the Brothers

It must have been something in the air I woke in the middle of the night thinking about things from Sunday and especially the Brothers, the one I've come to love and the one who embraced me by God's command.

Come to find out a friend of mine also woke in the night to pray healing over the men who had hurt her.

I am thankful for the good people I've been blessed to meet thankful that my wounds are what they've been, all able to heal. Even more I am happy to let go of the responsibility to maintain.

The Brothers have a noble yet foreign mind and I can't pretend to know what's there. But I am grateful when I see the evidence of God's work in them. The strength in their desire to defend and carry their friends.

Lord, grant that I should know your noble sons and trust your presence in them. Grant my great hope. You are love and loved a never ending gift.

Monday Meditation: Lost Things

Luke 15

Luke 15:6
“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.”

Luke 15:9
“Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.”

Lost Things

We celebrate when we find lost things our impulse is to share how it was discovered. But when it comes to people sometimes pride makes us bitter. We don’t realize the truth and beauty in the finding of people.

I love to see healing and progress but am suspicious when it doesn’t look like what I want it to.

It was pride that blinded the older brother and pride that caused the younger’s folly. Same cause different manifestations. In a way both were lost. The older was blind to his blessings, if only he could see through the father’s eyes he’d be free to rejoice. The younger obviously lost his inheritance but gained humility. In the end this acceptance of failure allows love to free him.

Pride would have us fight for everything. It would have us fight to rest, to love, to succeed. What’s the point? I don’t know what perfection is. I can’t do everything. I don’t even know, know, you. So, why should I not celebrate and trust that all will be perfect in the end?

Monday Meditation: David Mourned for the Living

2Samuel 12:22-23
He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

2Samuel 13:39
And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.

David Mourned for the Living

You could call me fortunate because I haven’t had close people die yet. I know it’s coming. 

David was familiar with death, it was all around him. As a warrior he had caused it. Living in a time when life expectancy was so young he had seen his fair share.

It struck me as interesting that he mourned while the child was still alive, and after, when the child was gone, he was done. That takes faith. I get the sense that David’s long experience with God made it more practical for him to move on. Because to mourn the dead child was to tell God he didn’t trust him. It would have been saying, “your judgment, Lord, was wrong” and that was something he could not do because he knew God and knew the judgment was right.

And latter it happens again. David chooses to mourn for his insurrectionist son, not the other who was murdered, because that son was still living and perhaps something good could still come from him.

I don’t think that David was uncaring it just didn’t serve him to hold on to the dead.

Sage Thought Friday

We should all display hospitality to back rubs.

Monday Meditation: Delegation of Work

Acts 6:1-7
“It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.”

Delegation or distribution of work: support work and the main event

This episode in the early church illustrates mature leadership. Not only do the apostils realize their limitations and acknowledge the problem before them they also empower a group of people to solve the problem so they can return to their primary task. This model is applicable to all group situations. 

First the problem was identified. All parties agreed about the basic problem. Everyone should agree about what the fundamental problem is before solving it. Communication is vital to solving any problem everyone should understand what’s going on and what tasks are assigned to them. 

The leadership then asked the people to identify the best individuals to solve the problem. After coming to a consensus on this they then gave their blessing and got out of the way allowing the appointed people to do their work.

Something I’ve observed: when people are not empowered or challenged to contribute to the solution they often become problems by complaining, sitting around doing nothing, or walking away angry.

In Christ all needs will be met however no individual can provide the complete answer. Church is collective response. Learn to be content with tasks assigned when God needs to move you to a new one he will. Be thankful for all kingdom work no matter how important it may be. However learn to know your main calling and be faithful to it. When a side project calls to you ask if there really is no one else who needs to be called forward into service, also ask yourself if it’s vital that it gets done. What is your motive for wanting this done?

I’m not in a position to delegate much at this point, however, it would be good for me to ask for “help” and practice assigning tasks so that it becomes second nature. Why? Because without practice I will have a tendency to hoard work and that’s actually kind of silly because the last thing I need to do is kill myself with work. 

When you find yourself saying, “The church should ___.” Ask yourself why she should, what is your motive for wanting this done?

Sage Thought Friday

The problem with the world is that bugs don't respect doors.

Noon on a Monday

It’s noon on a Monday and I’ve got 80% of my to do list done. It’s been two years since I’ve been able to do anything on a Monday. This feels good.

I know I will be going back to the killer schedule in a month but I thank God for this break. I trust all will be well.

As part of personal business I was getting a credit card for emergencies, etc. from the bank’s point of view I’m risky. Not because my credit’s bad, it’s actually really good, but because I don’t make enough money in a given month to satisfy them. Every time I run into this sort of thing I think about getting another job. But I remember how exhausting my theater work has been. I don’t want to be a zombie I want to be present for people. Still I’d love a desk job to balance out the run around.

Monday Meditation: beginning of peace

1 Kings 12:7
“If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.”

1 Kings 12:15
the king did not listen to the people.

 

To listen is the beginning of peace

Wise leadership comes from listening. It’s interesting to note that the elders didn’t say the lightening had to  be permanent though I suppose to go back on it would be just as bad as the arrogant speech the king did make.

Ok, fundamental human issue we all desperately want to understand and be understood. Unwillingness to listen is often the trigger for conflict at all levels.

You know it makes me feel better if I think at least one person listened to me today. Maybe there’s a service in that. I could see someone operating a listening booth where a person could go and just talk and be heard without being told anything. How refreshing that could be.