The old vs. the new

Colossians 2:20 If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world's crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world?

So this is going to be a roundabout (and is tied to having some Darcy pictures that need to be shown), but in one of those weird times where I wake up in the middle of the night, can't go back to sleep, and think too much, I was thinking about how much Darcy enjoyed living life unleashed last. This is an old dog, raised in the 'burbs, by a nervous person who maintains firm control of the leash any time we venture out into public. She's a labrador mix who never saw water until she was 4 years old. But when she found water, she knew exactly what to do with it...jump right in.

Last week, she approached jumping off the dock with caution but interest. And this just makes me think about how dogs, no matter what breed, have a memory of what they were bred for, even though they might have been thouroughly yuppie-fied. Shelties herd, labs swim, beagles trail...that's just what they do. Stopping them from doing those things is the challenge. Preventing them from swimming or running around your feet or barking all the time, they have to learn those things.

So we're sorta the same. We're born with one nature and, if we're lucky, we learn to use some pieces of that and then to change what needs to be different. Really, I just wanted to put up more Darcy pictures.

It's only temporary

From heaven even the most miserable life will look like one bad
night at an inconvenient hotel.

-- Teresa of Avila

This quote was delivered to me last week while I was learning about a few "bad" nights in an "inconvenient hotel." I vacationed in a real-life fishing cabin and learned that even I have a level of decor that I'm comfortable with. Everything was fine but it took a little adjusting to, particularly the kitchen. I rather imagine heaven itself to be more like the lake view from the deck while this life will look more like this stove...a little dirty, a little rusty, tired, worn out and in need of some serious overhaul.

Even convertibles get the blues

So I posted about the peace that a restful vacation on the lake can bring, and then I met Monday...147 emails, multiple voice mails, meetings, an excruciating mound of books crammed in my in-box, phone calls from family members about "opportunities" that became critical overnight and required my presence...and a flat tire.

A flat tire leads to a call to roadside assistance and a quick visit to put on my
too-low-to-drive-1-mile-to-the-repair-place spare. Stopped to put air in the spare
to drive to the tire shop to find out the flat can't be repaired and
they don't carry that size of tire and finding it in Little Rock will be
difficult. Return to work.
Make phone calls.
Find out that finding that size in Little Rock is not impossible just
very, very expensive. Drive to dealership to have new tires put on convertible because
driving the convertible is required to blow out all the rest of the clutter of the day.

Some days are just Mondays, you know? But even in those days there are good things:
Safety-made it to work at 6:30 Monday morning...before the tire went flat...in the dark...on the side of the road. Convenience-roadside assistance came right away to my work with one phone call and no money from me. I love my insurance.
Slowing down-driving as slowly as I did on that spare, that's a new experience for me. The world looks a little different. And the drivers a little angrier.
Restoration-it's only money, right? I found the tire(s), and everything is fine again. And as I have traded in another car for having a flat tire, it's a symbol of my love and need for this impractical car that I have. Well, maybe not, but it's all OK anyway.

Peace in this world is fleeting, but the good news is that it can be restored. Over and over if needed, but we can get it back.

Rest

Matthew 11:28-30 (Message)
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

This is the reason I wanted to get away, to be quiet and to think. Tired, worn out, and ready to recover my life, I am unable to focus on what needs to change so that I can have a life that makes a difference at the end of a day at work spent juggling priorities, going to meetings, answering questions, and always living with a deadline. Recently, it's become too much for me. I needed a break, really to see if I can determine "how to recover my life." And the trip didn't start off well...a creepy, webby cabin, no one around for miles apparently, and an anxious dog. I was ready to just go back home. It might be mind-numbing to consider all the work I need to do at home, but at least it's comfortable. After all, I have plenty of my own spider webs. I didn't need to travel to get that atmosphere. To cure the anxious dog, I took her for a walk down the hill...to see this view, and just like that, my burdens disappeared. In the quiet, breezy woods with waves lapping on the shore and a snoozing dog at my feet, I felt peace, a freer and lighter soul that my normal burden.

Father, I want that freedom and lightness of knowing that I'm on your path, not my own. I want to know that my day makes a difference. Thank you for sending me rest. Now, help me hold on to that lightness. Work is a challenge, give me your peace.

