wear and tear". In other words, through time we become complacent to the connection and it is just not as vital as it once was because of our neglect. Where it concerns connection, there is no room for neglect. If we neglect our connection of battery cable to battery, we can get corrosion and that interferes with connection. If we neglect the fluid levels in our battery, that leads to dry cells. Either way, we don't have enough "juice" to keep things going! Neglect creeps in - it isn't usually purposeful. Time passes and we just plain forget how important it is to do these "connection checks". 

If we have been feeling the effect of a "connection loss", it could be this is the best time to ensure there is vital and "free" connection between us and whatever (or whoever) it is we have lost connection with. Maybe the best Christmas gift we can give another is that connection. It could just be it would the best gift for us, as well! Just sayin!

I don't got this one....

And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done. (Colossians 2:6-7 TLB)

A moment of honesty here. There are times when I trust others to do as they say, but when they take too long, or aren't doing it the way I'd like it done, I sometimes intervene! Why? I've got a little bit of a "control" issue on occasion - most of the time it is "in check", but on occasion, it creeps out! God help me that it doesn't "creep out" where it comes to him doing things in my life, though! I don't want to "intervene" where he is moving, although his timing may not be my own, nor may his ways of accomplishing things always be the way I thought it should be!

Each day's problems have God's solutions close at hand, but how many times do we lean upon our own way of solving the problem? If we were painfully honest here, we might admit it happens a little too frequently for him and just a little too often for him to let us just get away with it. God doesn't want us to just trust him for our salvation experience - for that moment in time where we recognize he paid the supreme price for our sinful nature and that we need his righteousness to stand in place of our unrighteousness. He wants us to trust him with even the stuff we label as "simple" in our lives - the stuff we seem to want to say, "I got this one, Lord" to.

Living in vital union with God requires more than a "give and take" relationship. We have to lean into him a little more than we might initially desire to and that takes a whole lot of trust. When I finally recognize just how much I wan to "do" whatever it is that other person is taking way too long to "do", I have to pull back a little. Why? Not only will they never learn to do it themselves, but they won't be able to really shine like they are supposed to shine! God wants to shine in our lives - the more we trust him even with the stuff "we've got handled" in our lives, the more he shines!

Overflowing lives don't happen by accident - they are purposefully filled and continuously renewed. This is more than being in the right place at the right time - it is a continual connection that helps the brilliance of the one we are connected intimately with to shine through in a dynamic and vibrant way. This union is living - vital, vibrant, and vigorous. Growth is inevitable where these three characteristics are present! Just sayin!

I wanna be kept

The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. (Psalm 121:7-8 NLT)

I have occasionally joked with close friends that I'd like to try my hand being a "kept woman". When I say this I usually mean it would be nice to not "have to" work, but do so only if and when I wanted to rather than it being a requirement of not having to live in a cardboard box! There are times I forget that I am indeed a "kept woman" - and each man or woman, boy or girl that gives their lives to him, saying "yes" to his actions of grace in their lives, is a "kept" individual!

To be kept means you are supported by another - your needs are met by someone other than yourself. In the sense of our relationship with Christ, this is perhaps one of the hardest lessons for us to learn. We often find ourselves going to him with our needs, but when the provision doesn't come in the right timing for our liking, we attempt to find a way to make that need go away by our own efforts. As we come and go in life, our needs are being met, even when we don't see the immediate fulfillment of them!

Perhaps the simplest way for us to understand God's "keeping" power is for us to think of it in terms of what it is not. In other words, we look at the "synonyms" of being kept, such as forgotten. It is impossible for God to ever forget even one iota of what he has created, for all of creation is spoken into existence by his word and is maintained by that same word. Abandonment is just not in the cards for any of God's kids. It isn't him that leaves us - it is the other way around!

Dishonor is part of abandonment and being forgotten. All over the world today, there are individuals in nursing homes and assisted livings, all but abandoned and mostly forgotten by their loved ones. Out of sight, out of mind, as the old saying goes. Indeed this careless treatment of the elderly, homeless, or lonely individuals is one of the greatest ways we dishonor those who God has placed into our lives and us into theirs. 

