I Can See Clearly Now... (Angie Gibbons - March 30, 2020)

Observation, Perspiration or Inspiration: 

I met an older couple the other night before the total shutdown. No hugs or handshakes, of course, only shakas. And if you’ve seen my haole shaka, you know it doesn’t make a great first impression.

As we talked about the friends we had in common and our respective churches, I was struck by the attentiveness of both individuals. They stayed locked on my eyes the entire time we spoke. Every little thing I said was met with a “Wow” or “Interesting” in impressed tones.

I walked away from the conversation and told my husband, “I just met that couple, but I feel so important to them. Everything I said, they said, 'Wow' in response!"

I was struck by how they made me feel valued through small gestures. Simple, but profound.

Maybe I felt that so keenly because everything else has been stripped away. Much of my life and yours has been cancelled, our calendars made bare, our pace slower.

In this time when so many things that usually bring us significance are no longer part of our day-to-day schedules, what is left of significance?

Here are a few ideas--our common humanity, our deep desire for connection with each other, and our need for closer connection to Jesus.

I believe the typical crowding of our lives makes it harder for us to really see each other. And in this unwanted time of pruning, maybe we can refocus our lenses a little, find a focus and richness in our lives that we haven't had before.

I really look forward to going back to my favorite coffee shop with the good chai and the taqueria with the Mexico coke, but I don't want to return to life exactly as it was. I would like to leave some things behind that weren't all that useful to me. I would like to use my time more wisely and invest in the things/people that matter most. 

I would like to move slowly enough to look deeply into other people's eyes and make them feel seen and valued.

A question for you: Has anything been crowding out your time and attention (pre-virus) that you don't really need in your life going forward?

Prayer:

Father God, please prune away the busyness and the fillers, and refocus my attention on the things that are worthy of my time. Help me to let go of stuff that uses up my time but doesn't feed me or bring you glory. Give me eyes to see more like you do. Give me a heart for people that is aligned with yours. Amen.

An Idea:

The next time we connect with a friend via text or other technology, let's be intentional about calling out the good we see in that person, and saying specifically what we value in the relationship. We all need encouragement in this time. Let's BE that encouragement to the people in our circles.

6 Questions For Self-Reflection (Larissa Marks - March 27, 2020)

Observation, Perspiration or Inspiration: 

Has anyone else experienced the feeling of disorientation this week? I will admit that our present circumstances have left me quite a bit untethered. Like many of us, my normal life has gone through some major adjustments, and I find myself figuring out how to regain my footing.

First, let us receive grace in this present moment we find ourselves in. It's new territory for us all. The disorientation is completely normal. (This is me talking to myself here, as well as whoever needs to hear it.) Second, let me offer something to you that has been helpful to my well-being, especially in times of disorientation and transition - the practice of self-reflection.

Have you ever found yourself in an unfamiliar shopping mall? If you have, you'll know that the first thing to do is to find the mall directory, and locate the "You are Here" dot on the map. Before you can get to where you want to be, you first need to determine where you presently are. If you don't do this, you're walking around aimless and disoriented.

The practice of self-reflection allows us to become more aware of our present surroundings and get oriented. Quite like looking for the "You are here" on the shopping mall directory, when we recognize where we are, we are more likely to live with a clearer sense of vision, direction, and purpose. Through self-reflection, we allow our hearts and minds to process and pay attention to the things beneath the surface of our lives - our feelings, our questions, our frustrations. And in that place, we are able to experience authentic, honest connection with God.

I invite you to make space today for self-reflection through considering a few questions. Take some quiet, undisturbed time to thoughtfully respond to the reflection questions below. It may help to get a pen and notebook to write down your responses. As you go through each question, give yourself freedom to listen to your soul's longings without judgement or self-editing.

1. In a few words or phrases, describe how you are presently doing.
2. How have you experienced God lately? What has he been saying to you and doing in your life?
3. What has been life-giving? What has been life-draining?
4. What things are presently occupying your mind and heart?
5. What are you most grateful for?
6. What are the hopes and desires you want to bring to God?

Allow this reflection exercise to lead you into a conversation with God.


Prayer:
Jesus, you are our friend in the eye of the storm. Help us fix our eyes on you, and you alone. Calm our fears, and fill us with peace. Draw us into your presence in a new way today. Let your way be our way. Guide us in our next steps - toward freedom, joy, and life. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

An Idea:
What is one life-giving activity you can do today to fuel your mind, body, and soul? Perhaps you'd like to take a walk in nature. Or call a loved one. Or list 10 things you're grateful for. Or take a long hot shower. Do that activity today, and take good care of yourself.

Shaken and Stirred (Elijah Yip - March 25, 2020)

Photo by Marco Albuquerque on Unsplash

Observation, Perspiration or Inspiration:

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.  – Hebrews 12: 28-29

Screaming kids.  They’re part of my new “office environment” as I work at home while sheltering in place.  It’s just one of the adjustments I’ve had to make in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.  I realize pretty much no one prefers working while kids scream in the background, but for me, it’s a little more complicated. 

You see, chaos cramps my style.  A lot.  The dissonance of disorder can frustrate me to the point of wanting to shut down and stop work.  My ideal work environment is a quiet room, a neat desk, and a dual monitor setup.  I have none of that right now (at least not reliably).