Religulous

It's a combination of "religion" and "ridiculous". Sorry, I know a few who won't get the word so I have to explain. And it's the name of Bill Maher's new movie, and by the title, you can guess the subject. I watched an interview last night on the Daily Show (it's where I get all my news, I can't help it) and I've been thinking about it since. Maher is not in the "there is no god" camp, according to what he says, but more in the "we can't prove there is a god" camp. And from the clips, this looks like a funny movie, but it is so very disturbing that what the world sees as faith is extremism, fanaticism, and often the fringe of every denomination, church, cult, or crazy idea that calls itself "religion". On the show last night, Maher compared Scientology to Christianity as the only difference is that one is new. And I could feel a rebuttal building in my chest but he couldn't hear me...he was on t.v.

This reminds me a little of the whole "I met Satan" post I earlier had where I said I really see God at work. As a reasonable, educated, young-ish, Christian woman, I tend to live in the middle of most arguments, neither conservative or liberal. When I imagine what the conversation is going to be over this movie, I want to rest my head for a few minutes. Here's why: the extremes are what you'll hear. And really, as a middle-way person, I'm more disturbed by Maher's points about the questions he asked normal people who call themselves religious. And they couldn't answer. I know that any deep faith discussion is eventually going to wind up at something that you just have to believe, and there are many elements of religion that are laughable. But the fact that this is the face of the church, what the world sees, is not funny.

Maher's biggest point seemed to be that a VP like Sarah Palin is a shining example of all that's wrong with this country. She believes the Bible literally so how could she be a reasonable person? I am not sure that she IS a reasonable person, but I don't blame that on believing the Bible or see that as evidence either way. It appears to me that her issues are inborn, personality traits or character flaws. Jon Stewart mentioned that faith does give us good things: morality, comfort. Maher answered by saying they were outweighed by war etc. I don't believe that faith causes wars. Religion might. Extremism certainly does.

Obviously Bill Maher is sharp with a very quick mind. That is crystal clear. It seems unfair to illustrate the ills of religion by setting his wit against the masses on the street. What I'd like to see is a match up against the best minds. There still may not be agreement but it should be harder to make the other person the butt of the joke. A person who has actually thought to determine what he or she believes and studied some to find the answers seems to be a little hard to find out on the streets of London. It's very easy to find people who believe what they've been told to believe apparently. Of course, he has done an excellent job illustrating the dangers: there are a whole lot more of them than there are of us.

Questions...I've got 'em.

Recently I've discovered that I just expect to be able to find answers when I search for them. In the Internet age, you can find a thousand places to tell you how to properly boil an egg. Don't believe me? Just do a search. I do know. I'm not much of a cook. Really, I'm not a cook at all. I used to call my mother every time I had to boil eggs. Now I search the Internet. Some things are just too embarassing to call and ask someone who you're still trying to impress. And that's one of my biggest problems: I'm still trying to impress, to look like I have it together, to pretend that nothing hurts or that I need anything more than I have.

Other searches are a lot more difficult to find the answers, even with all this information at your fingertips. And I know I should be talking about the big issues...what am I here for, is there a God, why do bad things happen. I just think I have all those things answered. I'm not searching for those answers. Mine are different: finances, electrical, rodent eradication, relationships, how to fix me, and other assorted pieces. And they all stem from me trying to take care of me. All on my own. I think I'm looking for...if you can do this, that, and this other thing, then yes, of course, this career path is for you. Or if he says this, he does that, and he's this kind of person...then this, without a doubt, is exactly what he means. And he is so into you. Follow this path. Go this way. Do this thing. And you will be happy.

Lately, I've sorta been having these conversations in my head. Ironically, they're about getting out of my head. Getting out of my way. Asking for help, direction, thoughts, suggestions from experts. Now, where can I find experts? Maybe I'll try Google...

God working

John 5
19-20So Jesus explained himself at length. "I'm telling you this straight. The Son can't independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing.

As I was doing my Experiencing God study this morning, I thought a little about my post from yesterday about who was really at work...Satan or God. And the fact that even Jesus could only accomplish God's purposes here by watching to see where He was already working and going there.

How many times do we miss what's really going on? How many times to we see coincidence instead of God working? How many times do I let uncomfortable people make me miss what God is doing?

It's really something that I need to watch for. I know I'm missing it all the time. And all the time I'm crying out for God to show me His will.

Father, help me to see what you're doing so that I can be involved.