ENCOURAGE - EQUIP - EMPOWER
IT STARTS HERE.
The young man walked into the political science class and handed the moderator her copy of his report. When she went to shake his hand, he snubbed her. When he turned to face the class, she tore up his report. How childish these middle schoolers were behaving! Had their parents taught them nothing about proper behavior? As leaders in their class, they should have set a better example! Their behavior was so disappointing and so immature!
Oh wait! Those weren’t middle schoolers!
In 2003, as my youngest was off to college and I was heading into the empty nest stage of life, I was presented with the opportunity to go on a missionary trip to Jamaica. Upon my return, I was left with lots of questions. What did we really accomplish? What difference did we make? Was the impact of our work just a temporary fix, or would there be a longer lasting impact?
She sits on a thin, dirty mattress in her room, if you can even call it that. It’s more like a dark, damp, hopeless cell. The ragged blanket wrapped around her does little to protect her from the chill. She no longer notices the overwhelming stench of unwashed bodies permeating the space. The door is locked from the outside, holding her prisoner to the nightmare she is currently living. Walled in.
When I dream about becoming the woman God has created me to be, it’s often associated with a long list of items that I have to do. How I can muster enough strength to stop worrying, focus on the positive, stop spending excess money, be more patient. I make these mental lists in my mind and when I don’t achieve them, I get upset with myself, causing a cycle of guilt. I want to live out this dream to be the best wife, mom, daughter, sister, co-worker, but it is honestly futile if I am doing it on my own strength.
When I say “12 days of Christmas,” my guess is most of you think of a song. If I ask if you know what Epiphany is, would you connect the two? Now, many of you have probably heard the word epiphany used to describe that peak “aha!” moment when a character in a book or play, for example, has a sudden realization that brings all the pieces of the story together to make sense. You may have even used this word yourself when something has clicked into place for you in your mind (I’ve just had an epiphany!).
The season of Advent seems like the perfect time to remind us all of this important truth: appearances are limited in their ability to tell the whole story.
First century Palestine was a tangled web of political bullying and economic power mongering. The military of Rome and the religion of the Pharisees reigned with iron fists that opened only to snatch more money from the overtaxed Jews. The gods of power and wealth and position were worshipped by a corrupt government that demanded total allegiance from the oppressed.
I recently had a job performance evaluation. Categories were “Exceeds Expectations,” “Meets Expectations” and “Below Expectations.” These boxes are pretty black and white. Easily defined. And our expectations tend to be that way. Without even realizing it, we rate others, ourselves, our experiences and even God by these standards. Before I left for South Asia to do mission work…
Have you ever been stuck on a runway waiting for take-off? The minutes tick by slowly as you worry about not making your connecting flight or not beginning the vacation for which you are paying. You get impatient and think about how you can’t really “begin” your trip until you get to your destination.
When I was twelve years old, I started a running career that I thought would be little more than a social outlet. That was 30 years ago. Over these decades and countless miles, I’ve endured fatigue, sprained ankles, sore muscles, and excruciating neck and back pain that drove me to the chiropractor more than once. Despite these relatively minor issues, I feel fortunate to have enjoyed so many years of running without a debilitating injury.
“Guiding Light” by Foy Vance is the song my husband and I danced to at our wedding. One of the first times we hung out was at a Foy Vance concert, and his music always evokes memories of our relationship. But long before I met my husband, there were other love songs that would latch on to my emotions and take me for a ride — but I’d never been in a dating relationship before I met my husband, so how could that be?
I like the idea of practicing because it extends freedom. I find grace in practicing. There is room for mistakes and room for improvement in practicing. In time, the mistakes are fewer and expertise yields beauty. I need that: grace and room for mistakes but also a kind of learning that leaves me with something worthwhile, something beautiful.
