Open Myself to God - Slowing

     Many times our days become a series of appointments or scheduled activities, one after the other with no rests.  When our lives become so dependent on rushing through every moment just to get to the future on time, we tend to lose sight of what's important.  It's important to realize that the present is the only part of our lives that we can actually live.  So doesn't it seem pretty stupid to try to live our present based on what's coming next?  Isn't that kind of wasting the present?  Don't get me wrong, future planning is important, but what gets us in trouble is missing out on the present because of fear/worry/focus on the future.

     I am a planner.  I love to know what's happening in my week, when, where, and how long it's going to take.  I mean I even worry about what time I get up and how many hours of sleep I'm actually going to get. And then, I worry about when I'm going to have to take naps the next day to make up for inadequate amounts of sleep.  And then on top of that, I calculate how many days it will be until Friday night when I know I can sleep in till noon the next day.  I know, I'm crazy.  But all that worry about not getting enough sleep distracts from the sleep I'm about to get.  I totally gripe and complain about not getting my sleep, when God is saying "look at right now, I'm providing you with time to rest, so take it."

     The writer of this book talks about intentionally slowing down her life through little things such as intentionally getting in the longer check out lines at the grocery store, or purposefully driving in the slow lane on the highway.  What's the point of these?  It causes you to slow down.  It's when you really slow down and look at your surroundings, that you can really see all the blessings and wonders that the present has to offer.  When we slow down, we open our hearts to God showing us the value of the present, AND the value of our future.  When we are always going full pace, we may see value in our future, but what's the point of our future, without a present?

     The future never arrives, the pasts can never be changed, but the present is what we make it (yea, you can quote me on that ha).  I know that I tend to get these adrenaline rushes when I think about something super exciting in the future.  But there is always something super exciting in my future.  It used to be youth events or soccer games.  Maybe now it's football games on campus, and maybe in the future it will be me getting married.  But what if I was at a football game, but all I was focused on was the adrenaline rush of getting married?  Would I not miss out on the football game?  Ok, so maybe that was a weird example.  But point taken? I hope.

Open Myself to God - Simplicity

     This is such an easy concept to think and talk about, but it's so hard to put into practice sometimes.  Life just isn't simple of it's own accord.  So many times just getting in the car can be really complicated; you might be running late, you might hit a detour.  Our modern lives have become focused on adding; adding another car, adding another football game.  We are such a consumer society that it seems almost completely against our nature to lessen our consumption of something.  This idea of simplifying our lives has become so against our nature that it almost feels wrong.

     Jesus reminds us of the finite nature of living in a materialistic world in Matthew 6:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

      Everything that we buy, everything that we keep in this world will eventually vanish.  In the very end of our lives, we won't even be able to hold on to our body.  Jesus reminds us that there's no point to putting our effort into worldly possessions when the only thing that we will keep is the kingdom of God in us.  Simplicity opens us to receive the simple gifts that can never be taken away: sleeping, eating, walking, giving and receiving love, and the benefits we take for granted; through these daily pleasures we are invited to open ourselves to God.

     In reading this section, a song by Toby Mac comes to mind called Lose My Soul.  The whole chorus talks about how we don't want to gain the whole world, but lose our soul...because then, what's the point of living? I know that the "more is better" mentality has shaped me by making me always want the coolest laptop, or the newest ipod.  But really, what has it done for me except make me waste more money?  It definitely hasn't made my happier, and certainly never brought me closer to God.

Open Myself to God - Self-Care

     Reading this section makes me realize just how serious we should take this idea of self-care.  We were created completely unique and beautiful in God's eyes.  He created us and gave us our bodies to take care of.  So why do we tend to "trash" them?  I know that I'm totally guilty of eating tons of junk food, and I've been guilty of not exercising for weeks at a time.  We should be striving to always take care of our bodies, if only because God made them for us.  Paul puts it in a great way:

"You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16

     When we pay attention to what our bodies are telling us, we learn our own God-given blessings and limitations.  God created our bodies a certain way for a purpose.  Sometimes I wonder why God made me smaller than a lot of guys my age.  Maybe that's just because I get so totally absorbed by sports that I would stop focusing on him.  Maybe it's His way of saying, "ok, you've had your fun...now it's time to buckle down and get to work."  Taking care of our bodies is also a way to honor God through our stewardship.  He asks us to take care of what he has already given us so that he can bless us with more.

