Alternative Cultures

The other day an article was shared on Facebook titled, “Why successful People Leave Their Loser Friends Behind.”   In it, the post recommended exploiting people for personal gain, saying that in order to be successful you must “surround yourself with people who are only going to lift you higher”.  If they cannot do that, then spend no more than 5 minutes with them. There are many points in the article that have been shared at “success” conferences for decades…we've probably heard them at Christian conferences too, after all, that’s the world in which we live, right? 

 And what’s wrong with wanting to be successful?  Most churches I know of want to experience success.  We often measure it based on attendance or relevance to what can be offered elsewhere, like concerts, charismatic speakers, etc. This particular article was about personal success and it was shared by a Christian teacher working at a Christian school.  It caused me to wonder how much our Christian culture has become like the world instead of like Christ. 

How different are we?  When the world looks in on us, does being Christian still mean living like Christ – loving unconditionally, being presenters of truth and justice, full of Grace and Mercy?  Are we a culture that goes beyond the appetite for the material and temporal to offer what is sure and unseen?  Can I do more than simply tell someone about Christ because I actually have experiential knowledge of Him? Is that knowledge changing me?...Is it changing the Christian culture in which I live? And can I lead someone else there? Or has being “Christian” come to mean something different because we aren’t much different from the world? 

I once heard someone say there was too much “Jesus talk” in the church service.  It was too spiritual and we should do something relevant to attract people. Another quipped that being Christian wasn't just about being Christ-like.  Now I might be mistaken, but I'm fairly certain the world has the corner on the market on everything BUT Jesus, and Jesus is what they need.  The problem is, Jesus is not necessarily who we have or what we’ve become.  

Dallas Willard once said, "To be conformed to a sick culture means to become sick ourselves."  Wise Solomon says, “Bad company corrupts good morals.”   While this might be used wrongly to justify the things mentioned in the above article on success, I suspect it actually means something entirely different.

As I look at the way Jesus lived, I am not convinced His plan was to be relevant to the world.  He said things like, don’t degrade yourself or others with adulterous thoughts, people are worth more than that.  Turn the other cheek when struck, let Christ even the score.  He said you have to lose your life to actually find it.  He said bear each others' burdens, consider others better than yourself.  Jesus lived differently and He offered a different life to those He encountered.  He gave the woman at the well different water and she drank deeply from the life of Christ....and she was changed.

so I wonder, have I ever really “left it all" or lost my life to His? Have I ever drank deeply from His well of life-giving water? If I did, how would it change me, and how would it change my culture?

The Apostle Paul mentions, among other things, being committed to each other in brotherly love.  At the beginning of this post, most cringed to read about dismissing a person after 5 minutes.  We cringe because intuitively we know it’s wrong.  But if we are honest, we would have to say we probably do it.  We just don’t advertise it. Maybe that's because we don't understand why it's wrong.  Maybe we need to understand better that dismissing goes against the spirit of God to love and mars the dignity of another’s soul.  It is a grievous act and ought to be acknowledged as such.  Sometimes I need to be reminded that when I commit myself to love without anything in return, I begin to catch a glimpse of God’s beautiful Kingdom life and wake up to a whole new reality. 

This reality is an alternative culture brought into a world otherwise dominated by power, money, materialism, greed, sex, you name it.  No matter the century, this beautiful, alternative life is available to you and me.   We can step into it and begin to live, and I mean really LIVE.  It is a place where we aren't driven by the need to succeed,  to shop until we drop, We don't have to search endlessly for romance, or spend precious resources keeping up our image or getting even…Instead we can seek to love others well, live life simply, and keep on the journey towards God together.  It’s not perfect and by no means a utopia.  In fact, it’s pretty messy and requires exorbitant amounts of God's strength and grace, but we will be happier people for it! Its the way every human being was meant to live.  To live any other way is to live inhuman.

