Too Much

I am re-reading the entire Bible again this year and have started in Genesis and the story of our beginning. I was reading about Adam and how long he lived (930 total years!) and his son, Seth who lived 912 years. When you read this passage you realize Seth lived 112 years after his father died. My thought this morning was that this was a long time to live while missing a loved one. I know they had hundreds of years together, but that would probably make the loss feel even greater.

The idea of being young and/or living forever has been pursued for centuries. While there are parts of that idea which seem attractive, I found myself thinking the opposite this morning. We obviously don't live as long as early man once did and I am grateful. Living that length of time provides a lot of years of sorrow. I realize there is great joy in life as well, but there is an abundance of trials and we experience much loss. I know how hard it is to effectively cope in our limited time and couldn't imagine making my way through it over 500 or more years.

It's another reminder to me that while there are beautiful pieces of this life for us to experience, we aren't ultimately made for this world. I have no desire to rush through the life I am allowed to have here, but I also recognize I am created for more than just this time.

Something beyond this earth is what our hearts long for and will eventually find, whenever that may be.

Enjoy the Ride

It’s been a good year to be a New York Mets fan. We won our division and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years and have been fun to watch. We’ve got some good young talent and our front office made some smart moves to help us get better too. I’ve had a lot of people ask me about my expectations for the team now that we’re in the postseason as they wonder how the team will perform. I’ve been able to tell anyone who asks that everything that happens from here out is extra pleasure. Even if we were to lose right away (which we didn’t) it’s been a good ride and I’ve enjoyed the season no matter what happens.

Can we take that same attitude in the rest of our life? I’m not saying we should enter into things without planning for success, but I do think we need to find more joy in the journey. So often we create mental expectations and end up causing ourselves more stress than we should. We get caught up in the details of making life happen and forget to discover enjoyment. I am one who can be guilty of neglecting joyful moments simply because I’m focused on solving the next problem or trying to get things done. I believe we would all be more content if we could learn to enjoy the journey even as we keep pushing forward to make things happen.

Enjoy It

I was driving in town today and passed by employees of two different restaurants. They were each holding signs advertising their lunch specials and hoping to entice drivers to stop in. The first one had a huge smile on his face and was dancing as he tried to get your attention. The other employee offered a halfhearted wave and limited smile. I didn't stop at either one, but it did make me think about their commitment to what they were doing. One of them was passionately engaged in the task at hand while the other was apparently going through the motions.

The tasks we are charged with completing won't always be the most enjoyable thing to do. I've discovered that the difference is often found in our attitude. Our individual perspective determines how we engage in sweeping floors, speaking in front of hundreds of people, or taking out the trash. We get to decide whether we will enjoy what we do or not.

Not Permitted

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; 

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

In another parallel to dealing with spiritual attacks (see yesterday's blog), I recently compared the enemy to a childhood punk who steals our lunch. He takes the very best things out of our lunchbox and leaves us with nothing worthwhile. He is the hooligan who always takes our Hostess cupcake and leaves the celery sticks behind. He doesn't want us to have anything to find joy in, but aims to leave us feeling short-changed and disappointed. 

I don't mean to diminish the attacks of the enemy (or those that love celery sticks) with my illustration. I simply want to draw attention to the discouragement that can be used against us. We have to recognize that our enemy, the thief, has come to steal from us. He isn't interested in our well-being or our happiness, but only wants to make us miserable by taking our focus off of God. If we want to fight back we've got to grasp the full life that God offers and refuse to allow anything to dissuade us from that path. 

The truth is the best gifts come from God and the enemy can't take those from us if we don't give him permission.

A Little Excitement

What excites you about each day? 

I'm not expecting every day to be one big party or for everything that I do to be fantastically satisfying. I understand that there are mundane parts to everything we do, but daily passion and fulfillment should be a key ingredient. There has to be some joy in what you do or the pace of it all can become dreary and overwhelming. There is comfort in the routine, but there has to be some deep satisfaction in what we do or we lose our sense of contentment.

Good Things

What brings you pleasure in life? I'm not just talking about entertainment or a good way to pass the time either, although there's nothing inherently wrong with either of those. I'm thinking about things that feed who we are and make things feel right. For me it can be:

• Conversations on the front porch with my wife
  
• A good afternoon nap after a hard day of work
• The collaborative efforts of like-minded people accomplishing a physical task
• Surprising my children with simple things that they enjoy
• A good cup of coffee over conversation with a friend
• Praying with someone in need
• Looking over a yard that you have spent the day working on
• Finishing a good book that makes you think deeply
• A really good meal
• Preparing and sharing a sermon
• Confidence in knowing where God is leading your family even if the time frame isn't completely known

It's important to know what brings us joy. Not only does this make us more grateful for these moments, it encourages us to make sure we make time for them in our regular routine.

Finding Joy

You only have to read through newspaper headlines or watch five minutes of a news broadcast to find unfortunate news. Stories of human triumph and genuine compassion are typically outweighed by the negative tale. Sadly, this often shifts our personal perspective as well. We begin to only see misery in everything and quickly criticize every experience as soon as we walk away from it (and sometimes in the middle of the moment.) We have become so jaded with the condition of our world that we have become effusive with complaints instead of compliments.

We can moan about the minutia of our lives or we can choose to find joy and strength in unlikely places. It's a simple matter of shifting what we are searching for. The truth is that we will find exactly what we look for no matter where we look for it. Imagine the difference in our demeanor, our spiritual health, our personal interactions, and our community involvement if we began to look for joyful moments instead of sorrow.

