Caring Takes Time

Our lead pastor shared a phrase in his message a few weeks ago that very accurately described something I often feel. He said, "I can't care for all the people I care about." It's a true statement that doesn't diminish individuals or genuine concern, but recognizes our limited personal capacity to connect.

I would reiterate his statement and also expand it to include the fact that I can't care for all the things I care about. This means that there are many programs, projects, initiatives, and ideas that I want to see succeed. The truth is that I can't give them focused attention due to my limited supply of time and energy. This doesn't indicate my lack of concern for something or my lack of understanding of its importance.

If I want to develop healthy relationships and direction attention where it belongs, I have to narrow my focus. Learning to fully engage in limited areas is a difficult lesson for a caring leader. Choosing to do otherwise deprives others of a chance to lead and leaves far too many people and projects uncared for.

Experienced?

If we want today to be a different experience than a year ago we have to change something in us. We either adopt lasting habits, learn new skills, take some risks, or choose to react in different ways to our environment. It's the changes we make each year that create unique experiences for us. If we are unwilling to engage in something new, we shouldn't expect to see something we haven't already seen.

Doing the exact same thing for 20 years doesn't give us 20 years of experience. It gives us one year of experience repeated 20 times.

The Century Mark

I literally crossed a significant mile marker yesterday in my private life that I would never have thought possible. I have now cumulatively run 100 miles this year. I know it may not seem like much to some, but it's a big deal to me. For years I told myself that I couldn't run for several reasons and yet now I find myself having to refrain from running every day. It has become something that I greatly anticipate and find more joy in than I ever did when I was younger. It's funny how your perspective changes once you have a small taste of success.

If I hadn't taken the chance to see what my body is capable of doing I never would have discovered the satisfaction of running. If I had chosen to believe the things I told myself (your body won't allow you to run, you can't do this) my negative self-talk would have defeated growth before I ever attempted it. Sometimes the only way to shut up the inner negative voice is to jump into action and find out you're capable of more than you thought.

Writing It As We Go

Today we celebrated the life of a wonderful 93 year old man who graduated from this life earlier this week. It wasn't a difficult ceremony to officiate as we had so many stories to share of his kindness, laughter, strength, and love. It is a tremendous relief to be able to tell these tales of a life well lived and to do so with the firm confidence of his position in heaven today. 

As I talked with several of his relatives after the service they were thankful for the words that we were able to share at his service. I told them each the same thought shared by our lead pastor with me through the years. While we grieve our loss, the ceremony is easy because he has been writing it for us so well his entire life.

The truth is that we are all writing our legacies now. It's reflected in the way we treat people around us, our reaction to life, the lessons we share, and the way we allow our God-blessed personalities to shine through. We're writing it through our devotion to following Christ and the passion created by sharing that with other people. It's found in laughter, tears, discipline, mistakes, accepting blame, sharing kindness, and a heart that wants what is best for the people they love. 

It doesn't have to be a legacy of perfection by any stretch of the imagination. I'll settle for one of consistent, genuine trust in God and a willingness to share His grace with the people in my life. 

Washed By the Water

There is something powerful about water and the spiritual imagery of renewal and washing things clean. It has always resonated with my soul and stirs up waves of emotion that I believe were planted there by God to call me to something deeper. When it is tied together with music it vibrates a spiritual part of us that responds in a more intimate way than other mediums. It brings a desire to seek out the blessings of water and the renewal of life that God brings even through difficult times.

Even when the rain falls

Even when the flood starts rising

Even when the storm comes

I am washed by the water

Even when Earth crumbles under my feet

Even when ones I love turn around and crucify me

I won't never ever let you down

I won't fall

I won't fall

I won't fall as long as you're around me

Own It

My first real paying job was at Taco Bell in Ormond Beach. I was making minimum wage, which at the time was the grand sum of $3.15 an hour. I had done other odd jobs to make a few bucks now and then, but this was my first official employment.

I distinctly remember an instance where I was making the sauces in the back and accidentally used the wrong proportion of powder and water. It made the sauce very clumpy and unusable, but I was so worried about making a mistake that I labeled it and stuck it in the back of our walk in cooler. I didn't tell anyone I messed up because I didn't want to get into trouble so early in my employment.

The problem with that bit of history wasn't in the waste of a $1 packet of pizza sauce, but in my unwillingness to own up to my mistake. It's a common problem seen on many different levels in our communities. We are looking for other people to blame for our circumstances and do whatever we can to hide our errors. Instead of owning up to our poor choices, we try to find ways to deflect blame and refuse responsibility. I believe part of it is attributed to our desire to not look foolish, but instead we end up being people with no backbone or integrity.

If we want to be part of an honest, trusting, growing community we can't maintain this course. We've got to learn from our mistakes by admitting them when they happen and using that experience to teach us a better path. When we are unwilling to own up to our mistakes we remove the opportunity for growth.

Breakable

Life here is a fragile existence. We might pretend otherwise, but we are given reminders on a regular basis. It confronts us when relationships are devastatingly changed, those that we love pass from this life to the next, injuries and illness occur, or feelings are deeply wounded. We are far from unbreakable in this temporary existence.

How comforting is it then to have the confidence in knowing this life is not all we are meant to experience? We can gain peace in stormy seasons through our acceptance of the greater gift that waits with Jesus Christ and and the unbreakable life he offers