Miracles in the Rearview Mirror

Most days I’m focused on the road ahead of me. I concentrate on the obstacles, the problems, the changes, and the unpredictable turn of events. I have a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel as I navigate through this treacherous ride. This morning, I glanced up at the rearview mirror and noticed all the miracles behind me…the mountainous path I had come through already.

I need to pull over on the side of this road and pause for a moment—to appreciate these miracles.

So many answered prayers—healing of mind and body, disasters that were avoided, mistakes that were ameliorated, unasked for blessings, protection from danger, provision during the lean years, strength during tough times, discernment to make good choices…

I can be at peace as I drive forward—confident in God’s care. I do not have to worry about the thousands of obstacles ahead of me, for I remember the miracles behind me.

“I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.” (Ps. 3:5-6 NLT)

Space to Grow

When planting a grove of trees, experts recommend spacing them close enough together that the canopies will mesh in maturity. It’s okay for the branches to touch each other, as long as each tree has enough space to grow.

Relationships need the right amount of space too—enough space for us to grow, but not so much that we grow apart.

How much space is needed for ideal growth is dependent on one’s emotional makeup and stage of life. Introverts seem to require more space than extroverts. Couples tend to prefer more closeness than adult siblings. Teens are more distant than toddlers. The right amount of space allows enough room for individual growth, while still remaining close enough to buffer against strong wind and storms.

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness…Stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.”( Kahlil Gibran—Sufi poet)

Writing

Occasionally, I read something that makes me want to stop writing. A few years ago, I read parts of a book that an acquaintance had written. It was awful! I immediately wondered if my writing was just as bad, and I just hadn’t realized it yet. What if I were just adding to the sewage of bad writing that is already out there?

I have the same reaction to good writing. When I read something beautifully crafted, I feel like I have no business expressing my half-baked thoughts in cliché-ridden prose.

This reminds me of a ceramics class that I took where we were supposed to make a bowl. My attempt at a bowl ended up embarrassingly crude and goofy--it made me laugh every time I looked at it. It became a receptacle for my spare coins. I gave up on ceramics after that one class—deciding that the world would be better off if I left pottery making to those who were more skilled than I.

I realize my writing is often lumpy and lopsided—but it has become a receptacle for my thoughts. And if these spare words can be useful in any way to anyone—even if it is just to me—then it has achieved its purpose.

Tectonic Shifts

I’ve written several posts about ‘the search for significance.’ Here is the usual trajectory: first we look to external achievements/possessions; then, we look within ourselves— to our sense of self-worth, or our enlightenment; or perhaps we find our significance through our relationship with God.

Every so often, I read something that creates a tectonic shift deep within my core beliefs. Here is a quote by Thomas Merton that shattered my carefully arranged ideas on the topic of significance:

Saints…“have finally reached the point where they take their own insignificance for granted.” (New Seeds of Contemplation, by Thomas Merton)

All this time, I’ve been searching for significance. I’ve imagined that I have an essential role in this world, if only I could find it.

I’m about as significant as a dry leaf floating down a river. I might be used to keep an ant dry and safe from drowning or to provide a resting place for a dragonfly. My part is infinitesimal compared to that of God. Yet, I can mess up even my little role, thereby changing the dynamics of the drama.

Once I accept my own insignificance, I’m free—to go wherever the Spirit leads me, to do whatever the Spirit directs me to do.

___

Pocket God

I recently discovered a weird game app called ‘Pocket God.’

“Pocket God is a god game in which the player takes the role of an omnipotent being who rules over an island and controls everything. The primitive islanders, known as pygmies, are subject to the player's god powers. These range from benevolent powers, such as giving the islanders a fishing rod, to destructive, for example summoning a hurricane, or simply entertaining, such as levitating the Pygmies.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_God_(iOS) 

This seemed like a rather ridiculous game at first. Then I realized many of us view God in a similar vein—as an omnipotent being who can be benevolent or destructive based on reasons we cannot comprehend. We would like to be gods—the ones in control. Since that isn’t possible, we hope to have God in our back pocket—to have His power at our disposal.

“So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can.” (1 Cor. 10:14 MSG)

 

Unfortunately, reducing God to manageable, controllable, describable portions—making God ‘user friendly’—is much of what religion is about. Instead, as we acknowledge the mystery, the incomprehensibility, the absurdity of faith—we enter into a subconscious intimacy that is more about submission than control. We realize that a god that fits into our preconceived ideas—a pocket god that is predictable and understandable—can’t also be the Creator and Sustainer of this universe.

 

Agenda Party

Over the last few decades, I’ve been invited to several ‘product parties’—social gatherings hosted by a woman, where one of her friends is selling something. The products range from jewelry, baskets, candles, make-up, purses, art supplies, kitchen gadgets, etc. Usually it is marketed as an opportunity for gals to get together and have fun at a friend’s house, while allowing another friend to make some extra cash. I have always thought of these gatherings as ‘agenda parties’ and try to avoid them as much as possible. However, recently, I’ve been tempted to have an ‘agenda party’ in my home!

According to the World Bank, 2.4 billion people lived on less than $2 a day in 2010. For many of us living in the U.S., this is a hard figure to digest. I spend more than $2 on each meal and that doesn’t even cover the fuel/energy costs to purchase and prepare the food.

Here is my idea for an ‘agenda party’: I would like to have a potluck supper where I ask guests to bring a dish of food that costs $2 or less. I would also like to have everyone share one idea on how we can change this situation. I’m not sure how to ‘market’ this party. I don’t know how to make this a ‘fun’ experience. I wonder how many guests would find excuses not to come.

My agenda for this party is to increase awareness of the disparity in this world, and to get us all thinking about how to resolve it. If you live near me, let me know if you would like to attend my agenda party. If you live far from me, maybe you could consider hosting a similar party or family meal in your own home. 

Snow Job

Yellow lines separate roads that have two-way traffic. I’m usually very careful not to cross yellow lines. Yesterday, all the lane markers were obscured by snow, and I noticed myself drifting into the wrong lane a few times. Luckily, I corrected myself before I got in any danger. Since I had a passenger in the car with me, I felt especially convicted about safety and staying alert.

A ‘snow job’ is a colloquial term that means a cover-up or an instance of deceiving or overwhelming someone with elaborate, often insincere talk. (dictionary.com)

It’s easy to wander into dangerous situations when lane markers are obscured by deception or insincerity. Deception can be unintentional. Often, it’s people who are self-deceived that lead others astray as well. It’s important to stay alert. Make sure you aren’t crossing the line into a head-on collision; and if you see someone else who is about to go into the wrong lane, warn them.

“My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.” (James 5:19-20 MSG)