"The reward of choosing joy is joy itself."  Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son

Joy & Suffering

Our leadership team attended a lunch & information session hosted by Serenity Hospice today at the hospital. It provided some interesting insights into hospice care and the parallels to the Christian life & ministry.

• Hospice care and hope have to work together (isn't this supposed to be the church's motto too?)
• Often patients wait much longer they should before seeking hospice help (in the church people wait for things to fall apart before they seek help)
• The key to good care is to listen and pay careful attention to the family around them (sometimes the church is so quick to talk about what they are doing that they forget to listen to people first)
• We want people to be able to say, "It is well" at the end of their life (do we even understand what this means as a church?)
• Sometimes your presence is enough to help (are we caught up in doing so much that we forget about just being there?)
• Successful hospice care takes focus and selflessness (is the objective to truly help or just make ourselves feel better because we made an effort?)
• Take the time for a positive touch-it helps keep people connected and grounded to today (are we moving quickly through a room or phone call or are we stopping to touch an individual life?)
• When we give great care our reputation speaks for itself (not only is this true, but it should be a measurable, tangible goal for God's church)

Raising Children

I can say with certain authority that parenting is the most difficult challenge I have ever faced. You are constantly learning as your children grow & it's readily apparent that no amount of reading or previous experience can adequately prepare you for what you will endure. Proper parenting requires vision and persistent consistency. It's a balance of discipline and modeling grace. Sometimes you feel like you spend as much time praying & crying as you do laughing. Nothing can humble you faster than genuine parenting--both when your children excel in God-given opportunities and when you see your own weaknesses fleshed out in your offspring.

Even in the middle of the challenges there is tremendous joy. It's in the shared tender moments of a lasting hug, a laugh shared in public from an inside family joke, and the fervent affirmation that you are on their side. It's the pleasure found in bringing home a surprise that brings squeals, watching them stand up for what they believe in, and seeing how much they have matured.

The joys of parenting make the difficulties worthwhile and even the trials that much sweeter.

Full of It

Are we ever genuinely happy for other people? I don't just mean for family & friends either (although that is a stretch for some of us.) Can we find joy in the success of others and just simply be in the moment of celebration with them? When we struggle with that idea I believe it stems from our root of personal selfishness and discontent. Instead of celebrating the positive in someone else's circumstances we make their moment about us. Imagine how much sweeter our lives would be if we would just cheer on those moments whenever they come.

Passing Through

Goodbyes are difficult. This time of year seems ripe with them as graduations fill the calendar. There is a joy in seeing people fulfill a part of their life journey, but also the bittersweet moment as you recognize that a relationship has permanently changed. A phase of life has ended and some things can't be recaptured.

I have been part of numerous high school graduations, but have also assisted with preschool ceremonies. These are different because the time frame together is much shorter. I watched the leaders of these programs revel in songs, stories, and pictures of a year spent together. They had obviously poured their hearts into these young people and it was joyful and yet melancholy.

It is an interesting situation to consider. You enter into this relationship knowing that saying goodbye is the inevitable end of this journey. This reality only leaves you with two choices. You can drown in denial (which doesn't change the outcome) or peacefully step into acceptance and celebrate the memories. Goodbyes can be done with grace and confidence in God's plan that brought us together in the first place.

Bringing Joy

As I strive to find more joy in my life (see this post), I found myself praying & thinking more about how to increase that in my life. It started with reading through Scripture, focusing in prayer and then asking myself some simple questions.

What brings me joy? What is it that I want to continually take part in that brings me a sense of fulfillment?

I find it in simple things like a good cup of coffee & a conversation with a friend. I find it in teaching & preaching-one of my true sweet spots. Intentionally investing in other leaders brings satisfaction & completeness. I think of how I feel sharing Christ with middle schoolers at camp and the joy I felt last summer serving as campus pastor to youth ministers & leaders at CIY Move. There is a fullness in serving in the mission field with faithful friends who do it every day. 

The joy I feel laughing with my children at the dinner table or simply hugging & kissing them is pure. The simple joy of holding my wife's hand and staring at the lake reminds me of how blessed I am to have her as my life companion. 
I don't believe that we have to throw away parts of our life (sin notwithstanding) to find joy. True joy is when we invite God into every part of who we are & take pleasure in how He moves through it all.

Stealing Joy

I was mowing this afternoon (using a push mower since the zero-turn mower was broken-another post for another time) and was listening to a Matt Chandler podcast while making progress. He said something that while not actually new to me still hit me in a profound way. His statement was: you are the greatest thief of joy in your own life.

While I know that I am often my own worst enemy, hearing this particular declaration really made that thought hit home. How often do I miss out on God opportunities because I choose to cast joy aside due to other fluctuating emotions? Instead of focusing on the simple beauties of a life that is blessed far more than I deserve, my attention is given elsewhere. I can easily find my thoughts & emotions centered on what I think is missing and how something should be different or better. The desire to see God's vision fulfilled in my life overwhelms the contentment I should have in this present moment.

While I know that satan is a thief that wants to pilfer these things from me, the sad part is that I do a lot of the work for him. He doesn't have to focus on me when I willingly steal joy for him. I can attest to the fact that I am not the only one that does this (years of counseling & observation reveal that I am not alone in this thievery.) My prayer is that recognizing this sinful practice in my own life and genuinely seeking godly joy will start to transform my attitude. If other Christ-followers do the same we'll change the worldly perspective on Christianity & make satan's job increasingly difficult.