Jesus called the Twelve together and he gave them power and authority over all demons and to heal sicknesses. He sent them out to proclaim God’s kingdom and to heal the sick. He told them, “Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no bag, no bread, no money, not even an extra shirt. Luke 9:1-3 (CEB)

Standing at the edge of the busy ice rink, I took a deep breath and looked down at my ten year old son who was clutching my arm.  “Am I going first, or are you?” I asked.

“I don’t care,” he replied.

Prying his fingers away from my elbow, I eased him onto the ice.  With the first break in traffic, I gave a gentle push.  “Keep moving!” I cried, as he immediately started flailing and grabbing for the railing.

With a confidence that in no way matched my ability to skate, I followed my son onto the ice.  Slowly, step by step, I shuffled forward.  It wasn’t pretty.  Picture an overgrown bird flapping around on a frozen pond and you’ll probably get the idea.  However, I did manage to stay vertical and move forward.  Regardless of the fact that five year olds were literally skating circles around me and I had no idea how to brake without slamming into someone, I found myself smiling and laughing.  Out on the ice, with no skill or ability whatsoever, I felt pure unadulterated joy.

Finding joy in an activity you’re absolutely terrible at seems like a paradox.  But, as I thought about it, I realized that my terribleness at skating was precisely the reason I liked it so much.

Like many people, I tend to live in a box of comfortable familiarity. While not routine-driven per se, I have daily habits I engage in, preferred routes I take to the same stores over and over again, favorite brands of food, clothes and products, a fairly specific worldview and a close inner circle of friends and family whose company I prefer over that of strangers.

There’s nothing wrong with any of these things on the surface.  Without them, our lives would probably dissolve into chaos. The problem comes when we choose the comfortable familiarity of our lives over the uncomfortable work Jesus might be calling us to do.  Comfortable familiarity becomes a problem when we say to Jesus, “You know, that’s a great idea.  But, I’m not really comfortable going to nursing homes, prisons, soup kitchens, preschools, hospitals or countries without running water.”

One of the hard truths of faith is that following Jesus is uncomfortable.  Just ask the disciples.

When Jesus sends them out, he tells them to leave behind all of those things that would make them feel at home.  No change of clothes, no money, no walking stick, no food, no suitcase.  Jesus wants his followers to be totally dependent on him.  And they can’t be totally dependent on him if they’re too comfortable with what they have.

 

I think the same is true in our own walk with Jesus.  He wants us to be totally dependent on him.  But, in order to be dependent on him, we have to allow ourselves to experience some discomfort.  We have to stretch beyond the boundaries of our known abilities and understandings so that we can truly be the hands and feet of Christ that bring good news to a world clamoring for hope and peace.

This week, I would challenge you to ease yourself out of your world of comfortable familiarity by engaging in an activity that makes you a little uncomfortable.  For some of you, that might be trying a new activity for which you have zero skills or training.  For others, it might be having a conversation with someone who thinks a lot differently than you do.  Whatever you choose to do, open yourself up to the opportunity and experience the joy and peace that comes when you let go of comfortable familiarity and step into something new.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 (CEB)

Over the course of the past several months, God and I have been doing a lot of soul searching.  Well, God has been searching my soul and revealing things to me.  It has slowly dawned on me that my life has become too loud–to frenetic.  I’m too tied to the immediate–immediate communication, immediate news, immediate reaction.  And over all of the “urgency of now” I hear God whispering…slow down…be still…stay present in my presence…

2016 has been a tumultuous year.  Like most everyone, we have had times of both celebration and mourning; times of hope and times of anxiety.  We have held onto faith and questioned faith; walked among the mountaintops and wandered in the desert.  This is the natural course of life–up, down; around and around.  And yet, I find that too much of my time and energy is being spent reacting to life’s ups and downs and not enough time spent in waiting on, watching for and walking with God.

God created human beings with the ability to think and reason, but it seems like there’s a lot less of that going on in our world right now.  We live in an age of impulsivity, where thoughts and opinions are immediately shared without any real consideration for their impact or legitimacy.  Our focus on materialism and consumerism has led to an increase in the need for immediate gratification.

