In a Hurry? (Part 2)

I was reading an article recently in "Real Simple" magazine. It was entitled, "Slow Down." It was interesting to me to see that this our cultural tendency to hurry is so prevalent that it is now being talked about in a magazine such as this.

Studies are being done on the affects of our "sped-up world." Our lack of healthy down time is wrecking havoc on our physical and emotional health (not to mention our souls).

Where is time for the space that breeds creativity, kindness, and less stomach acid?

Let me know if I'm alone here, but do you find that you sometimes have an inner pace that feels like a kind of revving? I touched on this before in my "Bark Chips" entry. I've noticed that there is just something in the air of our culture. It feels as though there is always something that needs to be done. Multi-tasking is commonplace. Some may say this is the plight of all mothers and/or women everywhere. But is this really the best and only way to live?

We have Paxil for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in adults and Ritalin for our "hyper-active" kids. We drive too fast on the freeways and get mad when someone cuts us off. We look for the shortest line in the grocery store and get anxious when our computer download takes too long.

God has placed in my heart a desire for this inner and outer stress to come to an end. Even as I type these words, it seems culturally insurmountable.

Ahh, but we have a God who is greater than anything in this world. Let's talk about that next time…

(Photo by: Nikki Levine for openphoto.net)

In a Hurry? (Part 1)

I've given the idea of "pace" a lot of thought in the last couple of years.

I've noticed the pace of life has continued to speed up, faster and faster as each year passes. We are all running around, huffing and puffing, complaining that there is not enough time to get everything done.

Are we really at the mercy of the time crunches that we create by our own choices? Some might argue that none of this can be helped. This is the way it is and we have to learn to deal with it.

I'd like to ask: Is this really true? Do we really have to do everything we currently think we have to do to lead a fulfilling life?

We are making many assumptions about what it means to be a well-rounded and successful person, mother, friend, wife, Christian.

Let's give this some thought and we'll talk about it more next time…

Living

"We don't think ourselves into a new way of living. We live ourselves into a new way of thinking." (The Wild Man's Journey, Richard Rohr))

An Early Thanksgiving Greeting

My posts will be sparse to non-existent for the next 2 weeks due to some wonderful family travel that we will be doing. I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving and thank you to those of you who have been interacting with me through this blog.

I am having a wonderful time sharing what is on my heart and hearing from you who are walking your own path of grace.

While I'm on a short break - why don't you take some time to go through my archives and catch up on some entries you may have missed.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!

Blessings, Gem

A Safe & Pretty Life?

Some thoughts from the first chapter of Hosea...

Hosea was a prophet and man of God and yet he was asked to do something "sinful" so that God could make a point to His people. Hosea 1:2 says, "When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to Him, 'Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.'"

I understand that Hosea was a prophet, however, each of us as Christians, in our own way, is a prophet in this fallen world. We all have something to say and contribute to the people of this earth. Are we letting the Lord speak through us? Am I letting the Lord speak through me?

It says, "When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him…" --- and then the next thing is something that makes no sense. Go and marry a prostitute?! Why? I have to imagine that Hosea had a least a little conversation in his head about this. What will people think? Why do I have to marry this "sinful" woman? Are You serious, LORD? And, yet, Hosea obeys.

I realize that I spend much of my time trying to make things smooth and easy and comfortable. Why can't I give that up? If I am (as I want to be) a woman whom God speaks through, then it would be good for me to be ready to do whatever He asks, even if it goes against the grain. Only as a branch attached to the vine will I be able to do this (John 15).

Am I more interested in living a safe and pretty life than I am in hearing from God, letting Him speak through me and doing what He says?

Holy Longing

Longing and hunger are good. If I was "satisfied" with my relationship with God or as a wife, mother and friend - would I still continue to press on for new territory?

Longing and hunger propel you forward (unless you choose to downward spiral through the numbing of addiction). I prefer up, out and beyond.

I have mistaken this "dissatisfaction" as something to get over. I think I will sense this until the day I die. I've heard of the phrase "holy longing." There is a place deep inside me that groans and longs for the Lord, His love, His ways. It shows that I am alive and living in this world…waiting for the bridegroom to come.

What bride does not yearn for her groom?

Come, Lord Jesus!

Bark Chips, Part 3

Well, I got to the end of my 24-hour retreat and a few things had shaken down in the process. I realized the swirl in my head (bark chips) was not only the details of the stuff of life, but also my over-processing of them.

I was reading "Sacred Companions" by David Benner. In one of the chapters he encouraged a friend not to second-guess what God is up to or over analyze what one is supposed to learn from a situation. In the context he was in no way negating the thoughtful pondering of God's work in your life. There are times, however, when too much thinking/analyzing is not helpful.

Asking why is only one of the things I do in my "mull-fests." I seek to control almost everything by thinking it through and then thinking again, getting side tracked by others' opinions in my head and my own emotions which go all over the place on any given day or week.

I exhaust myself with over-analysis.

The Lord lead me to two passages on peace:

John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

I can't, by my own efforts, make the bark chips go away. I can't make the flurry of my mind go away.

I can, however, receive the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can continue to attune myself to God in the midst. Finding His voice can be like being in a large, bustling crowd and honing in on one voice among the throng. But He is there, speaking, leading and loving. I am learning to be still to listen and receive.

May I hear Your voice alone, Lord Jesus! Thank you for the renewed peace that you so graciously give to me. You are good.

Part 3 still coming...

For those of you actually reading this...

I'm doing a 3 parter on bark chips. I've been out of town this weekend and I hope you will bear with me. I won't be able to get to the rest of the bark chip story until tomorrow.

Blessings!

Bark Chips, Part 2

I had a personal prayer retreat day this week. Here are some thoughts from that time...
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Bark chips. Thousands of them. Just outside the back door of my room at the retreat center

Bark chips. Not exactly what I was expecting. I was picturing something more like grass. Something soothing and beautiful. Instead I was greeted by a large, dry spread of little pieces of wood.

The first thing that popped into my head was, "This is an image of the multitude of bits and pieces of thoughts and junk in my head." It was an accurate picture of my inner swirl.

I sat in the chair on my little porch and told God that I was looking forward to what He would be doing in me in the next 24 hours.

Stay tuned...

Bark Chips, Part 1

I have two words for you:

Bark chips.

Stay tuned.