Sometimes You Just Gotta Let the Day Unfold

Weather and politics.  It's our two favourite topics right now up here in Canada, and they are both top stories in the news today.

The weather, because winter is apparently coming back for another tantrum, this time throwing in all the nasty it can muster in a 12 hour period of time.  After last weekend's damaging ice, we Ontarians wait to see how much more disruption might be on the way.

Politics, because...well.  More tantrums.  More nasty.  More potential disruption.  At least that's what I surmise from the news I receive.  And we're all 'bracing' for what it could mean.  For today.  For the long haul.

I'm not a meteorologist.  I'm not a politician.  So what do I know.

Except that the weather forecasts often as not can't tell us exactly how it will be.  And the op eds or Finance Ministers or anyone else who's really in the thick of things don't completely know either.  Might be not so bad.  Might be worse.

Do I cancel some plans where I was going out today?  I'll wait and see.

Do I get in a fret for all that's possibly coming down the pipe economically?  I'll wait and see.  

I'm pausing here, because when I started this post I honestly didn't think it was going to be about much more than just a quick comment on the weather.  And ironically, that's helping make the point I've ended up making here.  You just never know where things are going.

Just one more comment before I head off to other things.  The sentiment in the picture above.  It's sweet, but too tidy for me.  I have it hanging just to the left of my desk, and I need the reminder for sure.  A girlfriend and I bought two of these a very long time ago, one for her and one for me, when we were both going through something big and scary.  It was meant as a reminder to pray for and that we were being prayed for by each other.

But prayer does not guarantee an unraveled day, not really.  The day might unravel in ways unexpected and difficult.  It just might.  I think what's more important is how prayer keeps my heart from fraying into chaotic threads of anxiety, or retaliation, or despair.  

So I'll be praying as this particular day unfolds.    

April's Wisdom

 

Although I don't mind an obvious joke on April Fools' Day, I'm so not into the pranking thing. So have fun, be kind, stay safe and it's all good.

I do love this reminder from the Bible's collection of wise sayings called "Proverbs." Especially in these times of -- what respectfully seems to me -- widespread, harsh foolishness.

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favour and a good name
in the sight of God and people.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him
and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:3-6

Some sunny thoughts for the first day of the month.
And also...
Is it really April already?

Is that You, Lord?

Got a lot on the go this coming week, but that's okay. The weekend just past was totally chill. The weekend ahead is full of possibilities.

I'll be sharing in a collective enrichment opportunity with the women of Kingsfield Zurich Mennonite Church at their Ladies' Retreat Friday and Saturday, talking about how we hear God's voice in our everyday lives. And I don't say that flippantly. It's an often misunderstood experience prone to extremes. But of course that's the substance of the sessions.

Looking forward to spending time with Poppy Gascho Barrett Price (my host) and also Norma Metzger (my traveling companion). And of course the women who have set aside this time to pursue God more robustly....just the kind of folks I love to learn from.

Happy Monday everyone.

When You Wake Up So Very Early on a Sunday Morning

 

In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength,

but you would have none of it.

Isaiah 30:15

We're getting such a small dose of things here in our region.  The bigger storm is north and east of us, and from the reports and pictures, it's much more of a thing for them.  Lots of people without power this morning.

I, on the other hand, am in the enviable position of waking up in a warm, lit house, taking pretty pictures off my front porch, and anticipating a Sunday morning service that is still on.  The nature of my weekend is unusually low key, in that I have absolutely no responsibilities, no meetings, nothing I need to 'show up' for, other than being present within my community to worship together.  

Because I'm an early riser normally, and because I slept so well last night (yay for jet lag's departure), I am up and dressed and ready to roll by 6 a.m.  Our fairly recent move to having only one vehicle means I am not free to head over to the church whenever I like.  Today, by mutual agreement, we aren't leaving until much later than I'm used to.  And that's okay.

It's been a bit of a week.  These days, there's always 'the news.'  And on Friday there were those anxious moments between hearing 'the news' about the earthquake in Thailand, and hearing from beloveds there that they are okay.  Then there was the 'keep an eye on it' set back following a root canal procedure on Monday. Some pressing deadlines thrown in.  And all tolled, it was enough to make me more cautious about how I'm expending my energies, and grateful I had the foresight to clear off the calendar to make space for this first full week back. 

Yesterday was truly a treat; the first Saturday in I don't know how long where neither Ken nor I had anything booked except for taking care of the 'domestics' (so much easier and quicker in our new little house) and continuing with some smaller items on the house list (eg. finally looked after all those loose wires in the corner!).  

This morning has a similar feel.  And this afternoon, after church, we can just come home and hunker down.  Perhaps a game of Scrabble?  

I'm lingering in it.  Unhurried.  Listening.  Paying attention in the lull of it.  Enjoying it.  And I realize, in these moments, I think, maybe, I'm finally starting to grow in this.

I am mindful of a text I have posted often before, so I stop and insert it at the beginning here, underneath the picture.  

It's a go to.  A centering text.  Even with, especially with the rebuke at the end.  And I think, maybe, I'm learning.  At least I hope so.  In the past these pockets of nothing-time made me antsy.  I would be having none of it.  Especially on a Sunday morning, but here I'll give myself slack because that's decades of conditioning I'm having to unlearn.  

Yet this morning I'm finding a mindfulness, an attentiveness in the space.  Another way to prepare for worship.  

Good gifts, these unhurried spaces, when you wake up so very early on a Sunday morning.

