Rest is a Verb

December is a crazy month.  It’s that time of year when everyone I meet exudes a sense of childlike excitement mingled with very real adult-like exhaustion.  In December, maybe more than any other time of the year, we run ourselves ragged trying to insure that we find just the right gifts for everyone on our list and attending every party and event for school, work and church while attempting to stay on top of our regular daily to-do lists as well.  And, as I sit here in the midst of all of this craziness, I’m struck once again by the fact that our culture has lost sight of the importance of rest.

This idea of “rest” (or the lack of it) has been an ongoing theme in my life for the past several months.  As I’ve transitioned from a demanding corporate job to a more relaxed academic career, I’ve taken some time to examine the things that are working well in my life and the things that needed some adjustment.   And, I’ve realized that one thing that is glaringly absent from my life is time for rest.  The rest that I’m talking about is not just sleep (although I could certainly use more of that).  It’s something more than that.  I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about this concept of rest, and this is what I’ve concluded:

Rest is a verb.

When I say that rest is a verb, I’m not just talking about a part of speech.  What I’m saying is that rest is active.  Rest requires us to DO something.  It doesn’t just happen on its own.

Newton’s First Law of Motion goes something like this:  “An object in motion tends to remain in motion unless acted upon by some external force.”  Once an object is moving, it doesn’t just stop on its own.  You have to DO something to make it slow down or stop.  I think that the same is true of our lives.  We’re all busy – all the time.  We are constantly on the move – running to school, to work, to the grocery store, back to school, to soccer practice, back to work, to band practice, back to school, to church,… and so it goes.  I’m guessing that most of you know what I’m talking about.  And, even when we’re at home “unwinding,” we’re still in motion – talking on the phone, texting our friends, reading e-mail or social media feeds, or even catching up on work to make sure that we’re prepared for that big presentation.  It never stops – and it won’t stop – unless we take some action to MAKE it stop.

That’s why I maintain that rest is a verb.  It doesn’t just happen.  You have to be intentional about carving out time in your schedule to stop the motion so that you can rest.  Rest is active – not passive.  The kind of rest that I’m talking about is more than just passing out on your bed at midnight from pure exhaustion.  The kind of rest that I’m talking about is a “selah” break in your routine.  The Psalmist used Selah to remind the reader to stop and mediate on what they had just heard.  That’s the kind of rest that’s needed in our lives today - a time to pause our schedule and simply reflect.  Selah.

I have come to the conclusion that we need to specifically build time into our schedules for rest – physical, mental, and spiritual.  Physical rest gives our bodies time to heal and renew.  It’s ceasing from activity – sitting down on the couch or the porch – taking that Sunday afternoon nap.  Your physical strength is renewed when you take time to rest.

Mental rest allows us the luxury of quieting our minds.  It’s putting the to-do list aside, turning off all of the inputs that demand our attention, and doing something that rejuvenates your thought life.  That could be reading a book or writing in your journal or just enjoying the silence.  It’s ok to close your computer and ignore your e-mail and social media feeds.  I guarantee that anything there can wait 30 minutes or an hour while you take a break.  It’s ok to turn off your cell phone once in a while.  That’s why God created voice mail.

Spiritual rest restores your soul.  Meditate on the goodness of God.  Count your blessings.  The psalmist says “BE STILL and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)  When was the last time that you found a quiet place to simply be still and soak in the presence of God – without asking him for anything – just thinking on His goodness? 

I’ll say it again – rest won’t “just happen.”  Downtime won’t magically appear in your schedule.  Believe me, I’ve tried that approach, and there’s always something else that needs to be done.  Rest is something you DO – it’s a verb – something to be actively pursued.

As a society, we’ve lost sight of the importance of rest.  And, if we’re not careful, we’re all going to suffer as a result.  My goal for next year is to be more intentional about building rest into my schedule.  Yes, there are things that might not get done immediately, but in the long run, I believe that taking time to rest will help me to be physically healthy, mentally sound, and spiritually at peace.  And, ultimately, all of that will benefit not just me, but my family, my friends, and my co-workers.

