Adventures of the Crystal Bracelet

Friday a week ago I received a silver-and-crystal bracelet from the coordinators for LifeWay's Women events (including the one I am helping with: Living Proof Live New Orleans). However, my bracelet's engraved heart wasn't for N.O. It names Portland, Oregon. The intent is that I will wear it between now and the Portland event (April 17-18), praying for what God will do in Portland and all the planning that will go on to make the event happen. My prayer partner is Beth Cunningham, a beautiful new friend from the Portland area who has also just accepted a job at Western Seminary. She's got her hands full! After our events, we're supposed to return the bracelets to their rightful owner.

I'm not sure Beth is going to want this bracelet seven months from now. My goal is to wear the bracelet as much as possible so that I don't risk losing it OR risk forgetting the privilege I have to pray for Beth, the ladies of Portland, and Beth Moore's ministry there. Plus it's really hard to get back on by myself! So I'll wear it as much as I can get away with!

The bracelet's first week in New Orleans has been pretty tame. It feels a little funny to wear it while I'm exercising, but it cleans up well. It dresses up my run-around-town look, and that's probably a good thing. One highlight for the bracelet this week was participating in a "Women@Prayer" time with four other ladies. My friend Christi has a strong desire to draw the ladies of our church together in prayer, so she organized this once-a-month time for us to meet and pray about matters pressing on our hearts. We prayed for Christi's preparation for her Greek exam, Karen's mother-in-law's cancer treatment, Beth's mom's colonoscopy, Juliette's son's new diagnosis of food allergies, and my local coordination of Living Proof Live N.O. It was the first time I've asked a group of ladies at church to pray with me about this, and I'm excited to draw friends into the loop. April 3-4 is just over six months away. Wow!

Coordinating this event is bigger than me. Christi thanked God for that during our W@P time. We can't wait to see who God pulls together for the Steering Committee and Ministry Partner Churches and Event Volunteers. It's going to be all God! And the bracelet will be around to witness both Women@Prayer and God@Work!

Thrive, Not Just Survive

If I told you I knew the secret to thriving in life, would you be interested? Or are you okay with just getting by? With mediocrity? With feeling like you just can't seem to move ahead?

I doubt you're okay with any of that. Sure, on any given day, you might give in to the temptation to settle, but in the big picture, most of us are looking for more out of life. Not more as in more stuff to do, but more as in "please let this life be about more than changing diapers, wiping snotty noses, and picking up after the kids."

Psalm 1:3 contains the secret to thriving, not just surviving:

"And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

Last word: PROSPERS is defined as "to be successful or fortunate...; thrive; flourish." Another source adds "make steady progress."

So, how do we get to the place where we are making steady progress, where we are thriving and flourishing?

The writer of this Psalm says it's about where we're planted. He says we need to be firmly planted by streams of water. Last week Stephenie and her family were planted by the Gulf of Mexico for Spring Break. Not a bad idea for a vacation getaway, but not what this verse means!

Instead, the Psalmist is instructing us to plant ourselves firmly by streams of water. I don't know much about trees and root systems, but I do know that the roots are what keep them in the ground, particularly in windstorms and such.

I had heard that the great big Redwood trees out west didn't have much in the way of roots, but read this:

The roots of a coast redwood are very shallow, growing only four to six feet deep, but spread out from the tree as far as 125 feet. This isn’t much support for a tall, heavy tree—floodwaters can erode top layers of soil, exposing the roots and weakening a tree’s support system. Heavy rains and strong winds can bring even the biggest giant crashing to the ground. But the roots of individual redwoods frequently grow intertwined with those of their neighbors. By "holding hands" underground, the roots form a network that allows the trees to withstand even great storms.

How cool is that? It's like a huge game of Red Rover!

How is your root system? Are you "holding hands" underground with those who can strengthen you and keep you rooted? Are you planted by streams of water, so that you can get nourishment and yield fruit and not wither?