The problem is, the focus on immediacy takes away from our focus on God’s bigger plan.  While we focus on the immediate, God focuses on the eternal.  And that eternal is something we cannot yet see.  However, I believe that we can see God more clearly when we are still, when we are actively waiting, watching and walking with God.

My goal for 2017 is to spend some quality time in the desert.  Like the ancient church fathers, I want to leave behind the immediacy of life and spend some time in deep contemplation.  I want to ask hard questions and wrestle with complex answers.  I want to engage in conversations that stretch my knowledge and expand my boundaries of understanding. I want to study the changes in the lake right outside my back door though every season of the year, marveling in God’s ability to create and sustain.  I want to build relationships that are miles long and fathoms deep.  And finally, I want to cultivate a life lived in peace.

I’ve crafted a basic plan for delving into the reflective process this year.  First, I will read more poetry.  Poetry is thoughtful, both in form and function and easily lends itself to reflection.  I’m also engaging in a Facebook Fast.  I’m not sure exactly what this will look like, but the overarching goal is to spend less time connecting online and more time connecting IRL.  And, as always, I will continue to work to deepen my walk with God through the reading of Scripture and writing.

I’m praying that each of you will experience God in a powerful and profound way this year.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

I’m an avid reader.  So, when I saw all of the “Top Ten” book lists hitting the blogosphere the past few weeks, I had to jump in!  My taste in books runs the gamut, as you will see.  I’ve tried to create a mixture of fiction and non-fiction, and as I read with my boys a lot, there are a few kid books thrown in for good measure.

I’m including a brief summary of each book and a link to the book on Amazon–just in case you need a last-minute gift! 🙂

Happy Reading!

10: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

I’m not a Hemingway fan, but this book surprised me.  Hemingway’s reflection on his time as a young writer living in Paris during the 1920’s was warm, thoughtful and full of beautifully painted word pictures that make you feel as if you’re walking along the Seine with him.  This book reminded me of the power and importance of reflection in our lives, as well as the beauty of forgiveness–both for ourselves and others.

9: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

This autobiography tells the extraordinary story of a young girl who “stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban”.  Malala’s love for her country and her people shine through this book, which is a call to action on the part of the world’s citizens to fight for educational opportunities for all children.  I found this book to be deeply moving and convicting.  You can’t read it and not want to go out and change the world!

 

8: The Wolf Hall series by Hilary Mantel

If you’re a history buff, this series is for you!  Mantel’s work of historical fiction carefully details the events leading up to the crowning and execution of Anne Boleyn.  It’s one of those stories that keeps you on the edge of your seat even though you know what the final outcome will be.  The depth of characterization and sympathy Mantel has for even her most despicable characters gives these old events new life.  She frames her story in such a way that it could easily be a contemporary political tale.

7. The Jedi Academy series by Jeffrey Brown

My boys and I have been reading this series for a couple of years now.  Brown incorporates comics, doodles, journal entries and letters into the text to create a completely original and hilarious account of what middle school might be like in a galaxy far, far away.  The characters are relatable and they face the same challenges that all kids face in school: making friends, peer pressure, academic struggles, etc… My boys and I laugh out loud as we read.  And, as the books are hard to put down, we blow through a lot of bedtimes!

6. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

This was my second time through this book.  I love Hoffman’s lyricism and depth.  A fictional account of a 2,000 year old event scholars are still trying to understand takes on new life in Hoffman’s hands.  The final days of Masada are told through the viewpoint of four women, each trying to find their place in a dark and violent world run by men.  Although a reflection on past events, the search for love, meaning and identity Hoffman’s characters grapple with are common motifs in our present age.