^“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom… Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor” – James 3:13-18

So I guess what I am asking is this: How can our Christian settings, albeit families, schools or churches, begin to provide an alternative culture for people looking for Jesus?  What must we do to let His Kingdom reign right where we are with those standing right next to us?  In the end, that is a life well lived….that is success.  And it does not happen on the backs of other people but it is accomplished as we seek to love God and others by taking up our cross daily to follow him.

Feasting

OK…Slight change-up NEXT week the post called “Alternative Realities” will be posted this week is simply a follow-up from last week and an invitation to come away from your ADHD world and be with Jesus…after all we can’t WWJD unless we spend time with Him.

When I was a young teenager I spent a short time dealing with Anorexia.  Over time I became quite weak.  I entered high school weighing a whopping 83 pounds.  Now one would think that food is the logical option at this point but it took me a while to be convinced of its benefits.   At the time, I like the "advantages" of starving myself.  I actually found a sense of identity in them.  But with some time and a little help I began to eat again and found  life was better when I nourished my body.

If life is found in the pause instead of the sprint ( as was said in the last post) I wonder if we might at times starve our soul like some starve their bodies.  It seems that to live the good life means going 100 mph to fit every "enriching activity" in to the day.  By the end of the day, instead of sharing a meal we simply pass out at the table.  It is at this point that "food" is the logical option.   As much as our bodies were made to be nourished by a hearty meal so was our soul.  “God prepares a table before us”  and we are invited to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” ...To "feast" on Jesus, who is the broken bread and poured out wine (Ps 23 & 34; Luke 22)

So how does one feast on God and nourish the soul instead of doing a face-plant at the table?  It begins the same way it did for me as I dealt with anorexia.  I had to first realize I was starving myself and it was doing harm.  The ear-marks for it were listless-ness, foggy thinking, and a sense of isolation.  

At the risk of seemingly adding to the to-do list I will say this: If your time with God is close to nil, you are starving your soul and doing harm.  This is not a guilt trip and by the end I think you will find it is also not another item to add to your to-do list.  This is just me trying to keep it real...you see, our soul has similar alarms as our body does.   I am sure I’m not the only one who may feel spiritually “listless” once -in-a-while.  Sometimes, the thought of investing in anything spiritual sounds exhausting so I don’t.   Have you ever wanted to “be more spiritual” but can’t seem to find any focus?  Ever feel like your head is about to explode if you don’t get some space from things?  But you cant get space because your schedule is so crowded running from one thing to the next you barely have time to breath.  It’s like there’s this wonderful land out there and occasionally you catch a glimpse of it through the fog, but something keeps it veiled and just out of reach.  you'd like to find it but these things that sound-off in our soul...this inward chaos?  We are held captive by them.... and we begin to wonder if this far-off wonderland is just an illusion which means this is as good as life gets.

Sound familiar?  STOP.  Stop the rat-race that has befriended you and pause.  Breathe in and breathe out….literally! Those things that you're doing that identify you?...They don't make you who you are, God does.  So wait quietly for Him to come near…He will…don’t you worry.  It is in the pause that we feast on God's love so find ways to encounter Him.

If you love nature then go outside.  Look for God’s whisper in the bird song or sunrise, if you love books, find one and read it.  Since it is God you are seeking I suggest finding one that speaks well of Him, like the Bible, or one written by someone who’s encountered him and can share it.  Do you love music? Then turn on the worship and let it fill the room.  If you don't think you have time, you're wrong.  I will be that bold to assure you that the One who holds time in his hands has as His deepest desire to share time with you.  So take five, take ten, or take a whole day if you can.  ...Just come, come and feast...

“If you are starving and can find nothing to satisfy your hunger, then come.  Come, and you will be filled.”  Jeanne Guyon

 “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  - Jesus

Living WWJD In an ADHD World

OK, I confess.  While I have never been officially tested, my friends would concur, I am prone to Attention Deficit Disorder.  There.  I said it.  Surprise!  But really, honestly, hasn't that prognosis become about as normal as a setting on our dishwasher?  "Normal", "quick", "delicate", "extra dry", "slightly distracted", "somewhat unpredictable"...."Squirrel!" (to steal a quote from the movie Up) Maybe the diagnosis is true.  Maybe it's not.  The real question I am asking is this:  How can I live more intentional in an increasingly distracted world?  And I don't think one needs to be A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. to wonder the same thing.  I think somewhere deep down we are all asking something like that.  How do we live...better?


