Monthly Archives: June 2014

Jun 17

Leaning In

uncertainty-ahead
Living with Uncertainty…And Seeking God’s Plan, Part 2 of 2

In Don’t Take the Boat to Tarshish, I considered how and why Jonah fled from God…and how we can personally relate.  Jonah was directed by God to go to a new place, and that kind of calling can be daunting to me.  Jonah set a pretty good example of ‘what not to do’ in seeking God’s plan during times of uncertainty.  In an interesting twist of mercy, after hearing Jonah’s prayers and cries of distress, God made the whale ‘vomit’ Jonah onto dry land.  You know you’ve had a bad day when the best thing that happens to you is that a fish vomited you up.

Uncertainty can hang like a clouded haze over the future.  Anxiety and fears can overwhelm me.  But allowing anxiety about the future to take root in our hearts robs us of the joy in the now.  I write these words, not to tell you that I have conquered anxiety and doubt, but as a reminder to myself.  Fear is not from God.  Instead, God promises to be with us and grant us peace.  He asks us to put our hope in Him – to lean in just a bit more.  And in the midst of hope, He can provide strength to our feeble hearts. “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” –Psalm 31:24

As I continue to wonder about God’s plan for our family, I am thankful for our good health and the love of amazingly supportive family and friends.  These blessings, I will never take for granted.  But the uncertainty and possibility of moving away from our lives here in Santa Fe does bring me sadness.  I am tempted to be a Jonah and seek my own desires above God’s leading.  But then, I am reminded of another well-known figure in the Bible.  Joshua provided a better example for us to follow.  God told Joshua, “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“God originally spoke these words to Joshua (Moses’ successor as leader of the Israelites) while presenting him with a new opportunity.  Joshua’s assignment was to lead more than two million people into a strange new land, claiming it as their promised territory…What if Joshua had allowed the unknown to keep him from saying yes to God?  What if he gave insecurity and doubt permission to keep him firmly within his comfort zone?  Joshua would have missed out on the blessings.  He would have missed his calling in life.  He would have missed the adventure with God.” – Leah DiPascal

Gosh, Joshua was called to lead more than two million people to an unknown land. If we leave Santa Fe, we’ll only be leading 4 young (and extremely flexible) young children to a new place within our own country. Just like Joshua, we can’t allow fear of the unknown to keep us from saying yes to God.  God’s command to Joshua to be strong and courageous doesn’t end there either. God’s commands are not empty.  God goes on to assure Joshua that the LORD our God is with us wherever we go. And from Psalm 31:24 quoted above, we are reminded this same God provides strength in our hearts as we face uncertainty and are placed in new circumstances.  Another promise I am grateful for.

Where in your life do you need to rely on God more?  Would your heart feel stronger if you put your hope in God and leaned in a bit more?  Mine would.  More than 100 times in the scriptures, God commands us to not be afraid.  I think He’s made His point.  But will we take Him up on the offer?  I need to take a bit of my own advice from Taking Up Too Much Space and remember that there is much to be learned when we step out of our comfort zone like Joshua did.  Perhaps, God is calling our family to learn that lesson again.  If not, He’s got my attention…and I’m leaning in.

Jun 14

Don’t Take the Boat to Tarshish

Jonah boat to Tarshish by Ruth Coleman

Living with Uncertainty…And Seeking God’s Plan: Part 1 of 2.

Back in November, our Executive Pastor, Doug, at Christ Church Santa Fe preached on the Book and saga of Jonah. The familiar story, though it sounds much like crazy fiction, draws parallels to our lives in ways I hadn’t considered before. In a nutshell, Jonah disobeys and tries to flee from God and gets swallowed by a whale who miraculously spits him back onto dry land three days later. Sure, sounds just like something that can happen to us, right? Especially here in dry, land-locked Santa Fe. I guess I’m actually focusing on the temptation to flee from God…maybe not in such an obvious way as Jonah, but we have our ways. We, despite our knowledge of a God who loves us immensely and only wants the best for us, think we can make better plans for ourselves than He does. We (okay I) fret over what the future will bring. And just like Jonah, I try to manipulate a way to bring my own plans to fruition.

Ryan and I are currently trying to determine if God has a big transition in store for our family. While pursuing the next exciting step for Ryan’s career, it’s looking more and more like a job change might need to involve a move. It’s hard enough to come to terms with that realization, but now we need to figure out where God might like to plop us down next. How does one figure out God’s plan? For me, I usually know what I want. And I also realize that God knows what’s best. But in my not-so-infinite-wisdom, it’s pretty hard to tell the difference.

In the story of Jonah and the whale, God told Jonah to go to Ninevah. Jonah took a boat to Tarshish instead. In his sermon, Doug presented several opinions on why Jonah did not follow God’s directive to go to Ninevah. I guess Jonah thought he could do better than what God had for him (sound familiar?). Tarshish was not on the way to Ninevah. It was the opposite direction…not exactly a subtle move on Jonah’s part. Was he scared of what life would bring him in Ninevah? Did he have such devotion to his people that he didn’t want to be associated with the Ninevites? Did he have idols that got in his way? All understandable reasons to me, but that last question is the main stumbling block I drew parallel to.

