Anchors Aweigh

 “God blesses…” Mathew 5:3

  This is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus teaches us the Beatitudes.

  I asked the question…was it only yesterday? What is it about Jesus that makes Him the ideal expression of love? I awoke this morning with a chuckle because for 2000+ years, there have been countless sermons on this exact topic. It is what the Bible teaches us in its 1300 pages! It is not something I can fully answer in a brief blog! Especially since I only understand a fraction of what the love of God is in all its fullness.

  During one of the leadership videos, I learned that this and the following passages are central to the BIC faith (Be in Christ.) Being involved with leadership, it strikes me that this is an important area to implant into my thoughts, attitudes and dealings with others.

  It’s as good a place as any to start this morning.

  Smile. I don’t plan on interpreting these passages as a rule book about conduct. On my own, I could never live up to them! Perhaps that’s why Jesus starts off with blessing those who realize their need for Him because only through this need can the rest fall into place in our hearts.

  Hmmmm…this is a different sort of poverty thinking; one that has its roots firmly entrenched in humility not my wallet. But it isn’t a destitute type of poverty, it is a poverty of spirit infused with hope because I KNOW Jesus is central to what I do and say, at least when I take the time to listen. (Smile.)

  So being unsure and lacking confidence can be good things because when this happens, I turn to Jesus. That’s something I’ve never thought about before, how these are truly gifts that fuel my heart’s quest for growth and understanding.

 

  I am trying to wrap my head around the idea of how a lack of confidence has become an intrinsic part of confidence. The best way to describe it is by using the yin and yang, black and white Taoist symbol that looks like two commas intertwined. The two combined are part of a greater whole.

  One cannot exist without the other.

  Oh, I can recount many times when being confident has ended up backfiring because I was solely relying on my own abilities. Hmmm, aren’t those abilities gifts from God?  Another yin and yang.

  Be attitudes. (Oh, how I love a play on words!) Beautiful attitudes. Let’s toss the anchor of it all into the river—gratitude.

  Lord, there are days when I venture forth in confidence, sure footed and eager to do whatever task is at hand. Thank You for blessing me with this gift because at its core lay the sure knowledge that You are with me, that You have prepared me, and it’s only through You I am able to succeed. Thank You as well for experiences even when they can be tough. AMEN!

She Who Leads Must Follow

    “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12

  There is much to think about these days as I explore the various facets of leadership and the church I belong to. I took time to write out all the questions posed by the training videos I was required to watch as part of the requirements for leadership at the Meeting House. They were fantastic!

  In one of the videos, Bruxy shared an anecdote about when he was interviewed by the Meeting House for his position as teaching pastor. He was asked about his vision for the church and his thoughts on growing the numbers. His response was that he had no plan to expand the population but what he wanted to foster was a healthy church.

  He then went on to describe his vision of a healthy church.

  He’s good. He made me want to be part of it!

  Smile. I guess I am!

  Healthy is not a synonym for perfection! It is, however, a representation of the journey towards perfection, that example of perfection always being Jesus.

  I want to add that being part of this mission towards a healthy church does not come with any sort of condemnation towards my brothers and sisters who attend other churches, whose faith practices are different than my own. That’s part of being healthy…not judging. In fact, it’s being open to learning from them, too!

  (Smile.) I have to confess that this happens most of the time but sometimes it doesn’t. It takes practice.

  After finishing my post the other day, I wrote out a question of my own…”What is it about Jesus that makes him the ideal expression of love?”

  On the heels of typing this out this morning, another question arose, “Why do I want to become like him?”

  My first answer right off the top of my head is because there are things I want purged from my life. Things like hate, suspicion, and fear…oh…and yes, judgement! More importantly, I want to be like Him because I have experienced his peace, joy, grace, forgiveness, patience, compassion, and love on this journey along the Black River. I want to be in a position to give this to others.

  That’s a cool thing as well. I may not have arrived at my destination, but, through Jesus, I have been able to share these wonderful expressions of love with others along the way. And this is not just because of what I do, where I work, or my role in the church, it is because it is who God made me to be.

  And that, I feel, is the greatest attribute of leadership…being completely unaware that I am leading at all! I only need to be true to myself yet open to correction and guidance then let God do the rest. AMEN!

On the Leader Ship

    “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13

  I am greatly relieved we have been provided a video series on what leadership in the church should look like. There are some thought provoking questions asked as well, over and above what the series covers.

  Living solo provides few opportunities to have any sort of a conversation about these things. That, and because I think more clearly through writing (it sinks in better), I felt the next few mornings will provide an opportunity to ponder some answers, ideas and perhaps, pose a few questions of my own.

  Smile. Who am I kidding? Of course there will be questions!

  Firstly, this is stretching my abilities to think about the future. It has always been a huge stumbling block. Maybe it’s time to shed old fears in order to step out with confidence in my new role as part of my church’s board of directors.

  Let's start by assessing where I am at. I mentioned yesterday that working in peer support has already taught me many of the attributes of a good leader. I need to identify what exactly those attributes are.  

  As a professional peer support worker…I guess it is professional because I have attended training and continue to work to improve my abilities in this paid position.

  Paid or not, it is all about serving others by listening, encouraging, empowering, and honouring their stories and experiences. It isn’t a position where I need to have all the answers but a role of giving space to each individual to discover their own best answers. My role is not to fix problems but to come alongside others as they pursue truth and wellness. What that looks like is as diverse as the population I serve.

  What do I do? It could be something as mundane as helping to organize some paperwork. It also might mean listening to some heart wrenching life experiences. It might be getting someone a cup of coffee or showing them where such things are so they can help themselves. Keeping the space clean and welcoming is also part of serving.