It’s weird really, A.D.H.D has become quite a phenomenon - The inability to hold focus, constant activity, moving from one thing to the next, lack of impulse control, anger management issues - It sounds like A.D.H.D. has made its way into our world more than we realize.  Is this life - laden with distractions, 'pleasure' seeking, and busyness - really working?

One look at the world around us - including the world within the walls of the church - and it's clear our A.D.H.D. approach is not working.  If it was, the use of anti-depressants would not be on the rise as it is.  Crime would not be the back-drop of most evening news reports, and divorce would be less not more frequent.  Lawsuits would be the exception not the norm.  Obesity would not be an epidemic.  Credit cards would not be maxed out from trips to the mall, Disneyland, or weekly "pedis". Parents wouldn't be lost in a sea of sporting events that consume their every waking hour.   Our 4 year olds Birthday party would not have to be "pintrest"...then Facebooked...then instagramed. (I'm going to share a secret with you...4 year olds don't care if their favors were made from recycled jars decoupaged in vintage fabric and filled with homemade organic treats....they just don't.) Nope our A.D.H.D. approach has not served us well.  Distractions are rarely the answer...they only pretend to soothe a bleeding (or bored)soul...a soul that's screaming for something more...for something better.


So...WWJD (what would Jesus do)? Because I really do want to DWJWD (Do what Jesus would do)... Of all people, HE seemed to focused on the things that matter.  He was busy but not distracted.  I don't think He was very bored either because He was going about His Father's work.  Yet, when life came at Him at break-neck speed He was at the ready... present and conversational.  For instance, when the bleeding woman caught the edge of His garment He paused.  If ever there was a moment for a man to "vacate the premises" and find something else to do, that was it!  But Jesus stayed.  He talked with the woman (shameful as it was at the time) and received her story. He didn't have to, according to scripture she was healed the moment she touched His robe.  By most "A.D.H.D-world" standards, His job was done and the next "thing" was waiting...Snap to it! But by WWJD standards, maybe the job wasn't finished.  Maybe the biggest miracle was the conversation between the Divine King of kings and a forgotten woman who longed for healing ...for dignity ...for friendship.  So much would have missed had Jesus "squirreled" off to the next thing instead of pausing his steps for a moment to take a closer look.

 Maybe life is found in the pause ...instead of the sprint

When I am distracted I tend to neglect relationships and sadly that means people too.  I move from one bright shiny object to the next. I see it glisten in the distance and something in me is driven to find its pleasure; pleasure that wears off soon after, so I move on to the next distraction. On and on it goes, satisfying for a moment, maybe even a season, but in the end leaving me more empty than when I started. That's what distractions do.  They give the illusion of satisfaction while secretly denying the soul.  
What would happen if we stopped our sprint to the next "drug of choice" and paused to touch the hem of His garment - if even only for a moment?  Would we be changed? Would our soul stop its bleeding? Would we be surprised by the conversation we encounter with Christ?  Would a piece of regenerated life awaken within us?...maybe life is found in the pause instead of the sprint.


WWJD?....He would pause.  He would be indifferent to the things that seduce a glance to steal our gaze.  He, instead, would gaze deeply into the heart of God through the waking of a sunrise, or the stillness of a prayer, He would delight in the joy of a child or the playfulness of a puppy. He would  notice the tug on His robe and, like He did with that woman, be at the ready...present and conversational; capturing the divine eternal moments that simply show up without trend or demand. He would welcome them with glad submission and... join in.

I want to do the same.  I want to DWJWD and find more than what this A.D.H.D world can ever offer.


Next post: Sunday, June 13 - "Alternative Realities"

Too Much of a Good Thing...