Similarly, the last "opposite" of being kept is that of being "broken". First, let me just remind us that the connection we maintain with Jesus isn't broken on his part. It is some action or inaction on our parts that brings this sense of "broken relationship". God's desire is for continual union with us. He doesn't have a contract with us - saying you do this and I will do that. He asks us to love him, trust him with our lives, and then find delight in the care he takes to meet all our needs. Plain and simply, we are "kept" individuals - not because we deserve it, but because we "need it". Just sayin!

Stay that connection

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 

(Ephesians 4:2 NLT)

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. (Herman Melville) Like it or not, we are all connected to one another in some form or another. The baker depends on the grain grown in the field of the farmer and the eggs laid in the nests of the chicken rancher. The butcher has no job without the rancher, just like the nurse has no task without the patient. There are definitely times when we look at who or what we are connected to at the moment and wonder how that ever happened! In reality, we made individual choices, God made corporate choices, and the connection came into being by those choices. While I don't always understand some of my own choices, it is equally true I frequently don't understand God's choices in the connections created by his hand in my own life!

It doesn't make those connections any easier to just reject them, or stubbornly deny they exist. Nor is it any easier to try to break them, or escape them! Try as we might, God may have designed a higher purpose in that connection than to encourage our escape! To be perfectly honest here, I don't always do a very good job at managing the connections God brings into my life, let alone the ones I make myself! As Melville stated so well - we are all connected by a thousand fibers - tiny though they may be - they still connect us. If you have ever walked into a spider web and realized the strength of those tiny fibers interconnected and strung from anchor point to anchor point, you know it doesn't take much to make that connection. Yet, it takes very little to break it somehow!

That spider web may have had some of the anchoring points disturbed or broken, but have you ever been able to "unweave" a web? It is almost impossible for you were not the creator of it! The spider had the original task of creating the web, but the anchoring points may have been the doing of my hand, or the Creator's! It would be impossible for the spider to create the web apart from something either the God of all Creation placed on this earth, or that which I placed there by my own hand. Anchored though it be, it can be disturbed - right? In all ways we can be inter-connected, but there are things working to destroy that connection all the time. There purpose may not be to unweave what has been woven, but it might just be to disturb enough of our anchorage to influence the strength and character of what has been created through our connection! Just sayin!

Solitude or Isolation?

Whoever pulls away from others to focus solely on his own desires disregards any sense of sound judgment.  (Proverbs 18:1 VOICE)

Joseph Roux stated, "Solitude vivifies; isolation kills."  You might have to mull that one over a little to really get the meat of it, but in essence he is saying moving into a place of being secluded is a little different than totally isolating one's self from others.  We all need a little solitude now and again - just to recharge our batteries.  In a medical sense, the only time we use isolation is when we are trying to control the spread of a very bad disease!

At times, a place of solitude becomes a place where we empty ourselves of all the stuff which has been gathering within us and draining us of our energies. In a place of solitude, we get a moment to breathe, to just "chill" - in so doing, we are actually lightening our burden and getting ready for the next steps we might be considering taking.  Some might equate solitude with isolation, but one accomplishes rest while the other "quarantines" one away from others, depriving the one isolated from the contact with others even when they might desire that contact.

I usually find some time for solitude at some regular intervals - because without it, I don't "recharge" quite as well.  It is hard to have the regular demands of life placed upon you day after day without some time to recharge.  When we move into that place of solitude we don't always have to be alone.  In fact, some of my best times of recharging are just "hanging out" with a close friend, not really talking much, or doing any real purposeful activity - we are just enjoying the place of purposeful rest we find ourselves in.  

Solitude is purposeful - isolation is restrictive and kind of desolate.  Many patients who are placed into isolation tell us they feel a little "left out" and maybe not even visited as much as they'd have liked.  It may be because of the extreme amount of time and energies which go into donning mask, gloves, gowns, and the like each and every time you make contact with that individual, or it may just be that the barriers between that person and the one all covered in protective gear actually act as a little bit of a barrier emotionally.  

Isolation actually does something pretty significant - it disconnects us emotionally from others.  Solitude recharges us for those contacts again - allowing us to come back into those connections re-energized and able to fully invest in those relationships again.  The difference between these two is significant - one isolates us further, while the other prepares us for what is ahead. Just sayin!