5. The Fifth Wave series by Rick Yancey

This popular young adult science fiction series explores what happens when humanity is faced with an extinction-level event.  Dark and gritty, Yancey takes a no-holds barred approach to how human beings can both evolve and devolve when survival is on the line.  The plot line and characterization are both tightly woven, and the suspense keeps you reading well into the night.  If you have teens, this would be a great family read.  You can discuss what it is that makes us human, the nature of sacrificial love and the cost of survivalism.

4. Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick

This fictionalized account of a twelve year old boy and his dog caught in the events of Hurricane Katrina is more than just an action-packed tale of survival.  Philbrick’s characters are beautifully drawn and carefully brought to life with his engaging prose and dialogue.  The issues presented in this book go way beyond Hurricane Katrina to encompass racism, identity, grief, compassion, poverty and community.  My boys and I read this together and had some really deep discussions, especially regarding race in America.

3. Smells Like Treasure by Suzanne Selfors

The second in a series of three children’s books, this one had the boys and I rolling.  Quirky and imaginative, the Smells Like Dog series follows the adventures and misadventures of Homer Winslow Pudding, 12 year old treasure hunter, and his faithful companion Dog.  Dog is a Bassett hound who is capable of smelling only one thing–treasure!  The characters are unique and the creativity of the story (as well as the quirkiness) are a breath of fresh air!

 

2. Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

This was another second read book for me.  That’s the beauty of a great book–you can read it multiple times and still get something fresh out of it.  Idleman’s book on becoming a follower of Jesus is a challenge to all Christians to stop being comfortable and start walking in the footsteps of Jesus.  This book delves into the hard work of living like Christ and is at once convicting and uplifting.  You can’t walk away from this book unchanged.

1. On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life by John O’Leary

 

Easily the most influential book I read in 2016, it is first on my list of re-reads for 2017.  O’Leary is a motivational speaker who survived a near-death experience at the age of nine.    He draws on these experiences in his book and shares how he used this tragedy to live with deeper purpose and meaning.  The book is a reminder that, “We can’t always choose the path we walk, but we can choose how we walk it.”  Seriously, this book will change your life.  It has mine.

1. (Part 2) 40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast by Alicia Britt Chole

Okay, I’m totally cheating with an 11th book, but this one was also incredibly influential to my faith journey this year.  This book of Lenten devotionals explores fasting in a whole new way.  Instead of saying no to empty things like candy or soda, Chole challenges her readers to fast from things like comparison, spectatorship and regret.  This fast is about thinning our lives “to thicken our communion with God”.  The daily devotions are short and reflection questions are deep.  As someone who did not grow up practicing Lent, this has been the most meaningful Lenten experience of my life.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my 2016 book list.  I’d love to hear your favorite reads from this past year!

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Then one of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Look! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has emerged victorious so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5 (CEB)

The other day, I was driving home from a “quick” shopping trip.  I had a few last minute Christmas items on my list and was feeling the stress of the Christmas crunch–lots of stuff to get and do, limited time and money.

As I was obsessing over how it was all going to come together–a random though flashed through my mind.  I slapped myself across the forehead and said aloud, “I forgot to put baby Jesus back in the manger!”

The week before, baby Jesus had been a prop in my Children’s Time message at church.  Afterward, I had casually tossed baby Jesus into an inner pocket of my church bag and hadn’t thought about him since.  It was only when I was feeling down and out that I remembered him–God’s great gift to his beloved children now sandwiched between old gum wrappers and lip gloss.

It’s so easy to get caught up in everything Christmas isn’t.  We stress over decorations and light displays, lose sleep over gifts and spending, crazily shove as many holiday activities as possible into our schedules leaving little time for self-care and reflection while forgetting the entire point of the holiday in the first place.

This week, it’s time to put Jesus back into the manger.  It’s time to put aside our Christmas lists, wrapping paper, cookie tins and stocking stuffers to focus on the fact that God sent his son into the world to redeem us.

More than that, God himself stepped down from his throne.  John 1 tells us that Jesus was with God when the world was created.  He was with God, and he was God.  Jesus was the Word who spoke all of creation into being.  Jesus sat at the right hand of the Father, had all of God’s power and authority at his fingertips and had thousands of angels at his command.  And yet, Jesus relinquished his status in heaven, his power and his might to come to earth as a vulnerable newborn.  Think about that for just a minute.  Jesus gave up everything he was so that he could come to earth and be completely dependent upon others.