You make the choice where you're planted every day. Where will it be, and how will you respond? It's time to thrive, not just survive!

By the water

Psalm 1:3

"And he shall be like a tree, firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

Water. My friend. My foe. My nourishment. My nemesis. Can't live with it. Can't live without it.

Too much, and the streets flood. Too little, and the plants die.

Water makes its mark. Water leaves its mark.

Before August 2005, I only knew a watermark as a symbol on a fancy piece of paper. Post-Katrina, it has a whole new meaning. It's the line on houses, street signs, trees, and more to show how high the water got. Even more, it indicates that the water stayed. It left its mark.

They say that water is the magic potion for weight loss. You drink it instead of soft drinks and other sugary beverages, and you are on your way to a healthy weight.

Water freezes, and people pay lots to ski on it. Water heats up, and people head to the beach.

Jesus called himself "the living water." What does this have to do with me?

More thots to come . . . .

Six Miles, No Stopping

I ran the Crescent City Classic again today. 6.2 miles, or 10K in running jargon. It was great weather, and for the most part, I really felt good about it. I've been training at around 5 miles or so for several weeks, adding the sixth mile a couple of times just to make sure I could do it. I admit I was a little nervous because last Saturday I really struggled, but I think the fact that it was one of the first hot, humid days in a long time, made that day rougher.

My running partner, Emily, made today's race go by a little faster as well. I didn't feel like I was holding her back; instead, I felt like I was encouraging her since this was her first time to run a 10K. But I confess I would have really liked to have walked some in that last mile, but there was no way I was going to give into that after having made it so far without walking. She told me later that she was struggling at mile 3. I'm glad she didn't say anything about it during the race; I typically give into the power of suggestion and may have found it hard to keep running.

I've been doing the CCC since we moved back to New Orleans. My first one was 1995, and I've run almost everyone since then. I can't remember which ones I missed, but I do know I missed a couple because of holiday travel (like the year Allen was doing the interim at Dunwoody). However, since getting he and Sarah on board, it's become a family affair . . . actually, more than that because we share the experience with the Gibsons. And this year we added Emily and James and Jeff and Maria. The more the merrier, or something like that!

I'm glad I'm running again. I like the way it feels to finish a run. Sometimes it's hard to get started but, when it's done, yahoo! I don't know if I'm up for any more marathons but you never know what the future holds. Guess I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other and look for opportunities to inspire others to run farther, faster, and funner!

Faith Struggles

I was asked to contact someone who visited my church recently. I couldn't reach her by phone so I tried email. This was her reply:

"I am actually not sure about going to church at all at the moment. I'm having some struggles with faith and I really don't believe that baptist church is the best place for me. Thank you for trying to get in touch with me at least."

Oh, how honest is this! She doesn't know me, so maybe it was just safe. "Some struggles with faith" . . . what does she mean by this? Who doesn't struggle with faith? Who doesn't wonder at times why God is silent or why God is directing in a way that isn't our own plan or why He doesn't seem to take away our pain?

I appreciate this young lady's honesty. I'm just sad that she's choosing to put aside church for the time being. While some churches may not be the best places for clarifying faith struggles, they're certainly better than some of the alternatives (bars, malls, gyms, etc.). I'd rather have her struggling with faith in a faith-centered environment. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe she'll see God more clearly somewhere else. I just pray she doesn't find a listening ear in someone who won't point her to the One who loves her most.

I say, go ahead and struggle with faith. Daily. Don't take it for granted. Don't let it become mundane or unappreciated. Allow God to show Himself faithful every day in His way, not according to your expectations but according to His word. It's not the easy way, but it is the better way.

Expect Delays

There's a sign on the interstate near my exit that reads something like, "Road Work ahead, evenings 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., expect delays." Almost every time I see the sign, I'm tempted to look at my watch to make sure I'm not approaching during the time of these expected delays. Then I realize that they really shouldn't affect me since I exit before the area of the expected delays. Whew.