Connect wire A to wire B

As with each "campaign season", the airways begin to fill up with men and women spouting all manner of campaign promises, hoping those hearing their words will somehow "trust them" to bring about whatever it is they are promising should they win the election.  It is hard to nail jello to a wall, though.  Some of the stuff I hear asked and the way they answer the questions is kind of like nailing jello to a wall. They indicate they have a brilliant idea about how to fix this problem or that, but in very general terms - there isn't a whole lot of substance to what they share.  I have found the best way to pick a candidate for office isn't so much in how educated they are, or even how sophisticated their answers might be, but to listen between the words to see if I can actually hear their heart.  It is often revealed in what they say, as much as in what they don't say!  The same is true in our own lives - sometimes what we say is not as important as what we don't say. 

The words of the godless ruin those close to them, but through insight the right-living are spared. When prosperity comes to those who do right, the whole city celebrates; but when the wicked get their just punishment, there is joyous cheering. A city thrives through the blessing of those living right, but the words of a wrongdoer will bring it to ruin. (Proverbs 11:9-11 VOICE)

This idea of "right-living" conveyed in these verses is one which comes through in what may be left unsaid, but also in the blessing words can bring when used to comfort, cheer, or bring solution into another's life.  Words have powerful capacity to either bring to ruin, or build up in ways nothing else can quite "outdo".  I recently saw a media feed about a special education teacher who starts each day of class by calling each of his students to the front of the class where he is sitting.  In just a few sentences, he speaks positive things into their lives, then moves on to the next student.  He may tell them he can always find delight in their smile, or he loves how they laugh in delight when they have created something in class.  Each student does "better" in their day all because of the words of encouragement he gives.  Why is that?  I think it is because he has learned it is in what often goes "unsaid" in the lives of these special needs kids that they need to hear the most.  You see, they probably hear enough of the "don't do that", "sit still in your chair", and "you are getting yourself dirty by doing that" each day.  What he has identified is the need every person has to hear the blessing that often remains unspoken!

We can all be guilty of giving a "campaign speech" on occasion - those times when we say what we think someone wants to hear even if we don't have much heart behind the message.  The issue is one of being genuine in our responses. We don't convey meaning until their is a genuineness of heart in the message shared.  I recently saw some photo posts of a couple of friends with some of family members at a family gathering.  They smiled in each photo, but I observed something - in some photos, it looked much closer to genuine than in others.  It wasn't the lighting, nor was it the photographer's perspective in taking the photo.  Photos often capture the sentiment of the heart, don't they?  I wonder if our words capture the sentiment of our heart equally as well?

I have learned to look deeper than the words, or beyond the smiles.  Why?  The heart isn't always captured in the words, nor is it evident in the smiles we hide behind so often.  To really begin to connect with those around you, you have to become "skilled" in uncovering the heart of the individuals you are with.  It isn't easy at first, but as you begin to "not judge a book by its cover", you become more and more adept at "reading" another's heart - maybe in what is left unsaid, or in the emotion missing in the moment.  The reason we may not always want to trust what is being said is that we ALL have become quite skilled at saying what others want to hear, and hiding behind our masks of "happiness" when deep down we are thinking something quite different or feeling quite detached from the emotional connection of the moment at hand.

The heart is buried deep - we have to uncover it if we are to become a blessing in the lives of those we care so much about. It may not be the quickest thing to learn, but that heart connection is what will fuse a relationship together in ways which makes bonds unbreakable, even in the toughest of times.  If we are content to trust what is on the surface, we will never speak life into the core of another's being - the very thing they are longing so much the hear.  I think the special education teacher may have hit the nail on the head in his approach to his students.  His connection with the kids wasn't going to come by pointing out where they didn't measure up, but in showing them ways they were a blessing in his life.  We may not always connect with the other person at first blush, but when we begin to find ways to uncover their heart, while being transparent with ours along the way, we will grow deeply connected in the course of time.  

Connection is made - not delivered.  It takes connecting two wires together to allow energy to flow through the outlet in our homes.  It isn't just any two wires which can be connected to give this infusion of energy, though.  One must be connected to the source of power - the other draws that power from the source through the connection which is made.  We can become a conduit of "infused energy" within relationships - but to do so, we must make the connection. Just sayin!

