Loathsome

Last Friday, the tragedies in Japan had me thinking about the New Testament passages in Mathew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 in which Jesus details the events of the end of the age to his disciples. So I decided to re-read those familiar scriptures. The promise of earthquakes, famine, war, and pestilence are listed there, but what especially resonated with me that day was the statement in Luke 21:17 that says that, "All men will hate you because of me."

This was not news to me. I have read those words countless times and am also very conscious of the drastic cultural shift in this country away from Christianity and the things of God. In addition, I have lived for 41 years as a minority in an ethnically homogenous part of the United States and have personally experienced contempt from individuals that don't appreciate the beautiful texture of my outer canvas. Still, I took a moment to meditate on that statement and thought about how one prepares to be totally hated. No one wants to be hated. It goes against human nature. AW Tozer said it most eloquently in his work The Divine Conquest in which he asserts,

the desire to please men is back of all social acts from the highest civilizations to the lowest levels levels upon which human life is found. No one can escape it. The outlaw who flouts the rules of society and the philosopher who rises in thought above its common ways may seem to have escaped from the snare, but they have in reality merely narrowed the circle of those they desire to please.

As such, preparation for such a state of existence requires a paradigm shift which only comes from having one's mind renewed. (Romans 12:2) It is necessary to adopt the attitude of Christ (who made himself nothing and took on the persona of a servant to achieve His mission according to Philippians 2:5-8), to acknowledge that the life we live is no longer our own (Romans 8), and to keep our eyes on the prize (Romans 8:17-25)

Movement

March is an aptly named month. It is a time of forward movement. Not only are we leaving the season of greatest darkness and propelling headlong toward long, lush, sun-drenched days, but the entire ecosystem begins bursting forth, displaying what has been achieved in the cold darkness of winter.

In my yard the irises have emerged and stand in perfect formation. They will soon be followed by daffodils, tulips, and alliums. Like a marching band unified in perfect harmony and movement, every bulb, shrub, and tree stays in step with the rhythm set by the drum major.

I said in an post earlier this year that January is hopeful. March brings the unfolding of those hopes. I believe that this season will reveal the much anticipated, glorious bounty that we set our hopes on in the autumn when we planted those bulbs in the mud, in anticipation of spring.

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast." 1 Peter 5:10

Remix

While I've never considered myself a pessimist, and have long sought to enjoy the blessings of life, lately I have discovered a "whole--'notha--level" of happiness.* For example, today as I stood in the rain wondering if the bus that I had seen pass moments before I arrived at the stop was the one I needed to catch, I realized that this potential elicited neither panic nor even annoyance. It simply meant a possible change of plans. As I reflect on this and other moments of sheer bliss recently, it occurs to me that God is doing something really cool during this season. He is remodeling my interior terrain. During the worst financial storm of my adult life, I am more carefree than I have been since I was a very small child. And, it feels amazing.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3


*That one was for you, Babe.

Control

Psalm 151 a psalm of me, not David.

My life and I are His idea, for He is the author.
I yield to His masterful narrative. I am His story to tell.
He is in control.

He has allowed this storm for reasons that I do not understand;
The wind and storm waters are solely His possessions.
I trust Him.
He is in control.

I will rest in Him even though the wind, cold and biting, loudly howls around me; though the cold rain pierces to the flesh.
I am drenched, and shivering.
He is in control.

Still, I will fix my eyes and ears upon the conductor; the only one who understands the rhythm of this cacophony.
He is in control. I am grateful to follow His lead.

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. Always give thanks to God for everything in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:19-20

January

On my walk this morning, I was mentally chronicling all of the reasons that I love this month. I will share:

It's slow. The pace of January is refreshing after the busyness of the holidays. It's unhurried.

It's new. Like crawling into a bed with freshly laundered sheets, the first month of the year is fresh and unwrinkled. It feels new and delicious.

It's hopeful. There is much to anticipate: the first bulbs of spring, summer at the beach, digging in the garden, sun tea, the crunch of leaves in the fall, and all of the occasions and events that mark the year.

I am grateful for another opportunity to take a spin around the sun on this big blue marble that we call home. I believe that it is going to be a great one.

Roadtrip

When our family lived in the Midwestern cornfields of Illinois, we occasionally needed a city fix. So, we'd jump into our car and make the two hour drive North toward Chicago or Schaumburg. It was a pretty straight shot and the terrain was fairly homogeneous: a long stretch of black asphalt surrounded by farmland as far as the eye could see. Every so often, we'd reach an encouraging landmark that would serve as an indication of how far we'd progressed and give us some indication of how far yet remained until we reached our destination. It was not a terribly exciting trip visually, but good music, great conversation, and the promise of soaking in all that awaited us at journey's end made it worth our while.

That's how I feel at the beginning of 2011. We are still on the same road that we found ourselves on during most of 2010. Unlike that little highway to Chicago, it has been wrought with bumps, twists, and turns. Yet is has been a ride filled with peace as we've surrendered with complete trust to the navigator. Though, we've never been on this stretch of road, He has. And, since we are still moving forward, we must be getting closer- even though the scenery has not changed much.
I so look forward to stretching out my legs and sending out some postcards.

Slow

If I am not careful I can approach the Christmas season like a project, giving myself a syllabus of activities to complete and check off by the due date. There is always pressure to write, address, and mail the annual Christmas letter, shop for, wrap, and distribute presents, bake cookies, decorate the house, find and trim the tree... the list goes on. While all of those activities are lovely and part of my enjoyment of the season, I never want to become so wrapped up in celebrating that I lose focus of the reason for the celebration.

What I really crave this year is time to be still and meditate on the lyrics of my favorite carols such as "Oh, Holy Night", "Oh, Come Let Us Adore Him," and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." I want to fully appreciate the magnitude of the incredible event that Christmas commemorates; To spend quiet, intimate moments with my saviour and reflect on His goodness to me over the years. At the end of an especially trying year, this is my grown-up Christmas list.