That Nasty Foot Washing Business

 

Photo by Dave Driver

"When he had finished washing their feet,

He put on His regular clothes and returned to His place.

'Do you understand what I have done for you?' He asked them?

John 13:12

One way of reading the Bible is to simply stop when something catches your attention.  This morning, as I picked up the passion week narrative in John 13, this is where I landed.  Jesus asks what seems to be an impossible question.  Worse.  As I read, I hear Him ask it of me.  Worse than that.  I'm pretty sure He's asking because of something that's muttering about in my soul right now.

I know the story well.  Jesus catches them all off guard by dressing as a servant and then performing the lowliest of tasks in that culture.  Feet got dirty in ways ours don't get.  I catch a glimpse of this when visiting places in Thailand where animals and people walk around on the same ground.  Even just the dust combined with the open sandals makes for a distasteful mess, let alone whatever else might get inadvertently stepped in.  In that room with Jesus that evening, it should have been the lowest ranking slave that got the job of washing feet.

And that's what Jesus became for them, in that moment.  

Almighty God, washing remnants of animal dung off the dusty feet of His friends.  

"Do you understand what I have done for you?"

Clearly I don't.  Otherwise I would not get so slighted when I feel I have been disrespected.  I would not narrow my eyes and pull myself back ever so slightly when it's clear that my contributions are being dismissed.  I would not be tempted to withhold good graces when good graces have been withheld from me.  

If I truly understood what Jesus has done for me in stooping to this level, I would be more quick to take on the towel myself.  Happily.

It's been said that you only know for certain if you have a servant's heart by how you respond when someone treats you like one.

How grateful I am for His example.  And the example of His servants who have understood, and have offered me their servant's heart so stunningly.  May I stay faithful to the Spirit's process within me, and be willing to be formed into His likeness, a little more every day.  Yes, Lord.. I do want this.  And thank You for pushing pause on the mutterings of my heart.

These are the meditations of someone imperfectly limping towards Lent.  

Late to Lent

There's something about traveling across time zones that messes with that whole 'what day is it?' fog. For me, by now, it seems crazy that it's already been a whole week since my return. Yet here we are.

Good thing I had cleared my calendar, more or less, because it's been full enough, what with the general unpacking and trip follow up, an out of town Regional Meeting with Anchor, distributing Sponsors' thanks yous, checking in with grandkids, a Steve Bell concert Sunday evening, root canal on Monday, and a little flare up revisit to the specialist yesterday. (Nothing a course of antibiotics and salt water rinses won't take care of.)

I confess that in my eagerness to step back into regular routines, and the anticipation of some exciting speaking engagements in the next few weeks, I have almost lost sight of the Lenten season we are currently observing in that broader sense of the church calendar.

A small wooden cross, a gift from Yupa as I was leaving, helps reorient me. I seek some inspiration and insight from the prophet.

"...the punishment that brought us peace was on Him."
Isaiah 53:5

In a world where peace seems so illusive, I feel the need to just leave these words be.

Except to say that they add to the growing weight of gratitude piling up inside of me

this first week back.

Positive Pacing

Because I've been asked for one, I conscripted Ken this afternoon to help me get a head shot.  I took a risk taking the pictures today.  Afterall, I'm still only three days post-long-haul-flight, and I was afraid it would show.

But actually, with the natural lighting, I ended up with this, and...well...I think Ken did a pretty good job considering what he had to work with.   It's saying something if he could actually capture something I think is fairly decent, since I'm probably one of the least photogenic people I know.

And...well...there's the jet lag.

Up until now, I've been saying that it doesn't matter how often I do the trip, the jet lag is the same.  As if I had hoped that if after putting my body through the 12 hour time warp often enough over these past sixteen years it would sort of say, "Oh this again.  Okay, got this."  But it didn't seem to be working that way.

Except these last two trips I've actually found myself fairly quick to readjust.  Still just a skitch woozy at certain points in the day, and I'm going to hold to my personal rule of no driving after 12 noon for the first week.  But overall, I'm sleeping well, have close to normal times of feeling hungry, and have been able to stay awake fairly cheerfully until 9 p.m.    

Not sure why, really.  Maybe it's being more conscientious about my hydration before, during, and after the plane ride.  Maybe my expectations are just more realistic by now.  Maybe I'm more used to what it feels like and therefore better able to take it in stride, work with it instead of fight against it.  Most likely, it's because the demands of my ministry life here in Canada are vastly different than they were before, and I can give myself a bit more space to readjust instead of having to hit the ground running.  For instance, I arrived back on Wednesday and don't have to preach this Sunday.  

Whatever the reason, I'm grateful.  Especially as I face another annoying disruption next week; my very first root canal.  Yay.  [I likely won't be taking any pictures of any of that.]

There's lots of good and joyful work to keep me occupied right now, no question.  Following up on some of the planning and logistics from our good conversations when I was at Hot Springs.  Connecting with our beloved Sponsors and Supporters.  Budget and other administrative logistics.  Preparing for two significant speaking assignments in the next few weeks.  All of it energizes me as I map it all out these first days back.  

But I'm finding my approach, my spirit to be steady, relaxed, non-anxious.  My time away was so very restorative on so many levels, and I'm just as happy to bring that into these next months of life and ministry.  Happy to skip some of the jet lag.  Eager to step into Spring.

So here's to a good return, to pacing it out, to mini photo shoots that end up okay, and to a long quiet Saturday afternoon to just be home.