During this Christmas season, find some time to rest and reflect on the most wonderful gift that this world has ever received – Think about that silent night – Imagine yourself in the stable gazing on the face of the baby who would one day save the world.  Be still and know that He is God and remember that He loves you and has good plans for you.  If you do, I believe that you’ll find a renewed joy as you celebrate the season this year.

Moses Meets Universal Studios (or, Walking Through on Dry Ground)

Have you ever wondered what it must have felt like to follow Moses through the middle of the Red Sea?  We all know the story:  The Israelites were on their way out of Egypt heading towards the Promised Land.  Pharaoh’s army was coming up behind them.  And, then they ran right up against the Red Sea – completely blocking their escape route.  They needed a miracle, and God didn’t disappoint!  Moses held out his hand; the water parted; and he led the children of Israel through on DRY GROUND.  (Exodus 14)  Crazy, right? 

It sounds really cool, but it was probably a little scary.  We don’t know exactly how it happened or what it looked like, but we can imagine.  In fact, when we visited Universal Studios in Florida recently, we got a little taste of what it might have been like.  We went through the Poseidon’s Adventure attraction, and there is a point where a door opens up and you have to walk through a tunnel with water swirling up the sides and overhead.  You go through on “dry ground,” but you can hear the rush of air and water all around you, and you can feel the mist on your face and arms as you walk through.

It must have been like that for the Israelites.  The ground was dry, but I believe that they still felt the effects of the water piled high on either side of them and the wind that was holding it back.  They had to feel a certain degree of confidence given the miracle that was evident all around them.  But, they could also hear Pharaoh’s army quickly approaching behind them; so, their faith may have been mingled with fear. 

I guess this has been on my mind recently because I’m feeling a lot like the Israelites in the middle of the Red Sea.  I’m heading in a new direction in my life right now, and I’m leaving the comfort of the familiar behind.  I feel confident in the direction.  In fact, I’ve been reassured by these scriptures over and over again:

Psalm 139:4-6: “ Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.   You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.   Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”

Isaiah 52:11-12: “Depart, depart, go out from there! ... for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

I know that the Lord is going before me and preparing the way – just like He went before the Israelites and parted the Red Sea.  And, I can feel His presence behind me, protecting me from any danger that might try to sneak up on me  – just like He came along behind the Israelites and let the Red Sea crash in on Pharaoh and his army. 

But, to my surprise, things have been a little bumpy as I’ve traveled down this path.  Fear has tried to creep in – opportunities have tried to distract – misunderstandings have tried to break down relationships – and I’ve wondered why… Why, if the Lord goes before me and behind me – leading me and protecting me – why do I still feel shaken at times?  And, as I thought about the story of Moses and the Red Sea, I began to understand. 

I realized that I am, in fact, in a SAFE place – I am on the RIGHT path – I am PROTECTED by the mighty hand of God.  But, I’m NOT IMMUNE to the forces of the world around me.  I can still feel its effects.  However, if I stay focused and faithful - if I persevere – I’m learning that I can remain immune to its consequences and come out unscathed on the other side.  I might be a little damp from the mist and out of breath from running the last few yards before the water closes in behind me, but I’ll get there – safe and sound.

So, if things in your life are a little bumpy right now, think about the folks who followed Moses into the Red Sea and walked through on dry ground.  Keep pressing forward.  Don’t look at the water all around you.  And, remember that God’s got your back, so you can make it through to the other side…

Decisions - and the three P's

Decision – A choice made between alternative courses of action in a situation of uncertainty – The process of mapping the likely consequences of your choice, working out the importance of individual factors, and choosing the best course of action to take.

For an analytical thinker like myself, iterating through the decision process can be both exciting and terrifying at the same time.  On the one hand, it’s great to have options.  On the other hand, thinking through the potential consequences of making the wrong choice can sometimes have an almost paralyzing affect.  And, balancing my own cognitive reasoning with my commitment to walk by faith can drive me to distraction if I’m not careful.

I’m at one of those points in my life right now – trying to choose between two divergent paths, both of which have a lot of pros but also have some major cons.  I want to make the right choice – if there is really ONE right choice.  But, my decision will potentially have a major impact not only on me but also on my family, our finances, and our ability to move forward with some longer term dreams and visions.

