It started as an ordinary day.
We were visiting the largest city in our region and decided to stop at the library to borrow some books for our youngest daughter’s summer reading cache. We walked in awe, looking up in wonder at the size of the magnificent building. There are so many books inside!
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I was pushing my shopping cart in the grocery store. I was in a hurry (Of course!) and pushing more on one side because the thing kept veering off to one side as I walked, trying to smash into every aisle. “I. Only. Have. To. Get. A. Few. More. Items,” I grunted begrudgingly, pushing hard with both hands on one side of the cart.
I don’t want you to go through life like this. I thought I sensed God whispering in my heart.
“Huh? What now?”
I hadn’t been praying or thinking of God, yet He gently nudged me, pushing on one side of my heart as I pushed on one side of the cart.
Let’s get that fixed, He seemed to encourage me gently. And I knew He was talking about my heart, not the shopping cart. Symbolically, I dropped off the old cart at customer service for repair and chose a new one.
I had been at counselling earlier that morning.
As I did my groceries, I was feeling broken by the depths we had plumbed and the neuroses we found way down deep there. Incorrect ways of thinking had been removed, like surgery on a mass of tree roots that were foundational to how I had always lived my life and symbolic of my thinking.
I felt a bit broken.
“Couldn’t I limp through life without the pain this counselling session had exposed?” I had wondered. And God didn’t answer me. But the question lingered in my heart as I shopped that day. Couldn’t I have pushed a bit harder (Yes, maybe on ONE side of the cart of my life at times) to get through?
Did I have to linger, allowing this brokenness to surface, which always seemed to be a precursor to healing?
Wasn’t it easier to push harder on one side of the cart of my life instead?
And God answered me when He perhaps compared me to a lopsided shopping cart that didn’t REALLY need to be fixed. (Did it?)
And when I was at the coffee shop later that morning, my eyes briefly held the gaze of a person who could sense something wasn’t quite right. This stranger’s gentle smile offered to another stranger encouraged my heart. She also had experience with being broken, her compassionate look revealed.
And I felt a bit better.
I drank my coffee and felt a bit more human, a bit more vulnerable, a bit more connected.
Maybe admitting we are broken and then having coffee with a friend is counterintuitively one of the ways that we can eventually learn to soar.
I was ready to bring my shopping cart in for realignment.
How about you?
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.
As the song above plays, and after a moment of thankfulness for the good things you notice around you as you read, consider asking God, “What broken areas of my life am I tolerating that You long to heal?” What do you sense He longs for you to take off, put down, or bring in for realignment, friend? Are you brave enough to put down the weights that hold us down so that you are finally light enough to learn to soar?
And as I drink my coffee and reflect, why bother to fix our shopping carts (and lives)?
People become reinforced in the paradigm that they are determined, and they produce evidence to support their belief. They feel increasingly victimized and out of control, not in charge of their life or their destiny.
Yeah, I don’t understand that quote either, but I’m willing to be the kind of person who is learning! How about you? Why not?
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Footnotes
*No. EVERYONE is not related to Trump. Why do you ask?
Photo Credits: Shopping cart and cracks by ethan on Unsplash, Soaring bird by Jose Murillo on Unsplash
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I was an older teenager, finishing up a college degree and looking around me 360 degrees to figure out what direction to travel next.
I felt a spiritual pull to learn more and delve deeper into divine mysteries.
But I also wanted to travel.
Suddenly, my brain figured out the answer of how to merge the following heart’s cries for:
– spiritual digging into the depths
– travel
– figuring out which direction to go next
“I know!” my brain thought. “I will go to the ends of the earth and tell people all about Jesus!”
I stopped for a moment to pray, seeking my blue ribbon and crowns (that I would throw to the ground in humility before God if I received – of course!). God said,
NO
A firm NO.
Instead, it seemed He was suggesting I go to a center of learning, learn a bit more about Him, get out my pen and paper and sort out my thoughts to eventually delete the thoughts that didn’t align with the character of Jesus.
“Sounds like a drag!” I thought.