I come from a long line of women with “green thumbs”.  When I was a child our window sill was laden with avocado seeds or potatoes soaking in jars of water growing roots to be planted later.  I was also taught that certain plants, like alyssum, can be pulled up and clipped and will take root again, making it a rather prolific fellow, I learned water is essential.  Yet, even with this plethora of knowledge and fantastic gene pool, I must regrettably confess I can’t keep a plant alive to save my life.  Recently I was given a nice patio plant and was told it was the kind you COULD. NOT. KILL.  I was tempted to say, "Challenge accepted!" but instead I decided to make this plant a personal success story. 

Every morning I set out to water the plant.  I clipped the dead leaves.  I even talked to it a bit (they say that helps.)  Sadly, within a few weeks the plant began to turn color and the leaves fell, so I watered it more thinking that would perk it up, but the opposite happened.  The more I watered it, the worse the plant seemed.  Then came the sad, but familiar, moment when I take the pot and the scraggly stems, say a few kinds words, and place it in it's final resting place - the compost bin.

I mentioned to someone how I killed the unkillable plant.  In an effort to sooth my discomfort around such inadequacy I declared, “I don’t understand how I killed it!  I talked to it – whispered ‘sweet nothings’ into its ear (what plant doesn't love that?!), I watered it daily and did everything I was supposed to do!” 

My friend gave this advice:  “With a plant like that you only need to water it once, maybe twice a week; and water slowly to let it soak into the soil”   What?!  Are you kidding me?!  I drowned my plant???  Who knew that was even possible!  Apparently with me as it's owner, my poor plant needed floaties!  OH wait,  most plants aren't supposed to float either...I know, my knowledge is impressive, it's something my grandmother taught me...just sayin'...

Getting back on track here...That’s when it hit me that as people we can be similar. We have a desire to grow spiritually so we read scripture and study it.  We "water" our soul with God's word.  When we encounter difficulty or something inside us seems "off", we often turn up the water by collecting more knowledge via reading more scripture...we "chapter and verse" until something hits us...until something makes us feel O.K.  Sometimes we can accumulate knowledge like a reservoir but our circumstances are like bricks around our ankles the two not only don't match up...they work against each other and we begin to 'drown'.  So we put on our emotional floaties by keeping conversations and thoughts just above the surface to avoid "going under" and never coming up. 

Maybe what we really need is not more knowledge.  Why put more water in the pool when we're barely staying afloat?  Maybe we need to let the knowledge we already have soak in and be cultivated into our life and our circumstances.   Have a conflict with a friend and don’t know what to do about it?  Scripture is pretty clear…love ‘em.  Extend unexpected kindness, pray for them.  Confess your offence if needed.  Let God’s compassionate heart for them grow in you.  The same might apply to a grumpy neighbor.  We don’t need more scripture to tell us what to do…we already know it.  It just requires more risk, more intention, and it's more inconvenient than "chapter and versing" it on our couch.  Consumed with worry?  Scripture is pretty clear on that too…cast all your cares onto Him…trust that He cares for you. Wait, maybe that’s the hard part…maybe in the “casting” we discover we don’t really trust God to care.  Why else would we worry? 

In any case, sometimes more knowledge is not the prescription.  Chapter and versing it,  consuming knowledge without cultivating it, causes what we learn to become a collection of ideas,  they are things we might profess.  But professing, "God is good!  God is good!" and reading more verses about it, doesn't always work....does it?

Just like most plants, humans were never meant to float along the emotional surface randomly professing one thing but experiencing another.  I guess that's why Scripture says, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."  Knowledge is good.  Just like water, it is the most basic nutrient needed for growth.  But too much of it can drown the soul.  (Don’t shoot me here…hang on.  I promise I am not a heretic.) Good knowledge can be tested.  Sometimes more space and time is needed to let what we have professed become what we believe.   We put knowledge to the test by wrestling it through the soil and letting our spiritual “roots” collide with the living presence of Christ inside our circumstances.   And that happens when we pause from our frantic search and simply choose to be present , honest and active with God.  He becomes visible and His living-water truth soaks the soil and nourishes us in unhurried rhythms.  