So, as is often the case, I turned to the Bible to look for some wisdom on how to walk through this process, and I landed on the story of Gideon.  After reading through Judges6 - 7, I was struck by several things.  If I wanted to put them into a pastoral three-point sermon outline, I would say that the story of Gideon showed me that God is persistent, patient, and powerful (see what I did there?)…

Persistent

In this story, the Israelites had done evil (again) and God had punished them (again), but he had decided to show them grace (again) by delivering them from the hands of their enemies.  So, God chose Gideon to lead the charge.  But, Gideon wasn’t so sure, and he questioned God.  But, God persisted.  He had chosen Gideon, and He continued to pursue Gideon.  But, Gideon continued to question and asked God for a sign.  So, God, in His patience, gave Gideon a sign.

Patient

But, this wasn’t enough for Gideon.  Again, he asked God for some reassurance that the plan to save Israel was going to work.  He put out a fleece and said:

“If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised – look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor.  If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”  And, that is what happened.  Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew – a bowlful of water.  (Judges 6:36-38)

But, that wasn’t enough for Gideon.  Again, he asked God for a sign, and again, God was persistent and patient in pursuing Gideon.  Gideon said:

“Do not be angry with me (Lord).  Let me make just one more request.  Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.”  That night God did so.  Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.  (Judges 6:39-40)

Powerful

At that point, Gideon was finally convinced.  He went out with about 33,000 men to face the enemy armies.  But, God wasn’t quite done with Gideon.  He wanted to show Himself powerful.  So, He winnowed down Gideon’s army until there were only 300 left.  Gideon probably felt a little unsure at this point, but if you read Judges 7, you’ll see that the Lord let Gideon in on a little secret.  Gideon overheard one of the men of the enemy army sharing a dream which confirmed that Gideon would win the battle.  At this point, Gideon finally got it:

“When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped.  He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up!  The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” (Judges 7:15)

And, that’s exactly what happened.  God won the battle – He showed Himself powerful – and the Israelites were finally free from the oppression of the Midianites and lived in peace for the next 40 years.

Decisions

So, back to my original point – This story reminded me that God understands that we need reassurance.  And, He can be infinitely patient with us as we wrestle with a major life decision.  But, at the end of the day, He is powerful.  He is bigger than any challenge that we’re facing, and the end result – if we’re willing to follow His leading – will always be victory.  So, I’m taking a cue from Gideon and putting out a fleece.  I’m asking God to give me something tangible that will help me to clearly understand the path that He wants me to take.  I’m nervous and excited all at the same time, because I know that ultimately I’m going to end up in the right place even though the path is laced with uncertainty… 

To be continued…

I can't tolerate offensiveness...

For the most part, I try not to use this blog as a soapbox.  However, this post might be the exception because I’m getting pretty frustrated with some of the ideals that are becoming the social norms in our culture. 

For the life of me, I can’t understand why tolerance has become the ideal that is to be cherished above everything else.  I mean, think about it - tolerance isn’t necessarily a positive thing.  I tolerate wearing pantyhose and high heels in the summer time because I have to for my job in certain situations.  But, I hate it.  As soon as I have the opportunity, I take them off.  I don’t want to take the time to figure out how to enjoy wearing them on a regular basis – I just deal with them when I have to and then run as far away from them as I can until they come back to torment me again.  

The same thing is true of people.  If I choose to tolerate you, I’m probably not offering to accept you or engage in a deeper dialog with you.   I’m saying that I’ll let you be because I have to, but I’ll run away from you again as soon as I get the chance.  Tolerance is different from acceptance, no matter what the pundits try to tell you.

And, it frustrates me to no end that every single thing that we say or do has to be put under a microscope to insure that it doesn’t offend anyone.  The latest example of this is the VW Super Bowl commercial.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can read the story here:

Volkswagen Super Bowl Ad Called Racist

The crux of the issue is that the commercial has actors using a fake Jamaican accent, and it is therefore being attacked for being racist.  I’m sorry, but I don’t think that VW has any underlying racist agenda.  Their only agenda for spending this much money on advertising is selling more VWs.  And, you can’t tell me that you’ve never bounced around the house singing “Don’t worry, be happy!” in a fake Jamaican accent.  Were you doing it to be racist?  No! You were doing it because it invoked happy thoughts - which is exactly what VW was trying to do!