Jesus didn’t lead an easy life on earth.  He wasn’t born into a wealthy or influential family.  Rather, he came as the son of a carpenter.  Jesus’ family felt the full impact of the Roman occupation of Palestine and were even forced to flee the country and live as refugees in Egypt for several years.  As Jesus grew older, he didn’t have the advantage of a rabbinical education.  Instead, he learned a trade.  And when he began his ministry, he didn’t go to those who had money, power and influence.  He chose to walk among the outcast, the poor, the sinful and the needy.

This, then, is what we should celebrate at Christmas.  That God chose humility and love over power and might, and that choice–that gift–led to the greatest victory humanity has ever known.  Love conquered Death.

• Because of Jesus, we are Redeemed.
• Because of Jesus, we know Love.
• Because of Jesus, we are Forgiven.
• Because of Jesus, we know Peace
• Because of Jesus, we are Victorious.

Sometime in the course of the next few days, I would encourage you to ponder the baby Jesus sitting in your manger.  Kneel before the creche.  Hold baby Jesus in your hands.  Trace the outline of his tiny form.  Consider his sacrifice–his gift of humility and love.  Then, ask Jesus to once again make his presence known in your life this Christmas.  And celebrate with others his redemption, love, forgiveness, peace and victory.

 

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people. Ephesians 1:18 (CEV)

“What do you think hope is?” I asked a group of elementary aged children.  Their eyes widened as they stared at me like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.  The uncomfortable silence of uncertainty filled the air.  No one moved.

I wanted to help them out, but honestly, I was struggling too.  How do you take a huge abstract word like hope and narrow it down to a simplistic kid-friendly definition?  My thoughts spun like the sugar in a cotton candy machine, but they weren’t pulling together.

 Finally, someone spoke.  “Hope is when you believe something.”

I thought for a beat, and suddenly my strands of thought pulled together and clung to the core of this one simple definition.  “Yes,” I replied.  “Hope is when you believe that something good is going to happen.”

I’ve seen a lot of articles and blogs about hope lately.  It seems many people find it to be in high demand and short supply.  This year has brought too much for many.  Too much grief, too much loss, too much uncertainty, too much anxiety, too much divisiveness, too much change, too much anger, too much politics, too much of just about everything.

The “too much” has taken away our ability to believe in something better just around the bend.

The people of Jesus’ time were all too familiar with the concept of too much.  Too much oppression, too much injustice, too much war, too much religion, too much greed, too much corruption, too much poverty, too much disparity.  There were many who had given up on the hope of the Messiah.

It was into this world of too much that Jesus first came.  He stepped right into the middle of the mess and healed the sick, fed the hungry, welcomed sinners and spoke of a new covenant that would free the people from the burden of the Law.  Jesus brought hope.  Jesus made people believe that something good was going to happen.

As Jesus followers, we are called to be a people of hope.  We are called to believe, regardless of life’s too much, that something good is going to happen.  Because it has.  Because Christ came.  Because he died.  Because he rose in victory and conquered death.  Because he lives within us.  Because he is coming again.

This is our hope in Advent–not just that Christ came, but that he is here.  He is Emmanuel–God with us.

This week, I would encourage you to reflect on the nature of hope.  More than that, I challenge each of us to live in God’s hope.  Let’s take a stand, together, against life’s too much.  Think about how you might offer hope to someone else this week.  You might:

• send a note of encouragement to someone struggling with loss or loneliness
• surprise someone struggling financially with an anonymous gift
• send thank-you notes to your local firefighters, police officers and city workers
• check in on someone you know is struggling with the holidays
• randomly pay for someone’s dinner, groceries, coffee, gas, etc…
• ask the cashier at the grocery store, department store or gas station how they’re doing–and encourage them to answer
• call someone who has a thankless job by name and thank them for their work
• forgive yourself or someone else and move on with life
• speak kindly to those you come into contact with, even if they’re telemarketers who call during dinner

There are thousands of ways we can bring hope to a world of too much.  We just need to let God’s light shine through.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

“Do you know where the gloves got put?”