Beware of that device in your hand

I fear we go through our days and weeks without much communication anymore - real, genuine, heartfelt communication between two individuals struggling to make it through the day-to-day stuff they each face.  In fact, we pull out our phones at the dinner table to check for instant messages, read the latest posts on social media sites, and evaluate the latest stuff trending on YouTube.  We've lost the art of sharing - of just being real with each other - discussing the regular stuff of life and just listening to each other.  I don't expect my best friend to correct me each time we talk together, but there have been times when she just puts in a word here or there which actually help to get me out of my funk, turn my attitude around from one of "self-whatever" to one of really thinking things through from the other person's perspective, or just helping me to decide if I want to buy the new counter tops or not.  Sometimes her words encourage me; at other times they kind of change my course of thinking.  All of her words are important to me because we have come to value the sharing of these things with each other.  I think we need these frequent times of just sharing with each other - even if it is done while strolling along the sidewalk in an after lunch walk, or just sitting back on the couch with feet up and coffee in hand.  We need to put down our phones, tablets, and other electronic devices often enough to actually look at the other person across from us - in so doing, we might  just be challenged, encouraged, reminded of something forgotten, or just plain dazzled by the brilliance of the other person we are with!

A truly good friend will openly correct you. You can trust a friend who corrects you, but kisses from an enemy are nothing but lies. If you have had enough to eat, honey doesn’t taste good, but if you are really hungry, you will eat anything. (Proverbs 27:5-7 CEV)

The sad truth today is that we have so few of these type of deep relationships with others - resorting to the shallowness of social networking instead.  Let me just tell you this - no social media "connection" I have can embrace me when I need a hug, nor can they really "feed me" what I need in order to grow up in Christ as I should.  People who are really, really hungry will eat almost anything - won't they?  That means we will be open to whatever comes our way.  I was strolling through my media feed this morning and came across some rather vulgar and just not so edifying posts.  I had to hide them almost immediately, saying I did not want to see this type of stuff from this type of media feed any longer.  Those things don't build anyone up, so why have them crossing our line of thought?  It spoke to me once again of how people will "feed" on anything when they lack the closeness of true social connection which occurs when you are building relationships of accountability and depth with another individual.

Some rules of thumb when it comes to building relationships which will build you up rather than tear your down:

- Up close and personal is best.  We can gain a lot of knowledge just watching people. I am a people watcher.  As I recently am back from vacation, I enjoyed a week or so of people watching at the airports, in the lines waiting for rides at the theme parks, and even just hanging out at a restaurant table waiting for my meal.  I am always sensitive to how much parents are resorting to media devices these days to actually "entertain" their kids instead of their kids finding their entertainment with each other and with their parents.  I think a few minutes on the video games is okay - it won't warp their brains as long as it is a pretty "clean" game for them to play.  If it takes the place of all social contact - that is where the line is being crossed.  When kids resort to this instead of running, jumping, and engaging in creative moments of make-believe play, it is robbing them of their ability to become truly connected with other individuals later on in life.  We need contact - we need to struggle through issues together - not behind a screen.  Some of us adults would do well to refrain from a little of the "media time" and just be "entertained" in conversation with someone sitting across from us or right beside us!

- We need others to challenge our way of thinking, acting, and responding.  We only grow when we are challenged.  I have trees I have grown from seeds in my backyard.  They have grown stronger because of the challenges they face - especially the prevailing winds and the long, hot seasons.  The challenges they face actually cause them to put down deeper roots and to develop flexible limbs which will "give" with the winds.  We grow where we are challenged.  We are challenged best when we are living in "plain view" of others who help us to be accountable for our actions.  Close, personal contact with another will often challenge our way of thinking - making us consider why we chose a certain course of thought, while rejecting another.  Sometimes we will still think the same way, because we find our choice of thought has been correct, but that little challenge we were given helped to clarify and solidify our choice of thought.  We need to be challenged - we need the interaction in order to realize the challenge.  Whether that interaction is with God himself, or with a close friend by our side, we can only grow from those interactions we take time to create and engage in.

