Stepping out of the traffic

"Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." - Psalm 46:8 (Msg.)

In light of the sermon this week and the powerful message God sends us, I think it would be beneficial to think about HOW we might go about stepping out of the traffic of our lives. So while it's important to realize that busyness happens, and that even Jesus was busy, we've somehow got to figure out how to regularly and purposefully get away from the hectic pace to be alone with Him.

I've heard of and tried several ways of doing this, and I think above all, it's important to know that this will look different for each individual Christ-follower. For some, (including myself) this will include carving several minutes out of each day to read God's love letter/instruction-manual-for-life-on-earth, the Bible. I'm a reader, though. I devour written words like some people do movie-theater popcorn. (How can we eat so much of the stuff in the span of just two-and-a-half hours?) But not everyone takes a break with pages and words.

Some people step out of the traffic by taking a walk in their neighborhood, or in the woods. They walk and pray; listen and observe. They leave the preoccupation with "doing stuff" by walking away from it. Literally.

Still others might find a place in their home or yard to just be still; to take a deep breath and breathe in the Holy Spirit as they turn theirs back on dishes, check-books, and even conversation with family members. They have a certain spot of seclusion where no one can interrupt or steal their attention away from the Better Thing.

How about you? How do you "step out of traffic"? What deliberate measures to you take to get away from the again-ness of your crazy life in order to sit at the feet of your Creator? Please share your secrets - we're dying to know!

Creativity

You know, one of the things I admire most in people is creativity. I don't know if it's because I don't seem to have a lot of the stuff, or what, but whenever I meet or observe a really creative person, I just end up amazed, with my jaw hanging down at their gift. And there are all kinds of creativity - like the kind that my mom has to do paintings, or the kind my friend has to sew and draw and sculpt. There's also ministry creativity - "doing church in ways it has never been done before" like Pastor Mark in DC, and entrepreneurial creativity - making a business by doing something new and different.

I believe we should live our lives creatively, even those of us who don't necessarily have a knack for it. I think we all ought to strive toward the new.

Why?

Well, because it's Biblical, of course! (You knew that was coming, didn't you?)

OK, so we could start in Genesis where God CREATED, and then said that we are made in His image (so we're creative too, get it?) See Genesis 1:26.

And then there's this:

"Forget about what's happened;
don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new.
It's bursting out! Don't you see it?
There it is! I'm making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands." -Isaiah 43:18-19(MSG)

God does something new every day in our lives, creates new miracles right under our noses. Are we creative enough to even acknowledge what He is doing? If our minds are caught in the past, or in the mundane again-ness of our existence instead of the creativity in our midst, we might just miss out on some really awesome living!

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." - Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)

And if our minds are not open to creativity, we could also ignore the amazing regeneration He has planned for our character-building. He can attempt to make us a new creation, growing more and more in holiness, but without our cooperation, He might not get very far. We need to be creative enough to see our potential - the possibility of what we might become.

I could go on, but you probably get the point by now. Let's just leave it at this: I truly believe that even the dullest humans on the planet have at least one creative talent in them, however deeply it may be buried. To look at myself, I would classify me as lacking in creativity. But . . . there is at least one thing I can think of that is creative about me: I like to write stories. And I like to write about stories. I like to use words creatively - to inspire and to change. And so I do - because there are new stories to write and new ways to write about stories.

So I challenge you to do the same. Live creatively today. Think outside your little box. Make something that you've never made before. Go somewhere you've never been. Be different just because you can (different, not rebellious - there is a distinction). And then smile, because you've just lived out your God-given God-image. And because you can be sure He's enjoying your creativity too.

Life hurts sometimes

As a Colorado Native, April 20th means something special to me. Not only is it my sister-in-law's birthday (love you, Kates), it's the anniversary of the shooting at Columbine. I still remember with shocking clarity skipping my classes at CSU, and staying home to watch the news while sobbing with my roommate, Lorie, in each other's arms. The violence was appalling, the horror paralyzing. And it was so close to home. I don't think any parents wanted to send their children to school the next day. And who could blame them?

I remember September 11th much the same way.


Sometimes life hurts more than we think it should. We think we've seen the worst, and then we're shocked again to see that we were wrong. Last week a mother I know lost her battle with cancer. Her children are still in preschool. They will grow up without her. These wounds cut so deep, take so long to heal, and leave such ugly scars. Life can be so very painful.

We ask Why?, we mourn, we cry, we hurt from the inside out. And hopefully we seek the Healer. Jesus knows that Life is painful. We don't follow a God who is unaware of the shocking injury that living on planet earth can inflict. He knows; He understands; He feels it too.

And sometimes that's all we need to know. It helps us to remember that God feels. His heart echoes the outcry of injustice that we shout. He understands what it feels like to be shocked into greater pain when you thought you had experienced it all. He sees. He feels. And He wants to do something about it.

"Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help." -Hebrews 4:14-16 (MSG)

I don't know what shocking pain you may be experiencing today. Perhaps you are one who is living through the deepest hurt of your life. Sometimes the only comfort you can hold onto is that Jesus knows how you feel. Because if He knows, He'll have the sympathy, empathy, and compassion to help you. And if anyone can help, it's Him.