So here’s my real question:  Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned respect?

And before you call me intolerant and get offended, let me tell you a little story.  I am a Christian.  My faith in God is at the core of who I am.  It shapes my worldview.  It influences the way that interact with people.  It informs my choices.  So, it might surprise you to know that one of my very best friends (let’s call him Ray) when I was in graduate school was an atheist.  In fact, Ray was literally a card-carrying member of the Secular Humanist Society of America (I saw the card).  What’s more, Ray was a vegan (way before it was cool) and a hard core animal rights activist.  He was the kind of person who would walk by my desk where I was munching on M&Ms and minding my own business and would stop to remind me that innocent cows were tortured to produce the milk that went into making my M&Ms.

But, Ray and I became the best of friends precisely because we recognized our differing viewpoints and RESPECTED each other’s right to hold those views.  We engaged in conversation – and occasionally in heated debates – and through it all we continued to be friends in spite of our disagreements.  Ray introduced me to all sorts of little Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants.  And, I took on the challenge of coming up with just the right ingredients to create some yummy vegan hushpuppies for him to try.

I can’t imagine how many cool things I would have missed out on if I had chosen to go down the path of tolerance instead of respect.  Tolerance would have put up a wall between me and Ray.  Mutual respect drew us into a friendship.  My experience in graduate school would not have been as rich if Ray had chosen to be offended when I talked to him about my faith in God.  Instead, mutual respect allowed us to enter into deeper dialogs about faith and the cultural issues of the day.

I think that we as a culture have set the bar too low when we strive for tolerance above all and when we are forced to filter everything we say to insure that no one is offended.  Instead, I think that we should aim for respect -- instead of looking for a hidden agenda behind every word that is spoken, we should be very slow to take offense.

Imagine how different our world would be if people would live by the following two principles:

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” – Luke 6:31

“Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness (offense) grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” – Hebrews 12:15

If you’ve read this far, thank you for tolerating my rant, and please forgive me if I’ve offended you…

Perspective

Sometimes my priorities get out of line.  I lose focus on what’s important as I endeavor to deal with the task at hand.  Yesterday was one of those days.  I was in a meeting with one of my mentors at work getting some much needed advice on how to sort out a serious personnel issue.  We were deep into our conversation when my phone rang.  It was my daughter.

I usually ignore my phone when I’m in a meeting – unless it’s one of my kids or their school.  So, I asked if I could take the call quickly, and he said of course.  I finished the conversation with my daughter and turned back to my colleague.  Not five minutes later, she called again.  I started to ignore it, but at the urging of my colleague, I went ahead and answered again.  When I was done, he said , “That’s the most important thing.  Your kids need you, so don’t ever hesitate to take that call.”  And, then he said, “What I wouldn’t give to be interrupted by a phone call from my son just one more time…”

You see, his 19 year old son was killed in a climbing accident about 6 months ago.  He knows how important it is to devote ourselves to the ones we love – to cherish every moment – every interruption.  Because, one day – maybe sooner than we imagine – they’ll be gone.  And, then it will be too late.  He went on to tell me the story of the last time he saw his son, and I had to choke back the tears as we finished up our meeting.

As I was driving home yesterday, I was thinking about how many times I tell my kids to just wait a minute – I’ll pay attention to them when I finish what I’m doing.  How many times do I react with frustration instead of love when they interrupt my over-scheduled, incredibly busy day?  What message is that sending to them?  Do they know how important they are to me?  Do they know how much I love them?  I tell them with my words, but I realized yesterday that I need to do a better job of showing them with my actions and with the way that I spend my time.

I think that we could all stand to adjust our perspective – to learn to cherish every interruption – to savor every moment – to go out of our way to make time to spend with the ones that we love.  Because, one day, we’ll look back and long for the day when little hands were pulling on our aprons or phone calls from our kids were interrupting our meetings…

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” – Colossians 3:14-15

Lessons from Frodo: Perseverance and Partnership

You would never guess it to look at her, but my sweet little 10 year old daughter is a huge Lord of the Rings fan.  She couldn’t wait for the Hobbit movie to be released last month, and on opening day, dressed in her cute pink coat and scarf and her favorite kitty-cat shirt, she waltzed into the movie theater and reveled at the sight of Gandalf, Bilbo, and the gang beating up on orcs and goblins and all other manner of foul creatures.  Her one request over Christmas vacation was to watch ALL of the Lord of the Rings movies again.  And, she and her dad are hard core about the whole thing – They only watch the extended special edition versions which are significantly longer than the originals.