- We may not realize we have pulled away until we realize how hungry we are for true intimate contact with another human being.  The danger isn't realized when we first begin to pull away from relationships and pull-into some form of social isolation, but it is a really dangerous place to dwell too long.  We need to consider our actions in light of how they make another feel or how they will interpret our actions.  I am ever so aware of this when mom mentions that I am playing my games too much on my tablet - or she makes some comment about wishing she had the ability to entertain herself playing a game of solitaire or the like on one of these devices.  I know what she is saying is that I need to put it down, spend a little time just chatting with her, letting her in on what my day held, and just listening to the stuff she faced that day while I was away at work.  It isn't "deep" conversation, but it is adding "depth" to our relationship.  I think this is the most important part we often  miss - the conversations don't have to be deep - they just have to be consistent, considerate, and compassionate.  In short order, we find a depth created which will be our "go-to" when we really need those moments of "deep conversation" to help us make tough decisions or change the course of action we are about to take which may be all wrong for us in the end.  Just sayin!

Need to "re-connect" for the holidays?

I watched a cute little movie last night which wasn't probably in keeping with everyone's themed "Christmas Feel Good Movies", but it had a pretty good message despite some of the wacky stuff in it.  The movie?  "3-Day Test", a film by Corbin Bernsen.  The plot goes something like many of the other Christmas-themed movies, but it has a little twist.  The man of the house (Tom) has lost track of his family - simply because he is too busy being a "bean counter" (accountant) and is always working to pay the bills.  His teenage daughter gets arrested because of the kids she is hanging around with, while his other two kids (a son who will only communicate with him via a digital sign and a daughter who makes him talk to her doll instead of directly to her) are all pretty disappointed with their good old dad.  So, maybe dad is a little too wacky, but he finally gets the point the family is a mess and he conducts what becomes known as the 3-day test.  He disconnects them from outside life by means of blacking out the windows and cutting off all the utilities (water, gas, electricity). They must now "survive" the next three days without the benefit of their electronics, or the ability to run to the corner store for whatever they need.  Needless to say, the moments of "family time" get a little quirky when they are forced to "survive" without all the "necessities" of life, but the message is clear - you cannot spend your whole life getting rich - you'll lose what matters most!

Give up trying so hard to get rich. Your money flies away before you know it, just like an eagle suddenly taking off. (Proverbs 23:4-5 CEV)

The moral of this Christmas tale is not much different than some of the others on TV or in theaters these days - we have somehow lost connection with what truly matters.  Whether it be the connection we have with our families or loved ones, or the connection we have with Jesus himself, we suffer from this lack of connection more than we might first realize.  We are headed into the "rush" of the season, when Black Friday Deals, Christmas tree lots, and the hurried frenzy of last minute shopping will fill the minds and schedules of a great many. There is the constant pull to do a little more, go a little further, etc.  In essence, after the first really "cool" gift the kids get, do they act as excited anymore?  Probably not!  So, why kill yourself chasing after everything?

The passage today is not about Christmas, but the celebration of relationship each and every day of our lives.  The challenge is to learn contentment.  The "lie" we have believed is that the pursuit of just a little more will somehow bring us into the place of contentment in our lives.  In reality, it brings us to what appears to be the threshold of contentment and then someone moves the door!  Try as we might, the harder we try to amass what we believe will bring contentment (everything from finance to the perfect relationship), we somehow cannot pull it off.  Why?  There is nothing which can fill the place designed for Jesus!  A time back, I received a small ceramic pin from a friend.  It simply reads, "Jesus is the reason for the season".  You probably have seen something similar.  The question I have for us is simply why is it we need to be reminded of this?

I think it might just be the tendency we have to "disconnect" from what is truthfully valuable in pursuit of what promises value!  If you find yourself there today, don't despair - turn to prayer!  God's answer may be to put us through a "3-day test" of sorts, though!  He might just want to prove we have what it takes to really "reconnect" on the level which really matters.  In other words, he might put us through a process of disconnecting in order to find the re-connection.  All of life's pursuits pale in comparison to the one pursuit which really matters - Jesus and him alone.  When we can truthfully say we have found our way out of the mire of what leads to our disconnection into the open place where we find the solitude of "re-connection", we can then exalt in the bounty of grace we find in that open place!