     Since I've come out to MidAmerica, I believe God has really been showing me two areas where I need to take better care of myself.  One would be by lifting and running.  I know that I eat a lot, and if I don't lift and run, I'm going to fall out of shape.  I know that God wants me to protect my body, and that's what I plan on doing.  Also, God keeps having to remind me about how I can overwork myself if I'm not careful.  I tend to put too much on my plate sometimes, and I know that he wants me to take care of my body by not putting so much stress on myself.

Open Myself to God - Retreat

    The whole idea of retreat centers spiritual battles that happen within everybody.  The early Christians knew how important this idea of retreating from the battles to take time in solitude with God really was.  Paul writes the following that really puts it all into perspective:

"For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

    When I think of the retreat...two things come to mind: one is from a war standpoint, and the other is our church retreats that my youth group would do each fall.  Neither of these views really fit the original meaning for this word though.  In a war, retreat is sometimes seen as cowardly, and it means that the enemy has won...but that isn't true in this case.  When Christian's retreat and spend time with God in rest, they come back stronger than ever in their faith and are ready to fight for their soul.  Retreat in this sense is not meant to be a "we're losing so let's back down and cut our losses" ; it's meant to be a "I'm going to come back stronger with God at my side".

     Also, the modern church retreats don't fit this idea either.  Don't get me wrong, youth group retreats are great in themselves, but this is a different kind of retreat.  This retreat is personal; not communal.  Instead of long nights with games, movies, and practically no sleep, naps and going to bed early are expected.  Instead of sermons and speakers, personal devotions and meeting with God alone are essential.

    I know many times I get so over-scheduled that it's almost impossible to find time for God.  Not that I don't want to spend time with Him,  I just tend to want to do other stuff more.  It's not right, but I get so caught up in being involved, that I forget to retreat from the battles/events that I do.  Even if it's not a battle for someone's soul or something important like that, I forget to retreat and recuperate for that paper that is destroying me mentally...or when I go weeks without proper rest because I just want to spend time with people; or when I do so many things in ministries that I can't focus on any one enough...
    

Open Myself to God - Rest

     As Americans I think it's really hard to come to grips with this idea called "rest".  We live in a society where working as much as you can and making as much as you can is the norm.  It is almost expected of you if you're going to live in this country.  This "American Dream" that we have created makes "rest" seem like a foreign concept.  Our culture tells us that to be successful, we need to work to the point of sleep deprivation and sheer exhaustion.  But the problem is, workaholism affects your physical health, your relationships, and your mental capacity.  God created us to rest.

     "Clearly we were not made to work 24/7.  We have limits.  There is a finiteness to our time and energy.  And to live as though there isn't is destructive as well as delusional." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

     I know that I struggle with this idea of rest a lot.  Many people seem to view rest in only the physical perspective.  Sure, God created us to need sleep, but that's not the whole idea.  God also expects us to rest mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  I know that I get caught up in saying "Yes" to too many things all at once.  I have been trying to get involved in so many ministries here on campus that I feel like I'm going to explode, and I feel God is telling me to slow down and take a look at what I'm doing.  I can't rest while doing all these things; in any sense of the word.  We can become so caught up in what we want to do that we can overextend our own limitations which is destructive.

     I feel most deeply at rest when I sit at my house on a Sunday evening with no homework and just chill and watch football with my family.  Not only am I not doing anything physically taxing, I am taking time to get my mind off of school work, and spending time with my family all at the same time.  I also find rest after the games if I take a nap or just go play guitar quietly in my room.  Unfortunately it is much harder to find rest time at college.  But I'm going to make it a practice to enjoy restful times here as well.  Because I know I can't chug along forever...no matter how hard I try.  I wasn't created to, it's a simple as that.