“Which box is our comforter in?”

“Do I have any pants?”

These are the questions I field at least once a week since we moved in June.  With each request, I go searching through the house–looking into random closets, digging into partially opened tubs and boxes and rummaging around shelves I can’t see the tops of.  Eventually I find that pants are on top of a dresser, the comforter is in a vacuum sealed bag and gloves, well, it’s not that cold yet.

The searching in our house these past few months has been reflected in my spirit, too.  I seem stuck in a cycle of perpetual searching.  I’m searching to find my place in a new community, searching to define myself as an author, searching to establish myself in a new career, and even searching to figure out who I am now that I’m 40.

I have to be honest, searching for gloves, comforters and pants is a lot easier.

I feel like, after a season of mountaintop living, I have been thrust back into the wilderness.  I’m trying to find the light of God’s leading, but there are no bushes ablaze around me.  There’s no pillar of fire going before me into the darkness pointing east or west.  There’s just me kicking up sand and wondering if I’ve passed this rock before.

Lent has traditionally been the time for wilderness wanderings; however, Advent finds us in the wilderness, too.   Jesus didn’t enter into a world festooned with mistletoe and holly.  He entered humanity in a time of violence, fear, uncertainty and injustice.  He came when people were seeking a light to dispel the darkness of poverty, injustice and oppression.  He came when people were seeking hope.

The world hasn’t changed much since Jesus first came.  We might string mistletoe and holly more freely around our homes, but there is still violence, still fear, still uncertainty, still injustice.  Like the people of Jesus’ time, we are still seeking a light to dispel the darkness of the world around us.

Advent provides us with the opportunity to wait, in hopeful expectation, for the Light of the World to come.  And come he will, because he’s always been there.

In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
The Word was with God in the beginning.
Everything came into being through the Word,
and without the Word
nothing came into being.
What came into being
through the Word was life,[a]
and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light. John 1:1-5 (CEB)

Whatever you find yourself searching for this Advent, embrace the uncertainty of finding it.  Give yourself over to God’s work in your life.  Wait in hopeful expectation for the Light that was, is and will come.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

 

Disheartened.

That’s the word I went to bed with last night and awoke with this morning.

At the end of an unprecedented in my lifetime hate-filled, vicious and embarrassing political season, I am disheartened.

Now, before my Republican friends check out, let me be clear.  I’m not condemning Republicans.  I’m not condoning Democrats.  Although I didn’t see the election of Donald Trump as President coming, I get where it came from.

People are fed up with the American government.  More than that, they’re angry–and justifiably so.  Corporate democracy has polluted the democratic process and left many Americans in distress both financially and socially.

As a barely middle-class American, I don’t particularly feel like the government works on my behalf, and I know it doesn’t work on behalf of the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed.

However, I’m not sure that it should.  I think there’s a great danger in looking to the government for salvation. Governments are created to bring forth the kingdoms of men.  As Jesus followers, it is our responsibility to bring about the kingdom of God.

That’s not an attempt to diminish the significant role our government plays in promoting peace, justice and freedom.  The government has a responsibility to work on behalf of all its people.  Right now, it’s failing fairly spectacularly.  But, neither presidential candidate was going to fix that.

 

And while it disheartens me that so many people thought Donald Trump was the answer, God reminded me that there is a much wider lens from which to view this current election cycle.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the coming of the Lord. Consider the farmer who waits patiently for the coming of rain in the fall and spring, looking forward to the precious fruit of the earth.  You also must wait patiently, strengthening your resolve, because the coming of the Lord is near.  Don’t complain about each other, brothers and sisters, so that you won’t be judged. Look! The judge is standing at the door!  James 5:7-9 (CEB)

Be patient

Wait for the Lord

Strengthen your resolve

Don’t complain about others

James gets the long game.  He understands that in a world fraught with upheaval, uncertainty and fear it’s easy to lose sight of what God is doing.  James calls on the people of God, who had absolutely no voice in the Roman government, to stand strong in their hope–to expect to see the coming of the Lord.