My challenge this year was to finish up Christmas about one month early.  Partly because I will be incapacitated during the holidays this year, and partly because I wanted to settle into really enjoying them with my family.  The family asked if I'd be putting up all the lights, tree, manger scene, and all the typical decor of the holidays.  I said, "Nope".  They must have thought I'd been abducted by aliens or something!  Well, I caved a little last night.  I put up one strand of colored lights around the fake ficus tree in the living room.  Then I layered the brightly wrapped packages at the foot of our "tree".  Somehow, in the simplicity of this modest "decoration" for the holiday, I found myself reflecting on how simple the first Christmas must have been.  Mary, Joseph and a few animals, all gathered together in a cave of sorts, watching as Mary worked to bring forth the tiny life within.  Then, in the quiet of the night, the infant's cries could be heard.  Those tiny cries were for us, my friends!  From the moment he took his first breath as a child born of a virgin to the day he took his last upon the cross for our sins, it was ALL about the connection he was preparing for you and me!  Just sayin!

Feeling downright child-like

Can you recount some of the people who were brought to Jesus for his help? We have the friends willing to peel back the roof of a home, lowering their buddy on a stretcher into the midst of the crowd surrounding Jesus inside that home.  Their determination to get their friend into Jesus' presence was indeed commendable and something I hope we all have in friends in our lives.  We have the nobleman whose son was taken ill.  Although he could not bring his son on the journey, his earnest attempt to connect with Jesus and get Jesus to go with him to his home was also recorded as one of the first miracles of Jesus.  His faith was commended and as the man returned home, servants greeted him with the news that "while he was on his journey home" the child was healed.  Then we have the mother of a girl from the region of Syria Phoenicia who was possessed with an evil spirit.  The earnest plea of this mother on behalf of her daughter was for her to be "free" from the evil which plagued her day and night.  Whether we look at the heart of the parent toward the child, the people of status humbling themselves to seek the help they cannot find anywhere else, or the tenacity of friends willing to lay it all on the line for a friend, we see one common theme - they came, called out, cared enough to lay it on the line.  We need this kind of faith in approaching Jesus, my friends!

One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left. (Matthew 19:13-15 MSG)

Today, we explore this group who were "brought" - not with a specific purpose of healing - but probably more with the intent of the "great teacher" touching and praying over them.  The children were brought to Jesus - for anointing. Perhaps the parents or grandparents brought these children because they hoped for some imparting of miracle power, or maybe even the anointing which would make their child the next great "prophet" for the nation.  We don't know the specifics of what they sought in this "laying on of hands", but this is consistent with the practice of the time.  Those who sought anointing were hopeful for the call of God - to be used by him to save Israel - to bring a fresh word to them from God - or to be the one God used as a "redeemer" from those who persecuted them down through the ages.  Perhaps the parents were merely looking for Jesus to pray a blessing over these children and to see their lives prosper in every regard.  Either way, they were brought to Jesus.

Our first reaction to the actions of these parents might be the same as the disciple's - to discount the importance of the parents' faith and to send he kids away without their "blessing" or "anointing".  Perhaps we might see this as a little bit of an intrusion into the "important work" of the "great teacher". After all, he was a wise teacher, healing those who came to him, and setting his world on fire all around him with the gospel message - would it make sense for children to interrupt this important work?  The other reaction we might have is to become a little concerned about the "enthusiasm" of the kids and attempt to intervene to get them to "settle down" because after all, they ARE in the presence of greatness (much like we think kids have to hold still, sit quietly, and listen intently to the sermon in church).  Don't get me wrong, the sermon is important.  What is more important is that the child gets to see how his parents interact with others who know, serve, and follow Jesus.  They get to see how they worship and lift praises in reverent awe of his presence. They hear the words spoken, but if they don't sit perfectly still, is it a real biggee?  I would have to say, "NO"!

The kids come and bound in with enthusiastic energies most of us adults only remember from our youth.  Their interests are peaked by this or that, but soon wane in search of the next thing which will captivate their attention for just a little while.  Isn't it awesome how a child's mind works?  To be so carefree and uninhibited is certainly a blessing.  It isn't until much later in life, through learned behavior, that the child "curbs" that enthusiasm and becomes the "stale" adult we see before us in so many churches today.  Yes, we want respect for the message and the messenger.  Yes, we want honor in the worship service.  But...nothing thrills me more than to see the wee ones jumping up and down, or clapping their little hands (even though not in time with the music), enjoying themselves immensely in the presence of Jesus. Even the adult who has never progressed beyond the mental age of a child celebrates the presence of Jesus with such joyous interaction.  So, why is it we feel we must "curb" this joy, "settle" this enthusiasm down, or "restrict" this intentional interaction with Jesus?