So the next time someone gives me a plant I am going to check how often it actually needs water.  And as I encounter life disruptions I am going to consider if the situation calls for  more scripture or more cultivation?  And “water” both accordingly.

Soaking...YBH?

During a recent late-season snow storm I was reminded how much you can hear when all goes cold and quiet.  Have you ever noticed that?  When it snows all the ambient noise seems to be muffled and the crackling of a tree, the bark of a distant dog, even the crunchy steps of our trail making its way on a walk seem all the louder.  Each would be missed if it were not for the dampening blanket of fresh-fallen snow.  They would be drowned out by all the extra noise. In the last post the idea of soaking in God's presence came up, and while it sounds like a good idea,  ideas often come with little means to actually accomplish them.  It's the old adage of "Yes but how?" or YBH.

 So I thought this post could be about the HOW.  How can we become present with God... and ourselves.  Let's face it, with our busy schedules and frantic world, it's nearly impossible to actually retreat for a bit and "soak".  Ambient noise is at an all-time high!  We often need something to help us muffle out the "sounds" that surrounds us so we can actually listen.  So here is a listening exercise I've found helpful over the years.  It is designed to help us become quietly present with ourselves and God.  Honesty is the only way this works...so leave your "should-self" behind and bring your very real, imperfect self with you. 

To begin, sit somewhere comfortable and quiet (if possible) to avoid being distracted by discomfort or noise.  Then acknowledge God's presence with you through a short prayer.  Any will do but here's what I often use,  "God, thank you for being near right now.  Help me know your presence and find your voice, and respond to it accordingly. Amen." Then journal your way through the following.


You may initially read this and think, "Oh brother! This doesn't look very 'spiritual' at all!"...I dare you to try it and see just how wonderfully God meets you in it - and wherever God show's up - His Spirit is there too....spiritual...God is so much bigger than our human constructs.  So if this seems a little "out there" for you...that's ok :)  He is capable of holding you in the place of His Presence that is right, true and good.

LISTEN FOR NOISE - What am I thinking about?  What's on my mind?  Write it down.(Try not to edit, judge, analyze or be critical toward the thoughts in your head - just write them down)

LISTEN TO YOUR PHYSICAL BODY: What is my body saying?  Physically, how do I feel right now?

LISTEN TO YOUR FEELINGS: What is my heart sensing? What am I feeling? (Again, don't edit, judge, analyze or be critical.  Let yourself feel what is there.)

LISTEN TO GRATITUDE: What are you thankful for in your life right now?  Who? (Invite the Holy Spirit to help you make a list of all that you are thankful and grateful.)

LISTEN TO YOUR DESIRES: What do you desire?  Both surface and deep desires. (Again, don't edit, judge, analyze, or be critical.  Just write down what you desire.)

LISTEN TO HEAR GOD'S DESIRES: Ask God, "What is on your heart?  What do you desire?  Is there anything you want to say to me or that you desire for me?

....Enjoy the "soaking" 

Oh yeah, and if you could use one adjective to describe how you felt going into the exercise, and one adjective to describe how you felt leaving it, what would those two words be?  

God rewrote the text of my life
    when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

 2 Sam 22:23

SOAKING

As summer quickly approaches, I've been noticing a few things around our yard.  For one, there is a small flower bed in the corner of our driveway that's often overlooked because it’s isolated from the rest of the garden.  IT's only when I'm already in my car driving away that I notice it and think, "Later, when I get a chance, I need to deal with that."  Well later never comes because there is ALWAYS something else to do.

As time passes I become bothered by the unsightly condition of that flower bed as it never seems to take care of itself…the nerve!  I even worry that others will notice it as they drive up (News Flash:  THEY DO...it's pretty obvious!)  As weeds keep growing, the wind brings debris that gladly settles itself among the cluttered, lonely soil. It’s as if the little space has forgotten altogether that it was once a lovely display of African Daisies.  So the other day, as my husband and I were cleaning up the side yard I decided to do something about about that little neglected gem.

