This is a Vanity Post

I haven’t blogged for some time here (more than a month!), so perhaps it’s not surprising that I don’t have much to say.

So what is this post about, then?

There’s a little dropdown box in the right hand margin of this blog site which allows you to quickly find posts from previous months. Currently, it shows at least one entry from every month since August 2011 when I first began blogging.

Well, February is almost over, and I realized that if I didn’t post something, then there would forever be a gap in this list, with no entries for Feb 2014.

So, I’m writing this post really out of vanity, or OCD, or something.

It’s been a neat journey to see what role blogging fulfills. In some seasons of life, the need for creative outlet or the processing of ideas takes places well here. In others, like more recently for me, I’ve been finding creative release via photography (expressed on Flickr and FB) and opportunities for contemplating life by engaging in conversation in community and regular journaling.

Thus, at the moment, my blog has sat idle. And I think that’s okay. And if some future season warrants utilizing it again, it’ll be here.

If nothing else, I may well be back in less than 30 days, just to keep my monthly archive up-to-date…unless, of course, I finally grow out of my silly little vanities.  🙂

~~~

I have been marginally more active on my other blog: 2yearsofpsalms.wordpress.com

 

I Just Can’t Get Out

It seemed so futile.

While sitting at my desk today, my ears were perked by a frustrated buzzing sound.

As I looked at the window in front of me, I saw the wasp that was desperately trying to get back out doors. He walked up and down the window pane, wings fluttering constantly in case he should finally step off of this invisible barrier and achieve his goal of the great wide open.

So close, but yet so far.

For 12 minutes he paced the glass, often times wandering farther away from the open window and his only escape to freedom, his only path to achieve his heart’s desire.

I occasionally tried to usher him in the right direction, using the window curtain or a piece of paper. To no avail; he was certain that if he just kept where he was, he would eventually get through. And had he moved 6 inches to the right, he would have succeeded. I wondered if it would ever happen. I considered whether or not I should just crush him against the glass, ending his frustration (and my own).

But I didn’t. After some minutes he made it to the top pane of glass, then shifted so that he sat just above the opened window. I could see that hope was in sight; would he take that final step down and around the window frame obstacle and find freedom?

He did!

While watching this wasp, I realized this was a perfect sermon illustration…5 months too late for a message that I gave earlier this year (which you can listen to from my Writings page; just scroll down to Sermon Audio).

In that talk, I reflected on how we can get distracted, even blockaded, from attaining the very good purposes we may have by becoming fixated upon the means, rather than the goal.

This wasp couldn’t get out the window because he was stuck on dealing with the window.

Similarly, we sometimes may struggle to attain the goal of really walking with God, engaging deeply with Him, because we may get distracted by the very avenues–spiritual disciplines, our own experience, worship, testimony, prayer, even Scripture–that should enable us to encounter God. All of these “windows” are excellent avenues for us to get a vision of relationship with God, and are effective means for us to meet with Him. Or at least they can be. They can also become a distraction to us if we end up obsessing over the means, and set aside the ends.

The wasp got out eventually. I don’t know how bruised he was after bashing himself against the inside of my window for nearly a quarter of an hour. I don’t know what emotions he encountered, what wounds he acquired, but I do know that he wasted a fair bit of time and energy…especially for an insect with a lifespan of just 12 days.

What about us? What are the goals of our own spiritual lives? What avenues do we have for walking those paths? And are we utilizing those avenues well, or are we enabling ourselves to become distracted? Are we caught up in some nuance of Scripture that’s preventing us from hearing God? Are we concerned about the format (or formula) of our prayer, rather than actually having a conversation with God? Are we embarrassed by our singing voice or lack of rhythm, rather than worshiping God? Are we spooked by the labels that others may ascribe to us, rather than enjoying a spiritual discipline as an opportunity to meet with God?

What windows are we butting up against, rather than walking through? In what areas of life are we internally proclaiming, “I just can’t get out”?

In addition to the sermon mentioned above (entitled “Windows & Rainbow Stickers“), another resource I’ve found helpful for this question is a book entitled Designed for Relationship, which looks at various aspects of who we are, and addresses challenges and opportunities for growth in each that can enable us to have the kind of interaction with God that we were intended for. Definitely recommended.

 

Designed for Relationship

I’m really excited to announce the publication of a new book written by a close friend of mine, T.J. MacLeslie!

This book, his second, is entitled Designed for Relationship, and is an insightful exploration into the nature of humanity.

You can read my review of the book on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/Designed-Relationship-Learning-Love-God/dp/0989016609/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372861683&sr=8-1&keywords=designed+for+relationship

I was privileged to be involved alongside of T.J. for much of this project, including developing several companion resources to go along with the book. Head over to the book’s website at www.dfrbook.com to read more and to take advantage of the freely offered supplemental resources!