I think–almost 2,000 years later–there’s a message here for us.  God knows what is going on in his world.  God sees the injustice, the oppression, the poverty, the persecution, the greed, the violence and the iniquity.  And he’s going to do something about it.  In fact, he already is.

The truth of the matter is that we, as Jesus followers, have dropped the ball.  We’ve relinquished our call to do works of justice, mercy, love and peace and instead have called on the government to do those things for us.  But, that’s not the way God works.

Jesus gives  his disciples the following command as he sends them out to do the work of God.

As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and throw out demons.” Matthew 10:7-8 (CEB)

Jesus doesn’t say: petition the government for better healthcare, demand an audience with the governor or campaign on behalf of Caesar.

No, Jesus tells his disciples, you heal the sick.  You feed the hungry.  You love your enemies.  You visit those imprisoned.  You work to bring about my kingdom.

My friends, it is time we put our hope back at the feet of the one who sits on the throne of creation.  It is time we stop blaming the government for all of our failures as human beings and take up the mantle of discipleship Jesus has placed before us.

Over the coming weeks and months, I challenge you to engage in some dialogue with God about how you can work within your homes, churches, workplaces and communities to bring about justice, peace, unity, mercy and love.  Regardless of who sits in Congress or the Oval Office, what can you do to help build God’s kingdom here on earth?

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? James 4:5 (NIV)

Recently, I reread Alice Hoffman’s novel The Dovekeepers.   This novel follows the paths of four Jewish women during the Roman occupation of Israel in ancient times.  Hoffman’s work is deep, lyrical, mystical and moving.  Like most great works of fiction, there is fundamental truth running within and beyond the story.

One of the terms referenced in the novel is the Shechinah.  The Shechinah is a Hebrew word that refers to God’s Spirit.  In seminary, we were taught that this Spirit was the feminine aspect of God, and indeed, Shechinah is feminine in form.

However, in doing a bit of research (because I’m a total nerd) I found that Shechinah is much more than a manifestation of God’s Spirit.

One Bible reference site defines Shechinah as the “visible majesty of the divine presence”. It is the cloud that led the people of Israel through the wilderness and settled over the Tabernacle of the Lord.  It is the essence of God that dwelt on the mercy seat between the cherubim in Solomon’s Temple.

More than that, Shechinah is the literal embodiment of God’s divine presence dwelling within us.  Rabbi Tavi Freeman describes the Schechinah as the Spirit of God who “comes to Earth to rescue our spirits from their shells of darkness” and “to reconnect them to their source above…” 

Shechinah is God With Us.

Think about that for a minute.  Shechinah is God With Us.

As a Jesus girl, I sometimes forget that I have the Spirit of God dwelling within me.  My rational mind brushes it away, my schedule buries it under mounds of “stuff to do” or I’m just so unfocused I can’t clearly see, hear or appreciate this wondrous gift of God within me.

James 4:5 reminds me that God jealously longs for me to wake up to the fact that his Spirit–the Shechinah glory–is right there inside of me.  God placed his Spirit inside me (inside you) for a reason–so that we would never be separated from him again.

When we allow God’s Spirit to move through us, we have a source of power far beyond any earthly feat of engineering.  We have access to the Spirt that breathed life into creation and raised people from the dead.  We have access to the Spirit that holds all truth, wisdom and understanding.  We have access to the Spirit that gave itself up on the cross in order that we might stand blameless before the throne of God.

Think of what we might do if we fully allowed God’s Shechinah glory to work within our lives.  Think of the difference we could make in this world if we truly embodied the spirit of God!

God longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell within you.