  It’s a role where I have had ample opportunity to practice letting go of judgment. Most of the time I can…sometimes not so much. Those are teachable moments that help me uncover my own prejudices and ignorance!

  Hmmm…these things I do are also a huge part of who I am. I don’t need to change because my new role involves the church. If anything it adds a dimension better than anything I could ever imagine. I can openly utilize the greatest tools of my faith: prayer and keeping my eyes on Jesus. To lead is to follow and who better to follow than Jesus!

  Which leads (smile) into an area I need to explore further:  what is it about Jesus that makes Him the ideal expression of love? His sacrifice on the Cross is only one fraction of His holy purpose.

  Looks like I am going to be doing another Bible study! Lord, guide me to the passages I need to explore. Help me see and learn and grow from this. In Jesus name, AMEN!

Homework

  “All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.” 1 John 4:15

  This is one of two passages we were encouraged to meditate upon over the course of this week, specifically the love of God revealed through Jesus. Part of this homework is to read our Bible, engage with Jesus-centred people, read books and watch podcasts. It’s also important to ask lots of questions. I’d like to add the importance of having worship music filling the house when the other tasks of life require attention. (It turns dusting into a dance!)

  These aren’t religious rules but if I view these tasks through the lens of love, I realize God made sure His Word was made available to us so that every individual could come to an understanding of Jesus. Reading it is an expression of my own love and gratitude for being given such a gift. I can be grateful God has provided the means to own not just one but several translations of the Bible. Then there’s the internet…a wealth of opportunity to plug in questions and find answers although, they need to be tested. If Jesus isn’t at the centre of the answers, if the response is void of love, chances are the information online isn’t totally right.

  But I don’t have to figure this out all on my own because God blesses each of us with the Holy Spirit, the indwelling heart, to guide us and help us discern truth.

  If God is love, the foundation of all I do and say needs to pass through God’s heart.  (Thank You, Lord, for this beautiful image.)This is trans-formative!! God’s heart can take our hurts, our anger, our grief and redeem them. Then they become a testimony of healing, grace and peace. Our own ability to love expands a thousand fold.

  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

  Ok. Now I understand where the expression, “God never gives us more than we can handle” comes from. Bitter experience has shown me this isn’t necessarily true but I can share that there has always been an escape route laid out before me even if I couldn’t see it at the time. Hindsight has enabled me to see exactly who played a part, where they were, when it happened and how this escape route was put before me.

 

  It’s good to be back writing. Starting the day sipping a coffee and being filled with an influx of gratitude and joy for all God has done, and discovering more about who He is, fills me with a hunger to do more and learn more for Him.

  But before I can do more, I have to become more. Sometimes the becoming just sort of happens when I step out in faith and obedience to God's calling. But that is another post. Smile.Glory be to God! AMEN!

Back in the Saddle

“Then Jesus told him, ‘I have entered the world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” John 9:39

  Firstly, I am going to apologize to my readers for having disappeared for such a long time. The past few months have flown by.  The work is 98% finished. However, once the kitchen and bath were done, my bedroom needed new paint and the living room needs some work as well. This was not in the plans but once everything is done, the entire house will have had a face lift.

  The renovations turned out better than I could have ever imagined. The kitchen is a bright and delightful place to work. The bath is a sanctuary. My bedroom, with new furniture and its new paint, has shed the shadows of the dark days when I hunkered down and hid. New furniture graces the living room as well, breaking the chains of poverty thinking and simply making do.

  And boy, have I purged!! It has felt good to get rid of things that were held on to as part of poverty thinking. Even if they had no value, they were kept “just in case”. I can’t begin to express the joy and freedom the uncluttered life brings.

  They say it takes two months to learn a new habit so I suppose I learned the habit of not doing a blog in the morning over these past months. Yesterday’s sermon came with the encouragement to meditate on a God’s Word for fifteen minutes a day, an established habit that had gotten lost in the chaos of the renovations. Now the dust has settled, it’s of the utmost importance to reintroduce this way of grounding my day in God and learning more of Jesus.

  There have been many changes in the last little while. Not just in the house but in my life and heart as well. It seems the external renovations created many internal ones.

  Where do I start?

  The larger, 4-5000mg, pharmacist recommended dose of vitamin D continues to work its wonders. I am amazed at how a simple, inexpensive supplement can make such a difference in my mental health. If I miss a couple of days, I notice the difference in my mood right away. Its important not to miss.

  I have been elected to a position on the church board of directors, a position I felt ill qualified to handle but decided to accept. We have been given some videos to watch about leadership so I had a look at them a couple of weeks ago. They have put my mind at ease. Many of the attributes of a good leader are what I have learned doing peer support. The skills are transferable. I was amazed and humbled by the connection and how God has done a lot of preparation in my heart for this new work.

  The Meeting House (my church) is delving into mental health for the month of February. I am excited to be part of the dialogue as a key speaker at an event entitled “Ears to Hear.” Each site will be hosting such an event. I am speaking at ours. Praise God for helping me figure out what to share without going into the “why” I live with depression and PTSD.  Instead I will talk about my struggles with accepting my diagnosis and overcoming the prejudices that left a wake of self-loathing in their path.

  But the best thing of all is the metamorphosis brought about by living with someone for ten weeks. Even though we didn’t know each other that well in the beginning, I have found a lifelong friend. In that friendship, I have discovered the importance of community, of not spending so much time alone.

  Community has shown me just how lonely I was. But that can be something that is rectified.

  Community has shown me I am not alone.

  Community is also recognizing my own worth in being part of it.

  And this, my friends, is the greatest gift of all…for once I was blind, but now I see.

  AMEN!