Jonah 2:8 says, “those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.”  That verse stopped me in my tracks. Yes, I know how much idols hurt me. And I know how much more my Jesus fills my heart. Yet, why do I allow idols to cloud my judgment? Do I seriously think they are better than the hope of steadfast love of Christ? When we rely on idols in place of God, we are basically fleeing from God…just like Jonah did.

Way too often, I take God’s own blessings and make them into idols. The blessings in themselves are not bad at all. But they will never fulfill me the way his deep and steadfast love does. We are blessed to live in a home in Santa Fe where I can look out the back door up into the mountains- I don’t want to leave it. He has put amazing women in my life who have blessed me with their friendship – I don’t want to move away from them. I love the easy and convenient pace of life in The Land of Enchantment. I really love the fact that Ryan has been in control his own schedule for the last two years. I am grateful for all of these many blessings. But I can’t let myself love them more, depend on them more, or find my peace in them more than God the Father who wants me to put my trust in Him and offers me unconditional, steadfast love…wherever we live.

I like to be in control. I don’t like uncertainty. I have learned, however, over the past year that uncertainty can be a blessing that makes me depend on God more. I am reminded that the God of our family is our One and Only Sustainer. These many blessings mentioned above – no matter how sweet – are futile if I allow them to become idols. No idol is worth having fled from His Steadfast Love. God’s many blessings in Santa Fe are amazing. But we have to keep a willing spirit if God leads us in another direction. He will provide because He is always with us. I have to have hope in that truth.

In his sermon, Doug said that when God calls us to something in life, there will always be a boat to Tarshish available to take us in the other direction. I don’t want get on that boat. So, every day, Ryan and I have to pray for God to lead our family. Only God can give us the grace to follow His perfect lead in the midst of uncertainty.

Jonah shared a pretty good lesson with us. It’s not worth ‘three days in the belly of a whale’ to fight against God’s perfect plan. Even when I think I know better. I just have to be reminded every.single.day. As far as how to figure out God’s plan…we’ll just have to pray for direction and hope it’s obvious. I’m open to any suggestions on figuring out God’s plan! In the meantime, I’ll rest in knowing that our steadfast God will continue to pursue us anywhere for all time. The challenge is to avoid the boat to Tarshish.

*Art, Jonah boat to Tarshish, by Ruth Coleman

Jun 2

Hoarding Joy

It was no Sandcliffs fireworks show, but at least we had something!!!

This may not come as a surprise to those who know me well. But when I was a kid, I used to time it perfectly so that I saved my Halloween candy until Christmas. My Christmas candy until Valentines. And my Valentines candy until Easter. I guess I just scavenged through the mid-part of the year to get my sugar high.  My brother, on the other hand, would fully enjoy his candy (then break into my candy stash and steal mine!). I have to wonder…would I have enjoyed the candy more if I had just eaten it when I really wanted it, instead of denying myself the pleasure just to make it last longer?

Talking with our friends, we recently realized an adult scenario of that situation. If we get a nice bottle of wine, we tend to store it away while we enjoy the much less expensive bottle…saving that nicer bottle for a ‘special occasion’. What we end up with is a collection of nicer wine we are afraid to drink because we are just saving it for the right occasion. But maybe the everyday is the right occasion!?

This past weekend, we savored time with sweet family friends enjoying a summer’s night eating and spending time together on the back patio. The kids played with sparklers. We drank nice champagne. We noted that there was no particular special occasion (other than being together, which made it special).  And we wondered if a nice bottle of champagne should be saved for that impending ‘special occasion’ or celebration. I think the conclusion I came to is that the everyday is the special occasion.  And my five year old made me realize what a shame it would be to save the sparklers for only a couple of patriotic holidays per year. Hanging out on the back patio on warm summer nights with dear friends are the memories we will most likely hold closest as life moves on. More so than New Years Eve or rare celebrations, those nights are the champagne worthy nights.

I tend to be quite the planner, but maybe sometimes, just eating the candy when I want it, lighting the sparklers, and enjoying that rare fancy glass of champagne is a perfect celebration…for everyday life. There is no need to hoard joy. Joy is all around us.

A verse that has particularly stood out to me in the past year is Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” My God of Hope is One who yearns for me to trust in Him day in and day out…to allow Him to infuse our everyday with real peace and great joy. And sometimes, that’s easier said than done. We allow the details and stresses of this world to choke our joy.

Oswald Chambers noted that,

“Living a full and overflowing life does not rest in bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the same fellowship and oneness with Him that Jesus Himself enjoyed. But the first thing that will hinder this joy is the subtle irritability caused by giving too much thought to our circumstances. Jesus said, “. . . the cares of this world, . . . choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).

I’m not suggesting that we be careless and shirk our responsibilities. Or that we mismanage that which we have been given. But joy is a gift – one to be enjoyed one day at a time…not to be hoarded for special occasions. We bring God joy, and He wants us to know the same complete joy. I think that if Jesus was with us on our back patio, He would want to light some sparklers and maybe even have a glass of champagne too.

 

“Always keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you’ve got a bottle of Champagne in the fridge!” -Hester Browne
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love…I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. —John 15:9,11