This week, open yourself up to the Shechinah.  Invite God’s Spirit to move within you–guiding your steps and lighting your paths.  Reconnect to this internal power source so that the light of God’s love might shine in our world.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Turn your ear and hear the words of the wise;

focus your mind on my knowledge. Proverbs 22:17 (CEB)

Whack!  I winced as the screen door slammed shut for the 500th time.  Gleeful shouts erupted from the upper deck.  Chants of “Na-na finals! Na-na! finals! Na-na finals!” came screeching into the living
room followed by another spectacular Whack! of the screen door.

My boys were designing parachutes out of plastic bags for their stuffed animals and launching them from the upper deck of our house.  Apparently, the “Na-na Finals” referred to the championship drop.

Once my boys were back inside, we had the usual chaos of chasing the dogs, making “roo-ing” noises (We have a Bassett hound who says “rooo” a lot) and an extra loud competition to see who could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious the most times in a row.

Once in the van and headed to school, the stereo blared to life.

“Is this Adele?” my youngest bellowed from the backseat?

“Yes!” I yelled back.

After drop off, alone with my thoughts and Adele, I started to feel overwhelmed.  While the primary physical sources of noise and chaos in our home were no longer present, my thoughts continued to scream in a tumultuous whirlwind of mental noise that drove out everything else around me.  As my thoughts flew and pinged from one to another, I felt the familiar dread of anxiety forming in my gut.

If you’ve never experienced anxiety, let me give you a crash course.  Anxiety (in my experience) starts in the pit of my stomach.  It gnaws at you, like a dog chewing a rawhide bone.  But unlike the rawhide bone, anxiety is fluid.  It moves upward, causing your heart to beat faster.  It wraps itself around your lungs, crushing the air inside your chest and making your breath become shallower.  Finally, it spreads through your limbs–tingling like an electric current until you just can’t remain still any longer.  You have to move–frantically walking, pacing, cleaning, etc…

On this particular morning, I was feeling the gnawing.  As it started to move upward, I muted Adele and took a calming breath.  Focus, I thought.

Inhaling again, I turned my breath inward–a cooling stream of air targeted at my core blowing the anxiety away.

I focused on the word focus until it was the only “sound” I heard.

Many of us spend our days living unfocused lives.  The plethora of media literally at our fingertips pulls our focus in hundreds of different directions.  In ten minutes I can read fifty Facebook posts, the headlines of at least twelve major news articles, as well as scan two or three emails.

The problem is, I am not a natural-born multi-tasker. Doing several things at once makes me feel anxious.  In order to function at my best, my mind needs to be focused.

There is a difference between focus and stillness.  Stillness is about quiet.  Stillness is tuning everything out so that you can recharge, reconnect and revive.  Focus, on the other hand, is about clarity.  Focus is about centering your entire being on one thing so that you can fully understand and complete the task at hand.

For me, focus leads to productivity, engagement and peace.

Over the years, I have found several strategies that help me to focus.  Obviously, breathing and meditating is one.  Hacking out hymns on the piano is another.  I’m not very good, but I can eek out a chord with enough focus, which is why playing the piano is a great focusing activity for me.

Writing also provides me with the ability to focus.  When my thoughts seem to be spinning out of control, I pick up a journal or start pecking away at the keyboard.

God has given me these tools to lead me back when the chaos of life and my thoughts seek to pull me under.  And all of the tools that I use center around him.  When I meditate, it is on God’s presence.  When I play the piano, it is to draw closer to God’s spirit.  When I write, it is to engage in conversation with God.

When life spins around us, God says, Focus on me.

When thoughts are racing through our minds, God says, Focus on me.

When our to-do lists become unmanageable, God says, Focus on me.

When anxiety starts to rear its ugly head, God says, Focus on me.

My challenge to you today is to focus on being focused.  Take an assessment of where you are right now.

Are you centered, or are you spinning like a top in multiple directions?

What would it take to come back to center?

What tools has God given you that will help you regain your focus?

By centering ourselves on God, we can better see the work he has laid out before us this day.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara