Where's The Victory?

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  Almost sounds like an oxymoron, because “happy memorial” conjures up so many conflicting sentiments as we remember soldiers, wars, battles won and lost, lives won and lost.  I often dwell on the sorrow of the losses—needless, if only we could work out differences in a peaceful manner instead of our typical violent selves.  Deep sighs.

So I was struck to see this particular quote pop up this morning in the daily devotional Inward/Outward.  It drew my mind right back into that Memorial Day oxymoron.  Bear with me, as my mind moves in weird directions this morning:

Aren't we privileged to live in a time when everything is at stake, and when our efforts make a difference in the eternal contest between the forces of light and shadow, between togetherness and division? Between justice and exploitation? Oh, be joyful that you are a warrior in this great time! Will we rise to this battle? If so, we cannot lose, for rising up to it is our victory. If we represent love in the world, you see, we have already won.

Privileged?  “Privileged” may stroke my ego for just a moment, but in this context doesn’t stir up feelings of joy if I’m thrust in a position of conflict, between justice and exploitation.  I might have chosen a word like “courage,” or “guts” or even “strength beyond ourselves.”  But privileged?  To one like me who avoids conflict at almost any cost?

I suppose “privileged” is a synonym for blessed, but it sure sounds more sanctimonious. Now, I realize by way of our heritage, that we are all blessed—to be blessing for others, not ourselves.  Yeah,  yeah, I say, we know that, what else is new?  I let the word “blessed” just slip back out of my psyche.  It’s such a gentle word, compared to “privileged.”

So I hop back into the quote.  Surely there has to be a key to why we would be so privileged to be part of a battle?  And there it is:  “rising up to (this battle) IS OUR VICTORY….IF we represent love in the world.”

This Memorial Day weekend, I give thanks for those who have risen up in the battle FOR justice and AGAINST exploitation.  The victory may feel very different from a “win,” but hold onto the victory that is in the simple, but courageous “rising up.”  And the privilege to do the right thing.

Grace and joy,

Julie

Putting Out Fires

When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

That’s a reminder I often need to hear.

If there had been fire departments in Jesus’ day, we might find those words as one of his quotes in Scripture, with the addition of fighting fire with Living Water.  Even coals of kindness are laced with compassion and mercy—not vengefulness.

I found myself angry this week at a spiritual-political culture, although at the time I focused in on one group.  I reached out to others to flesh out my feelings and determine how I could forgive or reconcile a situation.  Normally I stew, fuss and fume and sometimes do something or say something stupid.  Thank God this time I listened to the godly advice of trusted colleagues and a spiritual advisor.   The anger/resentment has been diverted to a new Voice.

Bless them all—they helped me discern, reflect and be kinder—even to myself—but to stand strong to claim a voice of injustice that is reflected in a culture.  Cultures can take on personalities and forces above and beyond the individuals involved, typically when power and control over others come into play.  It takes a greater voice of leadership, morality and ethics to change the culture within a particular political setting—whether it’s a nation or group of nations, a church or The Church—you get the drift.  And more times than not, the greater voice is the Greater Voice, our Higher Power.  God.

I may have little influence—indeed, am probably powerless—in my specific wrestlings this past week, but linked arm in arm with others in the Body of Christ, we can hold on to our faithfulness, direct the energy of our anger and hurt to positive channels.  Kind of like the power of a fire hose, under the pressure of the Holy Spirit.  My bit at any given time may just be a little squirt, but I’ll continue to be mindful to be filled with Living Water so as not to damage another, or me.

At least that’s the view from my desk.  This day, no fires in my line of sight, thank God!

Grace and joy,

Julie

Believing with All Your Heart, Mind & Strength

Last week at the women’s retreat on prayer, we had deep discussions about what we honestly and authentically believe about God, the One to whom we pray.  Last night at the Christian Believer’s closing for the year, we talked about what it meant to be a believer.  In a Sunday School class last week, we also talked about faith and belief—without works, it is nothing.  Belief forms who we are and who we want to become—the core of our motivation and intentions.

Belief.  In what and in Whom do you believe?  It’s good to re-evaluate, take inventory once in a while, so that, like the Zen Cowboy says, we’re riding the horse in the direction it’s traveling. 

Some tips to help with the inventory:

Where are you now in your spiritual life?  Where do you want to be?  What steps are you taking to get there?

If you want to see where you place your priorities, peruse your calendar and checkbook.  Where we spend our time and money is a good indicator of what we hold dear to our hearts.

While doubt is a healthy exercise, when can you let go to simply trust?

What is the desire of your heart?  Do your desires align with God’s desire for your heart?

In the midst of inventorying, try not to get stuck in your head.  Talk things out in a small group with other believers on the journey.  Their view, from their place on the path, can provide insight—and help you realize you are not alone.  We all wrestle!

Above all, act.  A wise person once said that becoming the person we want to be is an active, not passive process.  To be, we have to do.  If you have ears to hear, go and do.  

This is all at the heart of our Judeo-Christian heritage.  Love God with all your heart, mind and strength.  With all that you have and all that you are.  And Love is action...not just warm fuzzy feelings.

That’s the view from my desk this morning.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go act on it!