I hate to admit it, but this is good for me.  Times requiring radical change shake things that are shakable, leaving behind unshakable things.  What might those be?  Why, Kingdom stuff of course – things built by God, mindsets in alignment with the Father’s heart.  If we build on foundations laid by God, our work will be unshakable just as He is.  Cf. Matt. 6:19-20; Matt. 7:24-27.  Transitional periods like now are valuable because they clarify the stuff in our lives that have eternal significance.

For me, that means adjusting my mindset to match God’s.  Chaos never slows God down.  He speaks order into the void and meets us in our messiness.  God’s not afraid of screaming kids.  He’s got billions of ‘em, and that doesn’t deter him from acting.  I should be able to handle at least three.

Prayer:
"Thank you, Lord, for challenging me to reevaluate my mindsets, priorities, and expectations. I want to embrace your Kingdom because it lasts for eternity.  Help me to build on your foundation, not mine.  In Jesus' name, amen."


An Idea:

The next time you get irked by some adjustment you've had to make because of the pandemic, ask God: "Why does this bother me so much?  What's your perspective on my situation?"  Then have a conversation with God about it.

Breakfast at McDonald's (Ben Fowler - March 23, 2020)

Here's the story of one of the last times I ate at a restaurant, 'pre-apocalypse'. Before 'social distancing' was introduced into our collective vocabulary. I know it's only been a week, but I already miss the simple things I used to take for granted, like: not cooking, not reheating leftovers, not consuming endless turkey sandwiches. What I'm trying to say is, I miss eating at McDonald's. 😊

Just the other day, I stopped to get breakfast at my favorite "tastes so good but hurts so bad" restaurant, McDonald's. I ventured inside, the drive-through was even more backed up than usual for a Saturday morning. Don't ask me how I know this...

Sitting down to eat, I heard a bunch of old men talking. The subject; baseball. They were all in their 80s. Drinking their coffee. Telling their stories. It was around 9:45 am. Their one appointment for the day.

As I listened, I was reminded of a time gone by. A time when baseball was still America's sport. Everyone loved football and basketball but every little boy played baseball. The players, our heroes, were household names and larger than life: Kirby Puckett, Darryl Strawberry, Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt. The 1980's were still the Baseball Years.

That's why I love McDonald's. The old and wise people of our communities gather to keep alive the memories of their childhood. They don't need trendy coffee shops. They are happy with their friends, cheap coffee, and Egg McMuffins, reminiscing about old Hawaii.

Maybe one day, years from now, I'll be sitting around McDonald's with my friends, talking about my little league years: How I never made all-stars, not even once. How I played catcher because I was tough, even though I was small. How we used to potluck every Saturday after the game, long into the night, all of our parents drinking and singing tunes from the fifties, "Dream... dream, dream, dream."

I miss those days. I miss baseball. I miss McDonald’s.

Prayer:
Lord, when all of this has finally passed.
And the curfews and quarantines are lifted.
When the sands of our lives have shifted back.
And settled on the banks we were gift​e​d.

In a restaurant, with friends or family all around.
McMuffins, hash-browns, and kids way too loud.
The Lord's wonder displayed on a Saturday morning.
Soul, by time and friendship, and God's grace, lifted.

Like it never even happened.

Back to normal.

An Idea: 
Next time you are about to go through the drive-through (post-quarantine of course:), go inside instead. Order your meal. Talk with your family. Listen to the conversations around you. And enjoy the simple pleasures of being out in the world. Drinking your coffee. Laughing, face to face. And eating your delicious McMuffin.

FULL of life! (Sonya Seng - March 20, 2020)

Observation, Perspiration or Inspiration:

Hey, Sonya here. It's been a doozy of a week. Can I get an "amen"? Immersed in a global health drama, we're each experiencing it one unfamiliar step at a time.

• My eyes smart from squinting at the news reports on my phone screen.
• My son's hands are probably cleaner than they've ever been.
• I yell at Grandma Norma each day, conversing only from the doorway while she shakes her head mumbling "I'm not afraid of getting sick".
• This afternoon, Jordan and the kids went to do their running workout only to find that the Central Oahu Regional Park was closed today by the city. So they ran up and down along the outside of it, over and over.

On the other hand,

• I'm "talking" to more people than usual - connecting with strangers on Facebook as we all try to solve the toilet paper issue.
• I'm pleasantly surprised that my kids' have skipped nary a beat as they can connect with friends on the digital platforms I previously frowned on.
• And my sisters and I are proving our family strength and humor as we collectively, yet distantly, take care of our mom's healthy gourmand preferences. Today, that involved one sister stealthily dropping vegetables and Maui potato chips outside her door in exchange for a bag of 3 slices of St. Patrick's Day corned beef.

Strange life. But LOTS of it. For this we are grateful.

Prayer:
Father God, thank you. Thank you for this potent thing, life. You fashioned us from dust, activated us with Breath and made us the wonder, and even envy, of heavenly beings.

Thank you for hands that can carry both good and ill. For yelling at grandmothers. For all kinds of places to run. For ingenuity in the bathroom. For changing opinions about technology. For strength in old relationships. For sparking of new ones. For corned beef.

Lord, we give you permission to wake us up in this time. To things we missed. To one another. To You yourself. Bless this beautiful world and all the people in it to wake up as well. To hear their eternal hearts' desire now that so many distractions have been stilled. When this crisis is spent, may we find ourselves more alive, more compassionate, more focused, more free. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

An Idea:
Find a small, local business you like and buy a gift card from them. Give/mail that gift card to someone you know whose employment has been disrupted.