The debris was picked up quickly and discarded, some of the weeds came up easily too (They were near a neighboring water-source so the grounds was soft and the weeds came up roots and all.)  However, most of the bed was dry and hard and the weeds were stubbornly rooted, refusing to give up there well solidified home.  I pulled a few but as you may well know, only the stems give way when you do that, leaving the root to continue on its merry way beneath the surface.  Now I could have stopped there and just quickly clipped the stems; Heaven knows my lazy-self wanted to!  The flower bed would have LOOKED good. Nobody would know the difference …at least for a while.  But I've learned better from my mistakes.  So out came the hose and on went the water…Not too much mind you, I did not want the hardened surface to refuse the offering and cause all kinds of run-off.  I needed the ground to SOAK.  The soil needed some time to take in the water at a pace it could absorb.  Later that day I easily removed the weeds because the ground was soft and malleable. 

Over the past several posts we've been talking about what it takes to change and become a different and freer person, reflecting the beautiful God-image held within each of us.  It struck me as I worked on that forgotten flower bed that my soul is not much different.  Beauty hides and becomes choked when I forget to tend the soil of my heart. Weeds and debris collect instead.  Often my actions become offensive, even unsightly!  And frankly, sometimes I don’t really care because I’m hardened by neglect and pass it on to others  Ouch!  I hate to say that, but it’s true…Just like the noticeable neglect in the corner of my driveway, the condition of my heart shows up in my actions.

 It's no use trying to manage our behavior when the "soil" from which it stems is neglected.  If I want to be different-If you want to be different, then we must put a stop to managing our behavior...it's no different than pulling weeds from hardened soil.  Only what's visible goes away, the root remains and will most definitely grow again....NOPE! ... Not a good plan.   

So first things first! We need a little soaking.  We need to let the hurried, busy rhythm of our life suspend for a bit and give time for God’s waters to pour forth.  I've often heard (and I've felt it myself) that, "Solitude is just too hard", or  “I just don’t have time.” Or "I don’t know what to do with myself, and is it really THAT productive?” ....Well....Yes! Jesus often withdrew to "lonely places" for prayer and the result was rather remarkable.  I could go on with other examples but come on!   If the Son of God modeled it?....Need we go any further? 

"Every distraction of the body, mind and spirit must be put into a kind of suspended animation before this deep work of God upon the soul can occur." - Richard Foster

Just like soaking the soil of that flower bed, God will bring his deep work and renewal as we "soak" in Him. And it will come at a pace we can absorb, so don't fret the process.  Leave the fretting to your aunt Mae! The main thing is to stop and pause, and become present with God in the moment that you do have.  Sometimes it IS hard, but so are the soils of a neglected soul.  Just like real weeds, spiritual “weeds” don’t leave on their own.  In fact, some require extra soaking time.  Taking the occasional glance and saying, “Someday I need to deal with that.”  Will never get the job done.  Unless we spend some time alone with God, quieting our withering, hardened self to let God’s life-waters trickle in, we. won’t. change.  It’s that simple.  But take heart! God reminds us that as we find space for him, “There I will meet with you, and I will speak to you.” (Exodus 29) When we look for Him, He shows up!  And when He does, Love finds its way into the soil of our heart and we become changed. 

“I will take your heart of stone 

and give you a heart of flesh.”
Exekiel 36:26  

Lord Have Your Way....wait...WHAT???!

In continuing on from the previous posts "Why is Growing Up Like Having a Root Canal?" and "What Was I Thinking?!" 

