Did I do that?

Listening and Doing....

      When you give kids a chance just to be, they let you see into their hearts. They will speak of things they want you to know.
      A particularly Spiritual young woman announced she had given up candy for Lent. The other kids looked at her quizzically. Seizing this teaching moment, I challenged her. (thinking I knew her well enough to know her answers, but there is always that chance)
      "Why did you give something up for Lent?"

"To learn how He felt."

"Who is He and felt about what?" I queried.

Her blue eyes peered into mine, and with the resoluteness of a child who knows their Saviour she spoke.

"He is Jesus. And to think about him being in the desert going without food and water and being tempted by the Devil. It makes me think about His death on the cross. I am not as strong as He is, I can't go without food and water. But I can go without sugar and candy. When I think about how much I want those things, I think of Him more."

"Hmmm....and do you think you are a better Christian because you are sacrificing something you like?"

A softness came across her face. "No, not at all. This is about me learning to be like Jesus."

Regrettably, I didn't have time to converse further. What I saw my young friend tell me is she is learning to LOVE God, not judge others. She is an active participant in her faith journey, striving to grow deep roots. She recognizes faith practices she learns might help her on this journey. At a young age she is intentional!

James 1:22-25

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Intentional Faith Practices can help us remember who our Triune God is. But mindless participation leads to apathy for our faith, or even Self-centered indulgence.

As we DO CHURCH with others, do we share why we pray, sing, worship, serve, etc.? Or do we just suppose others know. Do we even know?

I challenge you to be intentional tonight when you say Grace over your meal. Whether the words are from a poem or from the moment...say them with passion. 

I wonder how our wanderings could change?

Closet Cleaning

       Last Fall, I had had enough of the unusable Hall closet. During the winter we couldn't open it because too much cold air would enter the room. During the summer, we would just shove stuff into it. I would occasionally move stuff aside so I could access decorations that were stored there. But really, the closet was hopeless.

       I began emptying the layers, organizing what I found. Sometimes memories of special times would come flooding into my heart. Sometimes I laughed that we still owned a particular item. There were many things we no longer needed, so they were put into a pile to be given away. There was a large amount of junk that just needed tossed. There were some treasures we decided to sell. And there were a bunch of coats no one wore because they needed cleaned.  The coats were either laundered or drycleaned. As we emptied the closet it became obvious all the junk hid mildew from a water leak fixed years ago. And as we tore away at the small flaw, we found larger hidden issues. We ended up gutting the closet-throwing away the wall board, the insulation, and fixing the wiring.

We put in new wiring, new insulation, new wall board, new ceiling, new paint, and a closet organizer. We were careful in what went back into the closet. We found better ways to store things that we only sometimes need.

        

         This winter, we can use the closet, it doesn't drain the heat from our home, and things are easy to find. The hidden disease was exposed and eliminated. It is clean and what is inside is clean.

        That is how Lent prepares our hearts for the Great Easter Celebration. Whether we focus our hearts on prayer and worship (justice to God), to helping others and charitable giving (justice to others), or to self denial, self examination, self discipline (justice to Self)—we are purging some junk room in our self to give the LORD room. If we approach this Lenten time focused on the transformative nature of Christ’s work in our lives and permit the Holy Spirit to move the clutter out-we will be ready to rejoice and celebrate as a new creation in Christ. Setting our SELF aside to allow LOVE to change us makes us GOOD.

Tami

Aha!

Today is Epiphany.
A few thoughts dart through my day.


Why is Christmas so short (12 days) and Advent so long? (4 Sundays before Christmas, and all the days up to Christmas--at least 27 days, I think) We celebrate the birth and babyhood for 11 days. The gifts of the Magi-the inclusion of us ousiders ...then Jesus and his family flee...and the next Sunday we are celebrating the Baptism of Our Lord---that baby is all grown up and thirty something. Then we have the Season after the Epiphany, which lasts until Lent begins.
 The Isrealites had waited thousands of years for the Messiah to come. Mary and Joseph for thirty five weeks or so prepared for this baby, this promise. The Magi set off to follow that star and wandered in a set path for two years--give or take.It is when the outsiders-the magi-figure out who Christ is...it is when the Christmas story opens up for those outside of the Israelite clan. The Holy Family fled to Egypt and lived there for about a decade-right? Not one of these players in the Christmas story ended up where they had begun to journey--things were just different in the end. And the timing of things is as confusing as the jouneys they were on.


Just like this church calendar. But then I look at this all with a mother's heart. Preparing for that firstborn...those thirty some weeks were long and hope-filled, I remember. Many things had to change, many things had to be prepared and finished. Much time was spent in prayer. And much more time was spent in just wondering, and dreaming. Looking back, the babyhood and childhood of my three offspring was filled with excitement, anticipation, awe, wonder, delight, tears, fear, heartache, longing, curiosity, activity, rest....Those years disappeared more quickly than the months I carried them.
And here we are, watching and waiting as these young adults begin their journey as their own.

We have the whole rest of the Church Calendar--and the regular calendar too to finish what has begun. Epiphany is that short time just before the solo flight. It is when our paths begin to become obvious. 
I think about the Magi. Learned men from afar who were filled with knoweledge of the heavens, and of those outside of their community and faith systems. They were awe filled at this star inthe heavens...and had to follow it. So excited--Reminds me of watching my kids whose brains are full of learning...thinking they know where they are going.
Reminds me of me...so ready to go...but so off course so often.

I guess I should go put away those Christmas decorations...time to move forward.

The Beginning

Even wanderers have to start. And although wandering seems to be without a point or a plan....well you've got to be going somewhere to get off trail--and open enough to wonder at where you have landed.
So begins this blog. I begin because I need to be still. This blog is a type of reflection and journal. But I need people....I'm not yet good at doing things just for me. I need interaction and responses from others. so this blog allows for that. Not sure if anyone else will ever read what I write, but if you do, please share your wondering about my wanderings.