Unbusy

Eugene Peterson in "The Contemplative Pastor" asks,

"How can I persuade a person to live by faith and not by works if I have to juggle my schedule constantly to make everything fit into place?" "I am busy because I am vain. I want to appear important. Significant. What better way than to be busy?"

There are very few people I know that are not busy. When you meet them it feels as if they have all the time in the world, and yet they have jobs, family, interests. What is lacking is a sense of urgency to move on to the next thing. You are there, and that is enough for them.

This is how I want my home to be. I see glimpses of it, but like all creative endeavors, it takes living by faith. A hopeful certainty that leaving the dishes undone tonight, not taking on an extra role at church or school, letting my social network updates slide, that saying, "No" will produce a deeper and richer existence which works to implement " joining God in the renewal of all things" (Trinity Grace Church slogan).

Living with God, bringing a piece of kingdom life into our dailiness requires more from me than my currently busy life can offer. If I am to take on the nature of God I need to realize that space, and empty time to "waste" with Him is necessary. Not that I am lazy, there are duties to fulfill, but I am using my creative mind purposefully in all facets of my life to allow the breath of God to bring new life in.

Willpower

My husband has been learning about willpower and stress management and other such things in a personal leadership class at Columbia. Every time he comes home with notes of practical application, (why are not all teachings like this?) and shares his findings with me.

The concept that has struck me the most, and been following my thoughts is that of the limited resource of willpower. Did you know the more you exert it, the less you have in reserve to call upon later? The idea of girding yourself up and just determining to try harder when you've already exerted a fair amount of willpower may only leave you frustrated.

So how do you obtain more? I'm still learning about it, but one thing I do know, when you take the desires of your heart before the Lord in prayer and earnest seeking, He will not leave you disappointed. My dear sister in the Lord, Elvira, reminded me of the blessing of coming daily before God and expecting His presence, peace, prosperity, and promises. (nice alliteration, huh? :) )

She wakes at 5:00 am every day to devotion to Jesus first. She goes expecting, and you know, the Lord has blessed her. You can see it in her countenance. You can see it in her ease of handling her 5 children. You can see it in the way she excels at whatever she puts her heart into. And, you can see it in the way her faith has increased in measure at each obstacle; she laughs and points back to the blessings along the way and tells me nearly every time I see her, "Sasha, the Lord has been good to me! I am blessed, I Am Blessed!"

This from a woman who buys groceries only once a month and stretches it, who builds her own shelving because it is cheaper than buying dressers, who clothes her family with gifts and hand-me-downs, who has learned how to transport her family without a car, who lives in a rough Brooklyn neighborhood in a comparatively small apartment, who has only 3 cooking pots, who proudly shows me how she now has an individual bed for each of her children and who doesn't complain that they have no pillows. Sounds something like a Proverbs 31 woman, doesn't she. Where does her willpower to get up early, provide for her family, and love life come from? I believe it is from starting her day with Jesus.

So, I'm exerting my willpower a little more these days and trying to crawl out of bed at 6:00 am (this is hard enough for this night owl!) to go expecting to meet Jesus. I don't do it to receive more things, but to be renewed of heart and mind and soul in hopes that when you come to my house I can say with arms raised, as Elvira does, "The Lord is good to me! I am blessed! I Am Blessed!"

Promises from the Psalms

Just look at all the promises and things to expect from a few psalms taken from The Book of Common Prayer Daily Office Lectionary

Psalms 23, 27, 85 and 86

The Lord, restores my soul and I shall not want. He leads me in paths of righteousness. I need not fear evil. I shall dwell in the House of the Lord-forever! For the Lord is my light and my salvation. Evildoers, adversaries, foes stumble and fall. I shall not fear--I will be confident!

He will shelter me and lift me high and I will shout for joy, sing. The LORD will take me in. He will speak peace to His people. The LORD will give what is good and our land will yield its increase.

The Lord abounds in steadfast love to all who call on Him. Has has helped and comforted.

I'm going, expecting...

From Richard Foster's book "Celebration of Discipline"

Many times I do not feel like worshiping and I have to kneel down and say, "Lord, I don't feel like worshiping, but I desire to give you this time. It belongs to you. I will waste this time for you.

So go, even if you don't feel like it. Go praying. Go expecting. Go looking for God to do a new and living work among you.