But I searched online for something that would meet both my desires and the direction it seemed God was directing me (Aren’t I spiritual and obedient? Did you NOTICE my willingness to follow God where He leads? Subtle clue there that you have MUCH to learn from me!)
Anyway, I compromised with God and found a spiritual school that was:
– In Costa Rica (fun!)
– In Spanish (Why not learn a language on the side?)
– And yes.. the other stuff God wanted – a place to learn more about God, yada yada.
So I waved goodbye to Canada and flew to Costa Rica, where I began with a month of intensive language training, several hours each day, in a small room in downtown San Jose.
And I learned a lot about God that year.
It turned out God was right!
I did have a BIT (Slight – a SMALL amount) to learn about God before I opened my mouth and spewed my slightly wrong “wisdom” for all to see! (Good thing I got that out of the way way back then! That’s how you know that now you can trust me implicitly, by the way).
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
How is God leading you, friend? Do you have a hook in your nose and are following where it seems your desires are leading you, even if it’s to the death of your growth and joy or something else that should be important to you? If so, this isn’t the gentle guidance of God.
Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful face on an empty head.
He is sitting next to you, head in His hands, his heart ripping every time you step in a direction opposite to His leading.
In the other direction, the one He is leading:
He bids you to learn to fly
Are you ready to take one step towards following His gentle leading, steering you towards increased fruit in your life and those around you?
the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness . . .
As the song below plays, and after a moment of thankfulness, consider asking God which direction He may be leading you. If it is the opposite direction to where you thought you were headed, can you speak with a trusted friend to help sort out the knots in your heart and life so that you are taking God’s best steps for you towards the life of abundant fruit He so longs to give to you?
Footnotes
*For example read more HERE
Photo credit: Cow with nose hook by Taliwang Mengaji on Unsplash, Bird soaring by Naveen Chandra on Unsplash
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I was slipping into the dark abyss.
My fingernails scratched the side of the dark tube I was falling. I was trying to hold on, to stop myself from falling. Nothing worked.
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I felt shame when I read in the news that the Christian organization that I love had allegations of “sexual misconduct” splattered across their building.
I felt shame when I read in the news that the country that we are associated with, that is our friend, has allegations of “extortion” splattered across that beautiful landscape.
Why did I feel shame?
Similarly, I read Lord of the Flies this week, and when Jack stole Piggy’s glasses and purposely smashed them, that was wrong.
Jack stole Piggy’s glasses just before he and his cronies felt justified to do worse stuff.
And so, if we wonder where some parts of Christian culture and some parts of American culture are headed, check out Lord of the Flies to find out.
Thankfully, Jesus is seated on his throne, far, far above those who define themselves by His name. Thankfully, He sits far enough above us that the splatters of dirt and messes we make on Earth don’t reach His robe. His identity is not affected by what we do in His name.
HE defines US, instead.
And this is the good news.
Jesus, when He walked on Earth for thirty-three years didn’t intentionally pick up the banners to support the various political or religious quarrels of His day, and so neither will I.
Instead, I will continue to receive the love the Father so generously pours out when I stop to listen to His whispers.
And I will give away some of the overflow of the love I receive to others.
Jesus’ kingdom of love is the only powerful kingdom still standing thousands of years after Jesus roamed a tiny piece of Earth for thirty-three years. This kingdom of love is the only powerful kingdom guaranteed to stand indefinitely in the future. (For example, a dozen uneducated followers in a remote unknown town have turned into almost one third of the planet who claim to follow Him.*)
Thankfully, I’ve found a leader I am always proud to serve.
And so, I can curl up next to Him, feel the comfort of His presence, and know that since I’m His child, bearing His name, I can soar on the wind of His presence into whatever turbulence I encounter in the world.
Who defines you, friend?
When the lyrics of the song below sing, “You are the peace that settles around us,” are you ready to reach down in humility and pick up this peace, friend, carrying it close to your heart? God, we pray that everyone reading these smudged, messy, and grimy words will be surprised to find a handful more of peace they can carry today.
Footnotes
*Have you carefully examined some of the evidence for why?