Grace and joy,

Julie

One Little Mistake

What a week!  Have you ever made one little mistake, but done everything else right?  That’s how the past week went for me. I thought I was going to get away to the Rocky Mountains, and had been facebooking with my cousin Jane about the day of the week and dates.  I thought it was a little odd that we were celebrating her summer birthday in April, and that she was booking a domestic trip on the heels of a European excursion, but I’m a trusting sort.  I didn’t pry or ask questions, because that’s how I roll.  And I rolled right off the tarmac, this time!

You see, Jane was talking about July, and I was thinking April.  The days of the week matched the dates, which coincidently are the same for April and July this year.  Thank goodness we both caught it before I stepped on the flight to Denver!

Obviously, I needed down time after all.  So I stayed home for three days, but plunged myself into the details for this weekend’s Women’s Retreat.  All the schedules, all the gift bags, all the supplies, all the lists…and I waded into the curriculum itself.  I’ve participated in more 50 retreats in my lifetime, but this is the first one for which I have been solely responsible.  I won’t be doing it by myself again.  I’ve learned that lesson the hard way this week.

Oh, I’ve studied, and plotted, and planned.  I love doing that.  And I set about writing what I would say, how I would say it, how to include the participants, but it was turning into quicksand. I was working hard, but not getting anywhere.  Have you ever been stuck like that?  I was doing all the right things, but again I made one little mistake.

It wasn’t until late, late Wednesday night that I finally got down on my knees to pray my most frequent prayer to God.  It goes like this (you may recognize it in your own prayer life), “Help!”  It was hopeless.  I was hopeless.  I think God let me stew on it through the night, and then, with the coming dawn, came that Little Small Voice.  “Julie, why don’t you let me handle this weekend and stop trying to take so much control?”

Well, of course.  I was about as embarrassed as I was with my airplane ticket mistake, although I didn’t know if I could trust my cousin Jane to forgive me at the time, and while I know God will forgive me, I suppose by thinking I needed to control everything, I wasn’t fully trusting God from the beginning.  I had no reason not to trust, as God has been so steadfast to me all my life.  God even is providing me the most fantastic musician for the weekend (Eliza Lynn, guitarist and banjoist, check her out, she’s phenomenal).

Who knows how the weekend will go, now that I’ve placed it all in God’s hands and am letting God guide what happens.  I fully trust it will be far, far better than anything I can imagine.  It’s so cool being enveloped in God’s grace that way.

I’ll update you soon on the gifts God is plotting for this weekend.  What I thought was fear has turned into excitement!

At least that’s the magnificent view from my desk this morning.

Grace and joy,

Julie

Reduce, Recycle, Restore

Wow.

For some of us who attended last night’s Sustainable Living Workshop, we’d heard the ideas before.  Reduce, recycle, restore.  Good scouts, environmental types, and those of us who deeply believe in God’s command to take care of the Earth by being good stewards beyond our own “nows,” the habits are simply in our blood.  We would never dream of tossing a piece of trash out a window or onto the ground.  We even feel guilty if we pass litter on the sidewalk without picking it up and putting it in a trash can, nor are we capable of throwing a glass bottle or a soda can straight into the trash if we can keep from it, without looking for the triangular “recycle” logo-ed container.

I’m not sure any of us at dinner last night walked away without new information and useful, really do-able things we can all do to save money (a good motivator) and take better care of the Earth not just for us but for future generations.  Did you know, for instance:

That the average person throws away 1,700 pounds of trash a year?

That your computer monitor and speakers stay on even if you’ve turned the power off, and that HD tvs are true energy hogs?

That lots of the hot water you may use to wash your hands with stays in the pipe from the water heater to your faucet, which wastes energy in the heating of the water that will soon go tepid?  (And cold water washing with soap is just as effective in killing hand bacteria….)

That our electric meters will soon be recording the time of our utility usage and NES or TVA will be billing us according to peak- or off-time usage?

That the soil in Tennessee has one of the highest radon rates in the country, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer?  

That there’s an island of trash floating in the ocean bigger than the State of Texas?  That’s gross and heart-rendering.

That you missed out on getting a gift bag filled with baking soda, vinegar, light bulbs, a power strip (yeah a POWER STRIP), and a biodisposable trash bag in addition to a reusable tote bag for your groceries by not coming to dinner and the workshop last night?

And there’s free stuff the TVA will send you if you take an interactive home e-valuation, like more lightbulbs, switch and outlet sealers, and other cool items in a conservation kit?

I hope there’ll be enough interest to invite the TSU Department of Family and Consumer Sciences back to West End to share this program again.  There are tiny little things we can do to make a big difference in the world.  Mother Teresa is quoted as having said “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”   It ain’t love unless we do.  And if we all do even small things, it all adds up, faster, I hope, than our trash piles.

Even though I'm headed out of town for a little R & R in the Rockies, I'm apt to be reminded that we're abusing our resources when I arrive in Denver to a brown layer of air between ground level and mountain peaks.  Oh Lord, help stir our hearts to do at least a little something each.  Excuse me, but I’ve got lots of paper on my desk to recycle and a hot water schedule in the planning stages.  That’s definitely the view from my desk, this afternoon.

Grace and joy,

Julie