Rest, Relax and Retreat

I guess it mostly has to do with the values my family/parents instilled in me growing up, but I was raised with a strong work ethic (Colossians 3:23 comes to mind). I tend to live by the motto that if there is something I know needs to be done and I have the time/ability/resources, I am more than happy to take care of it, especially if it helps someone else out. I also feel very strongly about fulfilling my responsibilities, even going above and beyond the call of duty when it's beneficial. I'm a self-confessed people-pleaser, too; when I'm asked to do something, I try to take a servant attitude and do the task in a timely manner with no questions asked, even if it means temporarily dropping whatever else I might be working on (not to mention that I'm sometimes afraid I will forget the request if I don't do it right away!). However, it's quite distressing to realize when I've evidently let somebody down or they are otherwise somehow disappointed in me. Having said all that, God has recently been showing me that I can take time to rest/relax and still finish the work I need to do, and that as uncomfortable as it is, I should strive to stifle the urge to go the extra mile and reign in my sense of conscientiousness. In particular, I'm seeing that more specifically reorganizing my work schedule should help in these areas. On a retreat with our Sanctuary Choir this weekend, the importance of stopping to tap into God's power periodically was alluded to, which I for one needed the reminder that such times are not indicative of laziness, but are well-worth it! In addition, the sermon in our worship service today centered on Elijah's crisis of faith in relationship to God's call on his life/work as an example of how a different perspective can eventually lead to a renewed commitment in terms of serving God and others with our vocation. God looks for and appreciates an attitude of willingness from us, even if we aren't necessarily the person He may end up using for the task at hand. Asking for help can be very difficult for me, not so much from the standpoint of actually needing it to get something done, but the cost in time/effort to the helper. Most of these ideas are really nothing new to me, but they are ones which definitely belong in my easier-to-know-in-the-head-than-put-into-practice-from-the-heart category, and will take some patience and discipline as I continue to develop a better balance between my willingness to help others and realizing that they most likely want to experience the same joy as well!

Christ as our Focus

God gently reminded me this week that more and bigger isn't necessarily better and I need to be content to fulfill God's work/purpose right where I am at the time. It can be a little overwhelming to see all the need in the world and even feel somewhat guilty that there often seems to be no headway being made, but as the youth mission team from our church that recently went to Jamaica shared in our worship service this morning, it was reassuring to remember that God indeed can and does use any effort we make in His behalf (even if we don't always see the end result), and that He calls us to make an impact for Him in our own community, school or workplace. Similarly, the worship leader at a conference I went to this week encouraged us that keeping our focus on Christ tends to put everything else (prestige, career advancement, etc.) in it's proper perspective. Even though the body of Christ is made up of imperfect people who may have a fairly wide range of views on different issues, we all worship the same God; establishing and developing a relationship with Him and helping others to do the same is what we should be about!

Vacation Memories and Musings

I recently went on vacation with my family to Yellowstone National Park, and I must say, I wasn't disappointed! We had been looking forward to it for quite a while, because my mom purchased a lifetime pass to the national parks when we went to the Grand Canyon a while back, and started working on our reservations about a year ago in order to find a place to stay within the park. Also, my mom was somewhat intentional about the plans, because with my parents getting older, and both my niece and nephew graduating from college and high school respectively next year, it looked like possibly the last best chance we might have at being able to find a time/adjust our schedules and travel somewhere together (for 7 busy people who live in 3 different places, that's saying a lot!). I was taking care of things at work almost up to the last minute, but throughout the whole trip, it was as if God was telling me to slow down, buckle my seat belt, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! The awesome display of His handiwork was incredible, from Old Faithful, to a boat tour of Yellowstone Lake, viewing he Grand Tetons/the falls at Canyon Village, and seeing majestic wildlife (bison, elk, deer, a bald eagle and a bear/cubs) roaming freely as He created them to do was nothing short of amazing. Even though we were able to visit a large section of the park in just three and a half days, we were also able to take our time and not feel terribly rushed. We rented a van to get around, and it actually gave us some quality time to reconnect (my nephew even kept us entertained with his "punny" jokes of the day), which made the distances seem even shorter than they were; however, we did have a couple of near run-ins with some bison for excitement along the way! God also reminded me of how small the world now is, because I wore my purple FBC logo t-shirt the day we took our boat tour of Yellowstone Lake, and a couple walked by and asked, "That wouldn't be First Baptist of Dalton, GA, would it?". When I said yes, they replied that they were from Albany (which is ironic, considering our Pastoral Educator is from there); so much for getting away! Somehow I think God was reminding me that no matter where I am, even in the midst of perfect strangers, I'm His representative as a Christian, and should always strive to live accordingly. I also discovered the work of a nature writer named Ilan Shamir on a set of gift shop bookmarks; the one I got was entitled "Advice from a Lake". I'm not sure if he is a person of faith, but it provided some food for thought that can certainly be taken in a Christian context:  

Advice from a Lake

Be clear
Make positive ripples
Look beneath the surface
Stay calm
Shore up friendships
Take time to reflect
Be full of life!

Church Family (Non)Disfunctionality

It's been an interesting last few days at our church, with a variety of activities involving a wide cross-section of our congregation and community.  First, there was a wedding on Saturday, with a lovely couple pledging themselves to each other in Christian marriage, then our Vacation Bible School began this morning, with plenty of young children laughing, singing and playing throughout our entire building.  Finally, there was a funeral for the mother of one of our members this afternoon.  In between, we had our regular worship service on Sunday, with an emphasis on Father's Day; in our pastor's sermon, he reminded us that no one's family is perfect.  However, in reflecting on the events of the past three days, I realize that even though every congregation as a whole (including ours) has its ups and downs, the church can and should act most like God intends when it functions in the role of a family and is there as a source of support, teaching and encouragement for each other throughout the seasons of life.  I'd say that's the definition of (non)disfunctionality!

Here we go.../Thoughts on Mother's Day

Okay, I finally decided to take the plunge and begin a blog; I don't know how often I'll be posting, but I hope that I might be able to share some of the ways God has blessed my life and the lessons He has taught me over the years in my Christian walk.  Where do I begin?  With a birthday coming up in another week or so and today being Mother's Day, I'm reminded that I am a survivor of sorts; in fact, statistically I shouldn't even have made it to being born.  I have shared this with some of you, but I have a genetic condition called Turner's Syndrome, which has a 98% miscarriage rate.  It is the reason I am so short, among other physical characteristics (infertility being one); I also had to have a non-functioning kidney removed at 9 days old.  But I have struggled the most with the personality quirks such as impulsivity, lack of awareness, difficulty in reading facial expressions/social cues and problems with short-term/working memory it can cause.  However, I am very thankful that the doctors were able to diagnose me at birth (which was amazing for the mid-1960's, since it is so rare and it had only been identified in the late 1930's), because at least I knew from an early age that I wouldn't be able to have a biological child of my own.  I am also grateful that God blessed me with Christian parents who love me unconditionally and chose not to see my condition as any kind of disability, with the same expectations for behavior, etc. as my older brother.  When I think of the things God has allowed me to accomplish in my life despite having TS, such as earning a college degree (cum laude), working in a satisfying job I love and buying my own place (4 years down, 26 more to go!), I can't help but have an appreciation for the faith, family and friends that have sustained me so far.  Many of you know that I originally went to college to become a teacher, and have had various occasions to work with children, including as director of the 4-year-old choir at my church.  So, if I start to feel a twinge of sadness on a day like Mother's Day, I have to ask myself this question as an attitude check:  Am I overly disappointed at not being able to have a child of my own, or can I be grateful for the opportunities God has given me to work with other children?