Jesus was a great story-teller.  We have chapters and chapters of his parables and stories.  He used what connected with those who came to him - because this connection was the most important part of what he came to earth to accomplish.  To the disciples, the children didn't "fit" what they saw as the "mission" of Jesus.  To me, the children "fit" perfectly the mission!  They are enthusiastic, uninhibited, innocent, and eager to crawl right up into his lap. They are attentive to his words, not afraid to ask questions, and creative in their own special ways.  Maybe we can take a lesson from the children around us.  Perhaps we need a little more enthusiasm - something which has been curbed by the "norms" of "church-goers" down through the ages, demanding we worship only this way or that.  Perhaps we need a little more innocence in our approach to Jesus - willing to be vulnerable and open to asking questions which are not "theologically-based", but which will help us understand Jesus and his plan for our lives better.

Over the years, I have been the "stuffy" church-goer, demanding the right amount of "reverence" in church service, almost frowning on those who come with such innocence and enthusiasm.  I have also come around to seeing life from a different perspective - that of the child.  I think the most liberating place to be in life is that of the child - the enthusiastic innocence and exuberant thrill of just coming into the presence of the one who makes "connection" with those who come.  If we look at those who came, or were brought to Jesus, they all came with a purpose - they all came for this "connection" with Jesus.  They wanted to just touch the hem of his garment, to have him lay hands on them, to just have him focus his attention for even a little while upon them and their needs.  This is what Jesus wants of us more than anything else - the deep desire to connect with him.  This is what the children exemplify.  We can learn no greater lesson than to become like a child in the presence of Jesus.  Just sayin!

Being vs. Doing

Have you ever missed out on something?  You planned to attend some special event, having seen it advertised in the media, but then the weekend came and you totally spaced it!  The event happened without you!  How does that happen?  I think it may be related to the busy-ness of our lives these days - getting so much crammed into our lives is just impossible - but it could also be related to our inattentiveness to the details of our lives.  I often remind my readers about the importance of paying attention "on purpose" to the things recorded for us in scripture because they are put there for a reason. They sometimes act as words which will build us up when we are low, or to give us wisdom in the things we should avoid in this life.  Regardless of their purpose WITHIN our lives, they all serve a purpose at some POINT in our lives.  There is no accidental text in the scripture - it is all there because God intended us to learn from it - but to learn from it, we have to pay attention "on purpose" to what is recorded!

How can we sum this up? All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling. (Romans 9:30-32 MSG)

Paul is responding to the criticisms he often faced in his ministry - those of embracing the "Gentile" (non-Israelite) believers and rejecting his "heritage" by what his critics saw as him "turning away from" his religious upbringing as a Jew.  A couple weekends ago, I responded to the doorbell only to find three ladies intent on getting all "fallen away Catholics" back into the Catholic church.  At first, I thought they must be the regulars from the Jehovah's Witness group which frequents my neighborhood canvassing for possible converts, but was surprised to find the Catholics have "gotten in on the action"!  

Imagine their surprise when I told them I was a "fallen away Catholic", but intensely in love with Jesus and totally content following him at my local "non-denominational" church!  They almost could not comprehend that I did not "miss the Eucharist", as they put it.  Had I not have been in the middle of a meal with family who had come from the other side of town that day, I might have just shared a little longer about how the "Eucharist" is more than a part of the Catholic mass, but a living, breathing part of who I am today! What I did tell that is that I don't need the "ceremony" to know my connection to Christ - I feel him right here inside me each and every step I take!

We all have "religious heritage" we might hold onto in life, but what happens when we become so "narrow" as to believe our "religious heritage" is the only way others can experience the reality of Christ we limit the tremendous work of all those whose hearts are on fire for him.  I don't poke fun at the zeal of these women, but rather would encourage all of us to remember the purpose of our "religion" is to connect others with Christ - the reality of his living, breathing Spirit within us, innervating us from within to live holy and acceptable lives before God the Father.  All of us need to remember the dangers of becoming so absorbed in the "ceremony" we forget the encompassing power of his presence and the intensity of the "intimacy" he desires with each of his children.