I, on the other hand, am not so fond of the Tolkien trilogy.  I typically make it through about the first third of the movie, then fall asleep, and then wake up again right at the end.  Such was the case last night as we finished up Return of the King.  I woke up just in time to see Frodo struggling up the mountain with Sam cheering him on and encouraging him to destroy the ring.  And, while I know that there are lots of lessons to be learned from these fables, I was really struck by a couple of things as I watched Frodo and Sam sit there on the big rock and watch the world crashing in around them.

The first was Frodo’s perseverance.  He was determined to keep going when most people would have given up or given in.  He was focused on the task that had been given to him.  In this day and age that we live in, we have so many distractions and so many options that it’s easy to just quit what you’re doing and take a different direction.  It’s hard to persevere.  It’s much easier to bounce from one thing to another, never really committing to one particular path. 

You see it with kids who start working on homework only to receive a text message which then leads them to check facebook which reminds them that they wanted to post a photo to instagram which leads to another friend texting them about the photo that they just posted – and three hours later, while they’ve had lots of fun, they still haven’t finished their homework (not that this has ever happened in my house, of course…).

You see it on resumes when interviewing prospects for a job.  On most resumes that I see, the average length of time a person has spent at a single job is 2 or 3 years.  The tendency is to jump from job to job = always looking for something that is more exciting or something that offers more money.  And, while change can be good, there’s something to be said for sticking with the same job for 20-plus years like my parents did back in the day… 

However, the other thing that stands out is that Frodo would never have made it without Sam.  It’s much easier to keep going when you have a friend that will stand beside you and encourage you and even carry you when the going gets tough.  We all need friends who will catch our vision and pursue it right along with us – as if it were their very own.  As Americans, we tend to have a lone-ranger, do-it-myself mentality.  But, when the going gets tough, even the Lone Ranger needs Tonto.  If we can learn how to share our hopes and dreams and burdens and trials with others, we’ll probably experience a lot more success – and we’ll find more joy in the journey as well…

So just remember… There’s not a simple formula for achieving victory, but Frodo has shown us that perseverance and partnership will go a long way towards helping you to get there.

Exodus 17:11-13:  “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.  So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”

My New Year's Confession

Disclaimer:  It's been a long time since I've had the time or inspiration to write, and I hesitated to even publish this little note... But, I needed to write it down as a marker that I can return to as I push into 2013... And, maybe it will speak to others as well...

-------------------------------

I usually look forward to the start of each New Year.  It’s the time to put the old behind you – to forget the past, if you will – and focus on the days ahead.  It’s a time to rekindle your hopes and dreams.  But, this year is different.  I’m just not ready for the New Year - because, somewhere along the way last year, I lost my hope.  And, without hope, the New Year looks kind of dark and scary.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past several days trying to figure out just where – or why – I lost it.  I know that I have to find it again.  Without it, I can’t even begin to think about launching into 2013.  I can’t look deep into my heart and confront the dreams that are buried there because without hope, they just look impossible.

Hope has been defined as “confident expectation.”  And, as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve realized that I’ve drifted away from the source of my confidence – Jesus.  I’ve been so busy doing things – most of them good things – that I’ve neglected to nurture my relationship with Him.  The scripture that just keeps coming to mind over and over again is Revelation 2:2-5:  “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.  Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

Ouch…  Those are not the words that I wanted to hear, yet I know that they describe me.  

So, there you have it – my New Year’s confession – which leads me to my New Year’s resolution.  I resolve to fall back in love with Jesus this year.  It will take time – which is a precious commodity – but it breaks my heart to know that I am breaking the heart of my Savior.  He gave everything for me – He is worthy of my time – He deserves nothing less than my adoration.  He is the source of my hope and the giver of dreams.  And, He is the only One who can make the “new year” new again…