Photo Credit: Dirty hands by Stormseeker on Unsplash
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Here is a real-life experiment to illustrate an important point: Husbands, (I recommend hockey gear first before you try this) the next time your wife gets annoyed, try asking your wife if PMS is real.
If you were unwise enough to ask, you will find out the answer to this question soon enough.
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
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“You. You have nice kids.” People say this to us.
Often.
And this is what I want to reply: If you put plants in partially acidic soil and leave them there, they will grow but not to their full height.
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Previously, I talked about mourning with the group.
I also talked about coyotes, but let’s face it, we all know I just made that stuff up. You should never trust things you read on the internet, anyway! Except you should entirely and wholeheartedly trust everything in this newsletter – Of course!
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Those cement factories overseas, where people labour in dust and despair, with no relief in sight by the power of unions, would be a hard place to work.
Homeschooling our kids is not as strenuous as working in one of those factories. But neither is homeschooling sitting next to the pool, a martini in hand, flipping through a magazine as we ring a small bell every hour to usher our kids onto their next subject. Homeschooling kids would eat you alive if you tried that.
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My mouth hung open. I stared at the woman walking past me. It was not polite to stare (I know, okay!), but I forgot that my mouth was still hanging open.
I had just worked out at the gym. My muscles were getting EVEN stronger! For example, this time, I didn’t have to go to the far edge of the gym to find lighter weights than the weights set out by our instructor for the group class.
I could use the lightest weights that were ALREADY placed there for the group class INSTEAD of locating even lighter ones!
My muscles were growing, and that’s why I was there! My ego was growing, too! “Look how strong I am getting!” I thought proudly, appreciating my thin little arms with increasing pride.
At the end of the class, as we were putting the weights away, I wiped my brow after picking up and putting away a hefty 10-pound weight.
And that’s when my mouth fell open.
I tried to keep it closed, but I would need both hands to do so, and I didn’t want to drop the weight I was carrying on my foot.
That older woman was carrying 50-pound weights in EACH arm as she helped re-stack the weights.
(!)
I instantly remembered the stories relatives told me of my strapping great-uncle. He was over 6 feet tall, built like a farmer (He was a farmer!) and threw 100-pound sacks of potatoes. “Wow!” I had thought, the day I heard this story.
That same day, I played another game of Candy Crush on my iPad while finishing my ice cream bowl, hoping I could be strong like that!
And so, this year, I joined a gym and began pumping 5-pound weights with full energy and gusto! “Wha-hooo!” I thought, imagining myself pumping 6-pound weights in another six months or so and maybe eventually moving up to 10 pounds in EACH ARM one day!
It turned out that my vision was too small.
Like in a lot of areas of life, during various seasons.
Like for many of us.
How is your vision for who you are becoming, friend?
And so, why should we go to the gym if it’s not solely to work out?
We place ourselves next to others who have a vision for themselves that is greater than the vision we have for ourselves. And seeing another get stronger helps me to have faith that one day, with patience and persistence, I can get a bit stronger, too. Stronger than I ever thought I could be, actually.
Am I willing to pay the price of a bit of sweat?
“One of the standards we ask of our male patients is that they can carry half their body weight in each hand (so full body weight in total) for at least one minute, and for our female patients, we push for 75 percent of that weight.”
Outlive by Peter Attia, MD (Chapter 12)
This goal is not only for the 0.00001% elite but is something that antiaging physicians like Peter Attia recommend that ALL of us who can (barring injuries and ill health) strive to work towards.
I didn’t even know this was possible for someone my age.
And on a not unrelated theme, who do you know, friend, who:
– Seeks to listen to the whispers from God,
– Obeys and is following Him on a journey of adventure,
– Is not (always) a jerk?
Are you willing to pay the price of their lunch? Can you meet with them to have your vision expanded as you listen to them for what is spiritually possible in your life, too?
May you become all that God intended for you, friend.
As the song below plays, consider asking God, can you please recall to my mind or introduce me to someone with an inspiring spiritual vision for their life? What nudges do you sense from God, friend?
You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.
Image Credits: Woman kneeling beside man by by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash, Bird soaring by by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash, Tough guy by Xenia Bogarova on Unsplash.
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Restoring Life 