Observation, Perspiration or Inspiration:
photo by pixabay
Hi everyone!
Sonya here. We’ve been bringing this Bluewater Break Blog to you for about 3 months and as June closes and we start emerging from our homes, we’ll also be wrapping up the blog. I'm so appreciative to our team of writers who committed to bring encouragement while they, too, had their lives turned upside down. Thanks for reading and watching. I hope this has helped all of us know that we aren’t alone, especially those in the Bluewater ohana.
For this, my last blog post, I want to give you the good news that YOU are doing great. And my thinking goes like this....
My mom used to tell us when we were young that when you can’t fully bathe, then just be sure you wash your, um, "privates" and your feet. Do just THOSE TWO bit and you’ll be good to go.
Was that TMI? Sorry.
It’s meaningful to me because my mom was really a clean freak, especially when we were young. We were trained that vacuuming the floors included wiping down all the floor moldings. And you need to soak all the hairbrushes in Borax regularly. She also trained us up to balance our check books to the penny, and she would stay up all night chasing the one or two cents unaccounted for in my dad’s office accounts. Little details. They were crucial to save us from the encroaching threats of vagrancy, bankruptcy, and early death from old hair oil.
So, for my mom to say, hey, there’s such a thing as “good enough”. Well– that was GOOD news in the midst of the scrupulous details. I wonder if any of you need that good news, too?
Because we've all been living in a sense of crisis for over 4 months now. First with Covid, health and financial fears now with pain and anger over racism. Without exception, every person I know has struggled to respond responsibly in all these high-anxiety realms.
To use my childhood metaphors, we’ve been up all night trying to dust the moldings; and digging through our linty pocket for pennies to reconcile the accounts. The continuous effort and the high stakes can ferment an unwary soul --into a vinegary pickle, one that tastes like either hopeless detachment or bitterness.
But if you are a Christian, particularly a Bluewater one, I want to tell you something:
You’re doing great! Yes, that’s right. You are doing really good!
Now, how dare I say that? You don’t know me, you say. Well, here are 3 reasons that I think I can say “You’re doing great.”
#1. The bar is low. You may not be fresh as a daisy, but you’re not funky. Most of you are still feeding your children. Are you still talking occasionally to your spouse or friends? Maybe you’ve even watered your plants. So many of you have extended help to others, to feed neighbours or to show support for wounded souls. Good. Give yourself a pat on the back.
I don’t know anyone personally who ran through stores willfully unmasked and spewing on clerks or aged. Neither have any of my friends flipped off or come to blows with any color of protestor nor police officer, at least not yet. So again, that’s really good! Seriously, this is a respectable baseline we can work from.
#2. God is optimistic. And optimistic toward us specifically. In the gospel stories, Jesus focuses on people’s raw talent and not the rough edges. (Peter, you’re a builder, not a coward; Mary, you’re a worshipper, not a loose woman.)
Even when the Romans and Jews joined forces to murder him in cold blood – Jesus says in that moment “Dad, forgive them – they’re naïve.” He always overlooks an enormous amount of yuck. And he encourages what is working well. I want to share Jesus’ “half-full” mindset about you and me. I want to be guided by his big picture of inevitable kingdom victory, not inevitable catastrophe. So, with Jesus’ optimism, I’m saying to you and me: “You’re doing this. You got this”.
#3. Finally, I can say “you’re doing great” because I trust you are lovers, and love is what God is looking for.
Once a teacher asked Jesus which God command should be prioritized over the rest, and the Lord famously said “Love God and love your neighbor.” Bam. All the details are taken care of in these. Simple. Giant, doable target.
The religious experts hated Jesus for simplifying the details because details gave them control over the people: serve God this way, on this day, with these words, in these clothes, not too much, not too little. And don’t forget the Borax.
But Jesus said, “Be children, not experts. That’s better.” And he said, kids, YOU can drive this car – here are the lane markers: One one side, Love God and on the other, love that person you see there. Now go. Pedal to the metal. Give meals and cups of water to people; visit the prisoners and the sick. Those simple acts of love will mean everything to Me on Judgement Day.
It's like my mom said. You are free to overlook your elbows and your neck sometimes. Just take care of the majors areas, the ones that get stinky fast and the ones with the most traffic. That, you CAN do. And surprise, when you do that, you’ll probably smell good all around.
Especially if you’re a part of Bluewater, I am confident in our kingdom culture and record of love.
- You are thoughtful, taking care of folding chairs and little children.
- You welcome each other in your differentness and are used to uncomfortable conversations.
- You pray for strangers.
- You’ve obediently forgiven those who trashed you.
- You’ve done hard things on faith.
- You worship God boldly with voice and feet and hands.
- You practice focusing on truth in the middle of sweat and noise.
- Every week, you give mission a try in your homes and workplaces.
You are people I trust to love.
So relax. It’s not easy but in June 2020 it is still simple. Love may cost you everything, like it did Jesus, but it’s a target you can’t miss if you try.
You’re doing great. And you’re good to go!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for talking up my best attributes and minimizing my long record of sin. Help me carry that attitude to everyone around me. Help me get a few arrows into the giant target of love you've painted for me today. Thank you for everything. Amen.An Idea:
Catch someone doing something good today and tell them you saw it.
No comments:
Post a Comment