Ups and Downs of Life's Journey

Where are you along your journey?

Life is a journey. Sometimes we walk in place for a while, sometimes we make huge leaps very fast. Sometimes we go through valleys, gorges and canyons, and sometimes we hike up huge mountains arriving to see amazing views. At times it seems we are running and soaring, while others it seems we're limping and crawling along.

Have you ever felt like you were doing it all at the same time?! Soaring here and crawling there. Valleys and mountain tops at the same time. This concept (shared by a friend from something a pastor said) is a truth I'm beginning to grasp. And maybe God leads us through the canyons and the cliffs at the same time on purpose. Maybe our lives are richer and more meaningful when it's that way. Yes, I'm starting to think it is!

But, nope, it doesn't quite make sense. Can you experience both at the same time?

I mean, I know that you appreciate the great things in life even more when you come out of some awfully down times. But can you have both simultaneously?

I think I might have experienced this some lately, and I think I'm starting to appreciate the mountaintop views from down in the rocks. I'm thinking that this is exactly what people like Katie (see my last post) are living every moment. If we can actually live the life God intends for us, then He very well might want us down in the pit so we can push others up out of it. And in fulfilling that humbling - even at times disgusting, degrading, draining - calling, we experience more of God and his purposes and his love in our lives and that of others! Yes, indeed, THAT is how life can have us living both at the same time. (Just read more of her blog and see how she is experiencing both!)

And guess what! It's right there in the scriptures: Philippians 2: 1-11
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus' exaltation did not happen only AFTER he lived his life as a smelly, dirty servant-human. Jesus HAS ALWAYS BEEN exalted and worthy of our worship. So even as he was in the depths of human experience, even in excruciating sorrow and pain, he was simultaneously at the highest place, in the most perfect relationship with the Father.

Although we are not Christ, his example is what we emulate as we strive to fulfill our own purposes God has given us.

Indeed, we should all strive more to live life in humility. Even going down in the pit to help push others out... and somehow God reveals His Majesty - even down there.

What a phenomenon a life is!

A Story in Progress

I've started something. ..Well, we've started something... Well, He's started something.
Okay, back up...

While I was on vacation, I had much more time to actively listen to God, and so whadaya know, I heard Him tell me a lot of things. Most clearly, I heard God say that I needed to love on the children in my neighborhood a lot more than I was.

You see, I know that these kids need some loving. I know that their homes are different than ours in not-so-great ways. But their incessant visits to our door and their chaotic presence in our home had become a nuisance, and I had decided that our family would run much more smoothly if I avoided them. "Sorry, we can't play right now." "Sorry, we're about to go (or have dinner, or have naps... you fill in the blank.)"

I've never been a "kid" person. I never enjoyed babysitting. I never wanted to teach the little kids at church, or play with them on the playground. I love my own kids that God gave me, and I have shifted my "not a kid person self" into a pretty good mommy. But I'm not one to really enjoy having other friends' kids over to play - it just gives me extra stress, requires much more patience, and I get annoyed!

So, that brings me back to this directive from God. I kept trying to think about other things God might have me to focus on - our community group, our moms' group. And God did lead me to some great things to do with those groups. But the neighborhood kids kept coming back to my mind.

And then there it was, the directive from God: I read about a family that had a Sunday morning breakfast club for kids in their neighborhood. Oh, surely not, God! You're not suggesting that? We have such a crazy schedule, it won't work for us. What would we do? They probably wouldn't come.... The excuses were all good ones in my mind.

So, on the long ride home from vacation, I was telling Leon about all the things I thought God might be leading us to do with our community group... and with my moms' group... and then I found myself mentioning the neighborhood kids to him. I shared about this family that had done a breakfast club, but also shared that that couldn't be what God wanted us to do, because of all my above mentioned reasons.

Then I heard Leon say, "I can make pancakes!" and I nearly fell over. What?! You actually want to do this? You actually think God wants us to have a breakfast club for the neighborhood kids?

Well, that was all I needed to hear. I knew what we had to do.

In preparation I borrowed some kids praise dvds from our preschool minister, I told our community group about it and got their support/encouragement, I decided on the dates, and made up a letter to hand out to the parents. I also found myself being excited to see the neighborhood kids playing outside! I would go out and hang out, ask them how their day was going, give them hugs and tell them about our breakfast club idea. My annoyed/hardened heart melted, and I started really loving them.

We had our first Breakfast Club a couple of weeks ago. We had three children from one family come (out of a possible 10 we had invited). We ate pancakes, sang and danced to the kids praise dvd, and make a craft - a cup of kindness to give away to someone - while I talked about God wanting us to be kind to others, and the importance of that. Then their mom came to get them, and we had a nice visit with her. She was thrilled that sending the kids over to our house allowed her to have an uninterrupted shower that morning. So it was great to see another way God loved on one of his children that we didn't even think about.

For the last several weeks I've found myself going outside to be with my kids, and the neighborhood kids, while they play in the afternoons. I don't get laundry or dinner or e-mailing done during that time anymore, so it's requiring some extra planning. BUT it's been such a blessing to develop closer relationships with these kids - and actually play with mine, too.

One part of this that has been tough is letting go of the attitude of having to protect our family-time from the neighbor kids' intrusions, or having to protect my children from the possible negative influences of them. I'm having to leave those things to God's protection, since He's the one who has led me to do this. The children range in age from 5-13 and some of them use language that isn't what I want my kids to using, and have fewer rules for things I consider important - like riding bikes (in the street, no helmet, etc.) or roaming the neighborhood (going into any one's home or walking wherever they please). And usually, I'm the only adult outside, so I feel responsible for all the kids' safety when that is the case. So, it's a challenge sometimes to be my own kids' parent, while not coming across as judgmental of their families, or seeming bossy.

I'm being faced with my own pride, my own judgementalism, my own prejudices - and that part doesn't feel good. It pretty much stinks to find out that you weren't as loving as you thought.

On the other hand, I'm really enjoying this time of following the whims of the Holy Spirit. Since I'm not naturally a person passionate about reaching out to kids, this whole thing is definitely directed by the Holy Spirit. It HAS to be! I'm having to really be sensitive to the nudgings of the Spirit, and it's GREAT! I feel like I'm along for the ride, and I can't wait to see what will happen next.

Our next Breakfast Club will be in two weeks, and who knows what that morning will bring. Whatever the case, I know that I'm loving on these kids more now than I was, and it already seems to be making a difference.

While this may seem far from being down in a huge pit of rocks pushing others out, and while I know that a situation like Katie's is much more dire. I see parallels here. This adventure with the neighborhood kids is out of my comfort zone. And my pride of wanting to be the pristine family protected from the harsh outside world is having to be put aside. But the majestic views of the mountain top can be seen from this humbled vantage point. In this point of my journey through life, I'm experiencing a great taste of the fullness of God - living in the valley and on mountaintop together!

Our first Sunday Morning Breakfast Club