"OH NO!" my sister screamed in a panic voiced, we were traveling on a road trip and in a frantic panic she was searching the middle section of our mini van for her "puffy." Puffy was her favorite stuffed animal that she slept with every night. In a second panic attack the whole car was searching for the animal. My parents had gotten off the highway and there we all were in a gas station parking lot tearing the car apart..to no avail. We ended up turning around and driving back to the hotel in search for her puffy, not finding it there - as the room had already been cleaned. My parents bought her a new "puffy" and we went on our way. Although my mind is fuzzy now, somehow or other we did end up finding her original puffy.
I am sure everyone has a story like this. My daughter wore the same shirt for 41 days straight when she was 2. We washed it at night and in the morning she stood by the dryer waiting for it to be done. I thought we would never transition beyond that shirt. But we did.
Shirts, blankets, stuff animals, whatever it is we all have our own security system. As Christians we find that security in our faith in God. We tactfully touch that security system through the Bible - especially favorite passages or two. But I would like to boldly proclaim that no passage does this better then Psalm 23. The Lord is My Shepherd. A powerful security for all of us. For those who have faith and follow in God's will prosperity and safety are ours. God isn't promising in this Psalm the Disney fairytale life - but is instead promising protection and love. God's staff with protect and comfort me ... all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever! Powerful words of comfort and peace.
Psalm 23 reminds us that life is well life and we will walk into the valley of death a time or three, but with our faith intake we will be able to walk out stronger and better. With Christ all things are possible. With God all things can be accomplished.
Let us use this Psalm as our own Security - security in faith - go to bed with the words and arise to the words and believe in them - knowing and trusting that the Lord is Your Shepherd.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Lenten Sabbath
So as you may notice I had a large gap of Lent and then Easter without posts. I am happy to say that was a joyful and sleepless time of welcoming a new baby into our household. I love babies and love being a mom.
Calvin always suggested that Lent was a time to add a spiritual practice to our life and not just about taking away some thing. He was encouraging us to think about our life and not just give up something that we would once again allow to consume us after Lent but instead try to add a Spiritual practice to our life that would perhaps stay with us beyond Lent. Maybe he had seen / experienced the understanding that one needs 6 weeks before something new becomes a habit; and Lent as it turns out is 5 + Holy Week = 6 weeks, that magic number :)
So this Lent we added a baby to our life. And through the feedings, the sleepless nights, the changing of diapers and the everyday chaos of a family of four already it was hard to find the time to sit with the Spirit. I joked before hand that Calvin probably never thought adding a baby would be a good Lenten practice. And it wasn't!
Although I guess we are now in the routine of life with the new addition. Adding anything else Spiritually during that time was impossible. And yet, I felt the call and the struggle of the Lenten session to think and respond to this irony. As our lives get busier and we accept just one more thing on our plates; as we challenge ourselves at our workplaces or in the gym how do we make room for the Spirit?
It isn't that we are becoming less religious, it is that people are seeking religious outside of the church walls and often on ones own. But how do we remain open to those spiritual disciplines when we busy people. When our lives are full or when we are engulfed with the everyday chaos?
My challenge for myself and others is to, even in the chaos, invite a conversation with the Holy. Look into where we leave the Divine out and where we can invite the Divine in. Look at our relationship with the Creator not as a chore or one more thing on our plates, but instead as a relationship with a good friend, or family member, one that needs to be maintained.
Calvin always suggested that Lent was a time to add a spiritual practice to our life and not just about taking away some thing. He was encouraging us to think about our life and not just give up something that we would once again allow to consume us after Lent but instead try to add a Spiritual practice to our life that would perhaps stay with us beyond Lent. Maybe he had seen / experienced the understanding that one needs 6 weeks before something new becomes a habit; and Lent as it turns out is 5 + Holy Week = 6 weeks, that magic number :)
So this Lent we added a baby to our life. And through the feedings, the sleepless nights, the changing of diapers and the everyday chaos of a family of four already it was hard to find the time to sit with the Spirit. I joked before hand that Calvin probably never thought adding a baby would be a good Lenten practice. And it wasn't!
Although I guess we are now in the routine of life with the new addition. Adding anything else Spiritually during that time was impossible. And yet, I felt the call and the struggle of the Lenten session to think and respond to this irony. As our lives get busier and we accept just one more thing on our plates; as we challenge ourselves at our workplaces or in the gym how do we make room for the Spirit?
It isn't that we are becoming less religious, it is that people are seeking religious outside of the church walls and often on ones own. But how do we remain open to those spiritual disciplines when we busy people. When our lives are full or when we are engulfed with the everyday chaos?
My challenge for myself and others is to, even in the chaos, invite a conversation with the Holy. Look into where we leave the Divine out and where we can invite the Divine in. Look at our relationship with the Creator not as a chore or one more thing on our plates, but instead as a relationship with a good friend, or family member, one that needs to be maintained.
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