Presume you too have been enjoying the beautiful weather the past month noting how we have escaped extreme heat after the earlier record moisture levels. This was the first summer I ever got my lawn mower stuck four times sufficiently to need a tow. Evidently I don’t own a Venture. I do not ever recall since my arrival in Wayne Co OH during ’82, when we were not usually quite dry for several weeks and often accompanied with high temps stressing the corn crop.
This evening after cheeseburgers and ice cream at the dariette, we enjoyed the back country roads, the surprisingly mature corn fields and a magnificent sunset with the top down as our official closure of summer ’19, feeling quite blessed indeed recalling that some of the fields were planted July 4th or even later.And the fact that Dorian is now apparently going to merely “side-swipe” FL rather hit it head on, makes my heart even more grateful. So many blessings to celebrate as I sit on our patio tonight listening to the stock cars roar off in the distance in their circular pursuits at the local speedway, not so unlike us perhaps, without the noise I hope, but the magnitude of split second decisions just as devastating or as rewarding as our decisions may well be tomorrow. How easily I recall my “near misses” of what could have been personal tragedies were it not for angels, as well as my “direct hits” when I rarely wisely discerned God’s instructions. Once again, Presence and Purposes.
But now all is relatively quiet, especially between the speedway heats in my immediate surroundings of the woods except for the usual night sounds, and they seem to be magnified as if they are celebrating as well! The sun set exactly 120 minutes ago, at 7:55 pm, and the stars are already shining brightly overhead. Such breath taking intoxicating peace. I indeed do enjoy our sanctuary, even though I grabbed a sweatshirt for warmth against the pervading chill.
I am increasingly aware I’m not likely a typical blogger. I am not an expert on anything. What little I read either in books or electronically I tend to view the material being presented to we the readers as possessing a clinical correctness couched in the sterility of proven wisdom. As I live life, I seldom enjoy the assimilation of its struggles in neat succinct packages but frequently in total disarray. People write fiction of such accounts but rarely do I encounter authors who share the struggles of their personal lives during their real time actual struggles though I’m quite sure there are many such examples and perhaps you’ll email me names of such. Three of my favorite authors exhibiting such fresh vibrant hopeful honesty are Matthew Kelly, Robert Morris and John Bevere. Usually it seems we pick up on the authors process when the event is completed, and only then do we learn of the victory won or the dastardly defeat (seldom the latter though).
I must confide in you that in the not so recent past I was tempted to think my story or work was of my past, as I grown up and throughout life witnessed and read of such historical accounts. In recent months now I am discerning that the “current challenging events” of how we process the nuances and distractions of life’s relationships, work, retirement, business, betrayal, family, church community, the media, culture, politics, etc., are 1.) all either in the spotlight of, OR 2.) under an electronic microscope of the Gospel of Christ, and such “current challenging events” are of infinitely more value than merely continuing historical regurgitations regardless of who they were and their credentials (usually experiential).
Why? Because a close examination of the “current challenging events” in our lives implies “real time activity” in and amongst the inter-connectiveness of our spirit, soul and body, heart mind and will, as we pursue God’s presence and His purposes in our lives right now we as go about our daily tasks, however mundane or unimportant they may seem.
In reading through the One Year Bible, we have just concluded Job (one tough book) and have entered Ecclesiastes. Today’s reading and quoting now beginning at 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” I tend to interpret perhaps naively the referenced “eternity” as my personal “Holy Discomfort” in that I really do “know very little” in the scheme of life as God has set it forth for us in which to engage, especially “what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
Fortunately, the NT portion today from II Corinthians 6:3-13, I believe fills in the “knowledge gaps” for us non-academics lacking time for theological pursuits so late in life. “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry would not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, but yet regarded as imposters; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, yet we live on; beaten and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing everything.
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange – I speak to you my children – open wide your hearts also.”
In summary then, considering our daily tasks tomorrow, what is your “Holy Discomfort” whispering to you? Are you a Corinthian feeling the “brush of Paul’s spiritual realities” similarly as FL may experience Dorian tomorrow? OR, are you on the team with Paul commending ourselves in every way: in great endurance; etc. Read those fifteen identifiers again. Please understand me when I say I love my new life in Christ but in comparison to what He has shown me that is possible, I am yet living a very lack luster spiritually mundane life! The question for me in the near future is, do I have the guts to share my journey of this process as Biblical Job and contemporaries Kelly, Morris, and Bevere have done? OR, am I even supposed to? Email me if so prompted.
Perhaps you have more specifics to add to Paul’s 15 identifiers? Not only do I actually know little of God and his processes as Job declared, but worse, now as a NT disciple, I have sent very little confirming evidence ahead for my “future hearing.” Historical knowledge accounts for little without sanctified “real time experience” and obedience.
Blessings as you Go Forth, enjoying the earth’s beautiful scenery tomorrow, God’s presence in your dreams and aspirations, and the revelations of His purposes for implementation as He directs you. merlin