Last month I wrote about the dangers of living a 'plate spinning' life. It's crazy. It's 'Living inSanity'.
The hectic pace of my life came to an abrupt end during the ASCEND mission trip to Dominica. No phone. No e-mail. No demanding time tables. I wasn't even able to drive fast because of the twisty-turvy mountain roads we tried to navigate (driving, by the way, on the other side of the road). Life slowed down. It was good. We woke early. The team ate breakfast together. We studied Scripture and prayed. Went to work. Sweated up a storm. Quit work when the heat got to be too much. Then we relaxed. It was a good, healthy rhythm.
I need to figure out a Chicago style rhythm. Back here I drive fast, read e-mail all day and night, carry a cell phone everywhere and slowly but surely feel my blood pressure start to escalate. It's the American way.
Unfortunately, a go, go, go lifestyle isn't necessarily a 'Jesus' lifestyle. For those of us who want to be like Jesus that's important to consider. Jesus took time to be alone. He cultivated a community of folks (men and women) to share life with. He considered His relationship with his Papa to be the top priority. He saw interruptions as opportunities to touch a life. He remained consistent even when life through Him curves. He never seemed in a hurry. He knew where He was headed.
So what's the take-away from Jesus for us? We do live in a fast-paced culture. That's a given. But if we want to be a little counter-cultural start doing this: Take time for solitude, build authentic community, talk to the Lord and listen for His response, plot a course and stay on it, look at all of life as holy, and when the road gets curvy always remember that Jesus is with you. Do this and your life will change.
One other thing. Get away. Go away. Next time ASCEND offers a mission trip or service project be the first one in line. Go on a retreat. Disrupt the normal rhythms of your life, slow down, breath deeply ...experience the heartbeat of the Creator. Get out of your rut. Serve someone. Put your life on the line for something important.
Want to get old quick? Wake up each day with nothing important to live for. Spin unimportant plates. Do nothing to breath life into your being. Care only about yourself. Live like God isn't real. Do this and you'll shrivel up and die.
I'm tired of watching people 'die' in front of my eyes. I want to see people live. That's what I saw happening in Dominica. Our team ...Joyce, Darlene, Coral, Joyce, Bonnie, Sharen, Kate, Nancy, Terry ...were living large. They were living their faith, stretching themselves physically and emotionally, marveling in God's creation and learning from those they came to serve. Every day you could see God at work in their lives. God was real. It doesn't get any better than that.
2 comments:
I think we live a life of insanity because we are truly searching for saneness. Does that make sense? We may run from 'pillar to post' (my mom used to say that) looking when what we really want is right beside us. Maybe we are afraid to stop and listen.....it could be God wants us going in a different direction. Yet full circle, God has such a life planned for us, full of promise and hope...happiness. We must stop to listen. Perhaps the discontent or lack of enthusiasm is there is too much 'noise' in Ascend to hear our God. The noise of activity. Perhaps we are searching (and won't admit)for a connectedness/relationship with the One that will never leave us. We may just find that blessed rest, peace, comfort, relationship, connectedness with our Creator. If we give Him the opportunity. Thanks for hearing me out!
Good points Joyce. If we don't stop to listen we'll just hear the noise of the culture.
I have a hunch that stopping to listen to God is not part of the consciousness of many in our singles group. We have a lot of refugee's from mainline churches and Catholocism. It's about religion, not relationship in their world.
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