Open Myself to God - Practice the Presence

"Practicing the presence is an invitation to see and experience every moment as a gift to God.  It is to live alive to union with the Trinity." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

     I think the single most important thing to recognize from this section is that we are always in the presence of God.  He is always there, no matter the circumstances, no matter how happy or sad we feel.  He is omnipresent.  But just because God is here, doesn't mean we are looking.  There are a lot of times when we get caught up in the hustle of life where we totally miss God because we were too focused on the football game coming on at 1.  In Karen Mains' book, The God Hunt, she suggests that this idea of practicing the presence is like a God hunt.  God could at any time decide to reveal himself, but we aren't always looking for him when he does, so we totally miss it.

     I love how the message translates Jesus' words in this passage:

"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there.  But you miss the forest for the trees.  These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want." (John 5:39-40)   

     Jeez, that's intense.  Can you imagine getting so wrapped up in religion that you miss Christ?  Like how can we be so focused on those words in the Bible that you miss Christ living and moving among us?  I don't think that it is God's intention for us to be so wrapped up in following his directions that we miss encountering him personally.  God is here, we just have to open our eyes.

     Another side note...I can testify to how hard it is sometimes for God to get my attention.  I've been struggling with feeling dry since I've gotten to MNU.  I mean, I had tons of strong friends, awesome chapel services, but I hadn't found God's presence in a while.  I was so focused in finding him where everyone else did, whether in chapel or Sunday morning church, that I didn't notice that from day one he was speaking to me.  I had this thought of starting a small group but I kind of brushed that off to the side thinking that somebody else would take that responsibility.  It wasn't till I was forced to join a small group for my intro to ministry class that I took the initiative.  We met for the first time last night, and I felt God's presence more than I have since I got out here.  He spoke through my friend Trevor saying, "I'm here, why can't you see me?".

Open Myself to God - Journaling

     Many times the world tells us that we need to focus on the experience of something.  By that I mean, you need to go to Orlando to experience Disney World, or you need to go to the beach to experience the ocean.  But there's something more, something that we don't necessarily see if we aren't looking for it.  God is in every experience; every place we go, everyone we meet, everything we do.  We as humans tend to get so caught up on what we physically see or hear that we tend to miss the big picture.  God (usually) can't be sensed through the normal human senses (unless you're Moses and meet with him face to face).  It's in the quiet moments, when we reflect on these experiences, that we can see the Holy Spirit moving in those around us, or God's people at work .

     Journaling is a great way to really explore these experiences and talk them over with God.  I know that in times that I have journaled about an experience, I begin to see God at work in EVERY part of the experience.  The sense of privacy that a journal offers makes it very easy for us to open up.  We can write down feelings, revelations, struggles, and even vent before God, in a way that may be inappropriate to do to others.   We begin to understand ourselves more completely.  Our sinful longings, limitations, and desires become evident to us.  Journaling can help us realize our fears, hopes, and angers in a way that keeps us from hurting others.

     "The ongoing nature of a journal catalogs the journey of a soul into God.  It reveals how we hammer out our identity as a Christ-follower through the ups and downs of daily routines as well as in times of crisis." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

    
     I think they cool thing about journaling is that there aren't set rules to it.  You can journal every day, or every month, or even just any time you have an awesome experience and you want to reflect and talk about it with God.  I know that when I went to Haiti, some of my biggest revelations came through journaling my thoughts down in the form of songs.  I write mini-songs, but some may write formal paragraphs while some others may just doodle.  Journaling isn't about following rules, it's about reflecting, listening, and learning.  I know that when I journal, I can almost always see where I was at fault in my day, whether accidentally or purposefully, and I see what I need to change.  I can see where God wants to take me, and I know what the first step towards that final project is.  Journaling helps tell the story of our spiritual journey as we grow closer to God.

     The key to journaling is being truthful...even if you won't admit something, God already knows it, I mean, he created you.  So why not just write down your true feelings?