SO last week on Sunday I posted on Facebook, "Getting ready to worship in loving community with a few other Jesus followers...I'm so glad and full of joy !!"  After said declaration, I cheerfully locked my car and walked to the Worship Center, greeting people along the way.  Feeling rather glad to be heading in to a time of worship, I thought to myself, "My Michelle, aren't you prepared for church today!  Give yourself a holy pat on the back! Just look at how bright and cheerful you are!"  It's sick, I know. But, come on...you know you've done the same thing.  They are the times when all is "right with the world" and no inward "grouchies" are in sight.  Any bad emotions are sealed tightly behind the closed doors of our external presentation of "self"

As the worship time moved along, we began singing "I Surrender".  There were many who demonstrated a desire for God through a posture of full surrender.  I'm sure you know what I mean, arms extended and open wide, faces towards Heaven, eye's closed singing with abandon, "I want to know you more, I want to know you more.  I surrender" The song went on,

 "Like a rushing wind, Jesus breath within."  OH yes those words sound so appealing don't they?  Just come in Jesus, come make your home here in me...be my very breath!

 "Lord have your way, Lord have your way in me!"  WAIT!....What??  - Hold on.  I don't know if I really want this?  Suddenly the "joy" I walked in with was being bullied out of me by this cruel suggestion of surrender and imminent loss of control!

I caught myself looking around the room (And before you get "concerned" that I was becoming distracted and not "worshiping", rest assured.  I was more engaged than ever!) I wanted to say, "People, WAIT! Do you know what you are singing? Let's THINK about this for a minute... Do we really WANT what we're asking!?"  We sing a song like this and we are swayed along by desire that, dare I say, might find it's only root in the warmth of the immediate.  It feels good so we sing it.  It's weird how we can go on auto-pilot during worship, singing songs word for word while our mind and heart "zone-out".  When our mind zones out our habits, like little children left on a playground without a teacher, follow our emotions for hunt of something pleasant- the proverbial "warm-fuzzy". In this case, for me, it was the worship service. (By the way, we seldom limit our quest for the "warm-fuzzy" to the singing.  Plenty-a-pastor has  been cruelly exploited in our quest as well...said the pastor's wife ;) )...but again, I have digressed.  The truth is we are after something legitimate that we think a "warm-fuzzy" will give us....

We LONG for deep knowing.  As people created in the image of God, we can't help but strain toward it.
 The problem is, a "warm fuzzy" won't be enough to sustain us into the heart of God. It's like catching a glimpse of something good just across the water, getting into a boat to cross over to it, only to discover your boat keeps leaking and no matter how many times you try, the boat will sink before your arrival every time.   So while a warm-fuzzy may be a welcomed invite, it remains just that - an invite.  It opens the door to something more if we want it.  If we do,  then we must find a vessel capable of getting us there.

Well that morning I wasn't sure I even wanted the invite... Do I want to know God more...Did I want HIM to know ME more (Like I could hide from Him - haha!)? Well, if I wanted it, then according to the song (and scripture), The vessel to get me there is to surrender my story.  That means choosing to embrace the good with the bad and letting God take up residence in it all, trusting that in the windfall, His breath will breathe life into mine.  Not magically, mind you,  It requires a little partnering on our part...that's what sanctification is - joining God in our journey of becoming changed...made new... more like Him.  Along the way we will be jostled by the "waters", but not forsaken....broken and shaped but not destroyed, at times lonely but never left alone.  He will be there and we will learn to "know Him more". Over time, as we find delight in Him, His desires will become ours, we will naturally love more like him, naturally find joy in the good and swayed less by the allure of the bad. 

So what am I babbling on about? For a long time I've stared across the lake at the vision of knowing God more; realizing that it brings life and joy!  ...But sometimes it is easy to forget the vessel that will carry me there - to the heart of God - includes a Gethsemane walk.  Not just Christ's, but mine.  "Lord have your way in me"  sounds a lot like Jesus' blood-sweat prayer in the Garden, "Father, if it is possible remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours." In other words,  "God, I might not like what's going on and I may want out...but I will surrender... I will let you write the story your way.  Show me how to live like Jesus ...even in this."

Beyond the warm-fuzzy of religious exhilaration there is a life of deep Joy waiting for us.  Letting God have His way in us is a difficult surrender but it is the vessel that leads just such a life.