Some of us get so wrapped up in the "ceremony" of being Christian - the right words, the right appearance, the right amount of time at church, etc. - but totally miss the reality of relationship WITH Christ and our fellow believers. We can get so interested in "talking about" Christ that we forget to "talk to" him.  We might get so wrapped up in "doing service" in his name that we forget to actually "serve" him.  Maybe that statement needs a little clarification.  We can "do" all kinds of good works in the name of Christ - like serving at the soup kitchen, or perhaps volunteering once a quarter to work in the nursery at church.  When we actually move from "doing service" into living a life of service, we find little opportunities to "serve Christ" in the moments of silent prayer for the hurting heart we pass on our way to work, the tender touch of a daughter just holding the hand of an elderly parent, or the moments of pause we give to consider the questions of a small child intent on understanding how something works.  God's whole "business" on this earth is one of bringing "connection" between his creation and his heart.  Connection only occurs through relationship.  Relationship only occurs when there is a move away from doing into just being with another individual.

I don't know about you, but I don't want my legacy to be "she did all the right stuff".  I hope my legacy will be more like "we saw Jesus in her".  Just sayin!

Recharged?

We can get fatigued - it is natural for the body to run down, the mind following just about as quickly.  What gets us to the point of fatigue may be the day-to-day activities of life, or the totally unexpected event which happens in an instant and demands all of our energies to remedy.  After having undergone knee replacement this past week, I am feeling the fatigue of my body having to adjust to the new device, the influence of pain medications, and the pain associated with swelling from the tremendous manipulation of the knee to accomplish the procedure.  It is a physical fatigue, but it has taken a toll on my mind, as well.  I genuinely get to the point of needing to just "shut down" - a rarity for me as most will tell you! When fatigue gets to us, we all respond a little differently - my usual response is to just move a little slower, take a little longer to process, but not to totally "shut down" and nap.  I have a good friend who enjoys those afternoon naps while we vacation together, or over the weekend when the chores are all caught up.  It is a good thing - because that "down time" actually helps us to recharge for the tasks at hand.  Learning to recharge is important - especially as it applies to our spiritual energies.  No amount of physical or mental recharge will get us quite the same results if we neglect the spiritual recharge in the mix.  We need all three.  In turn, we also get the benefit of the emotional recharge - something thrown in kind of like a bonus from God!

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.  (Galations 6:9-10 MSG)

Learning when to step back is an important part of recharging our energies, just as much as it helps us reframe our perception of the circumstances.  We grow weary many times because our perception becomes "tainted" by our mental, physical, or spiritual fatigue.  In turn, all we do takes on an air of being laborious and just not easy.  I cannot promise you all things will come out smelling like roses, or that the journey won't be riddled with a few stones along the way, but when we get this idea of recharge correct, we stand a much better chance of facing our difficult moments in better form and with firmer consistency.

Recharge involves connection - something you will have probably observed to be a continual theme in my writings.  I have a set of rechargeable batteries which power mom's hearing aides.  When they begin to get a little run-down, the signal received is weaker and the clarity by which the signal is received is distorted.  Later in the day, as the batteries begin to lose their charge, the signal weakens, meaning I have to speak louder, clearer, and closer to her in the same room as her.  At the beginning of the day though, the batteries are fully charged and she can make out my voice from a much further distance and with much better clarity.  The difference comes in the level of charge left in the battery.  The way to restore the charge is through connection - placing them in the charging station overnight usually accomplishes this quite well.

Now, take this into our spiritual lives and apply the same truths there.  We all might start with a full charge at the beginning of the journey, but as time goes on, the charge wears down and we begin to hear with less clarity, receiving distorted signals as a result of our lack of charge.  Spiritually, reconnection must be made to that which gives us our "recharge".  In the event you may not know how this occurs, it begins at the feet of Jesus.  We just need to stop long enough to have some "down time" with him.  Just as the hearing aides need to be put into the charger station and have some "down time" by which they will receive their fresh charge, we need to make this connection with Jesus by simply being in a place he can recharge us.

I learned that how well I get those hearing aides anchored into the recharger makes all the difference, though.  If I just haphazardly place them in there, putting the left into the right chamber, etc., I don't get a full charge.  They need to be in the right place, at the right depth, and for the right period of time in order to receive their full charge.  Same thing is true for us - we need to be in the right place (at the feet of Jesus), at the right depth (not just stopping at a simple "hey, how ya doing, Jesus?" kind of moment), and for the right period of time (long enough to connect and get renewed).  Just sayin!