After all of our years in youth ministry and youth education, you would have thought that we, of all people, would have been ready for the angst promised to parents of teenagers. How many times did we tell other parents (especially before we had kids!) to expect the teenage years to be rocky? How many times did we watch other parents (even after we had ours) struggle with their children's rebellious choices and 'valueless' lifestyles? The road sign couldn't have blinked any brighter: "Teenage years ahead, 12 to 18, expect conflict, heart ache, and constant testing."

Maybe we thought it would be different for us. Didn't we do it all right? Sunday school, Bible drill, summer camp, Disciple Now, family devotions, family meals, family outings? Aren't those the guaranteed ingredients to raising a godly young person?

Somehow, despite the head knowledge of what to expect of typical teenagers and even watching -- and sometimes experiencing -- the pain of other wonderful, good-intentioned parents, we missed the road sign and so we were shocked, annoyed, and sometimes even angry at the "delay." Since we forgot to expect it, we let it get the better of us a lot of the time.

Now my word to the ones coming up: Don't. Don't let it get the better of you. God has taught me two unforgettable truths during these past parenting years. Well, honestly, He's taught me a lot more than just two truths but that's where I'll go right now:

First, while children need direction and boundaries, parenting is really more about God molding us than us molding them. It's a constant reminder that we're not perfect, and that there's a whole lot more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control to be grabbed on to and shared. Parenting is a major breeding ground for the Holy Spirit to work out these qualities in our lives, and personally, I'd rather be yielding His fruit than the snappy, irritating, blood-sucking mosquitoes of discontentment and frustration that find their home in stagnant water of unfocused lives.

Second, our children are not our trophies. Let that sink in, especially those of you who have spent most of your life accumulating ribbons, trophies, awards, degrees, and what-nots. While we like to hold up their accomplishments and lay claim to their success, it's not really ours to do. Remember whose children they are, really? Right, God's. He's lent them to us for "safe-keeping," so taking credit (or blame) is a slap in His righteous face. Speaking of blame, the danger with claiming our kids as trophies is that we don't know quite what to do with them when they give us no bragging rights. Then we find ourselves making excuses for their mediocrity or, worse, for their poor choices. Stop right there. If they're not our trophies, then they're not our ballast either. They are our gifts, pure and simple. Nurture them, support them, encourage them. But don't use them for building yourself up or tearing yourself down.

"Construction ahead. Expect delays." The placement of the sign doesn't ensure that it will be read or heeded. But it does do its part; be forewarned and maybe even forearmed.

It's foggy out

Actually, it was foggy out this morning, not tonight. I didn't expect it to be foggy, though. I hadn't heard that the fog was coming so I was a little surprised when I turned the corner while jogging to see fog covering the old Berry field. I didn't think much about it my first time around, but as I came up on it the second time, I started analogizing (is that a word? it is now!).

I feel like I've been living in a fog for a while now. I'm seeking clarity on what I should be doing, focusing on whether there's a job out there I'm supposed to be earning money doing, or if it's okay to keep volunteering at stuff I love and feel purpose-filled doing.

At first sight, Berry Field was covered with fog but, as I continued jogging, I saw that in the far left corner, the fog was lifting and I could see through to the other side. I couldn't see through the entire field, just in that far left corner.

And then it hit me. That's just like God, isn't it? He gives you glimpses of what you should be doing so that you'll keep on doing something but He doesn't usually show you the whole picture. Apparently that's unnecessary, and maybe even a bit scary. The fog lifts just enough, but not completely.

I don't know if there's a job out there calling my name. I suppose if there is, I'd best be faithful at the stuff I'm committed to at this point, so I can get a good recommendation from the folks I'm volunteering for and with. Sure, I'd like some financial appreciation every now and then, but then again, I do get some financial appreciation every now and then, so I suppose I really am more content than I sometimes acknowledge.

The fog may not be completely gone, but I'm glad that it's at least lifted in the corner for today.