How to Wait Well

September 25, 2018Leave a comment

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No one enjoys waiting. Whether its at a doctors office, a check-out line or a drive thru, we typically want to get done and move on to the next item on our agenda. Sometimes in life we have to wait on bigger and more life-changing situations such as a diagnosis or a job interview or even a future spouse. If you find yourself in the seat of waiting, here are a few thoughts to help you live with patience and victory.

Turn your Focus. It’s easy to get frustrated and impatient when all you think about is How long is this going to take?! Yet, if you turn your thoughts in a different direction then time can seem to slip by unnoticed. How do you turn your thoughts in a new direction? Certainly there are short term fixes (checking emails or reading a magazine), but if the wait is lengthy, consider exploring a new passion or interest. You can research places to volunteer or classes to take to move in a positive direction while waiting.

Be Creative. Waiting doesn’t have to be boring. Replace the dullness of waiting with the joy and fun of fresh ideas. If you are in the line at the drive-thru, sing happy songs with your kids. If you are waiting in the check out line at Walmart, play I Spy. If you are waiting for that perfect job to open up, consider taking on a new hobby or sport that makes you smile. Tap into your creative resources and fill your waiting with laughter, rather than complaining.

Think about Others. No matter what you are waiting for, you are not alone. There are other customers, clients and patients that have similar situations. Why not pray for them? Perhaps you can start a conversation or reach out to help someone in need or kindly let someone go ahead of you. When you get your eyes off your own circumstances, you free yourself to see the needs and hurts around you. Thinking of the needs of others develops an inner peace and joy in your own heart.

Ask for God’s help. One of the fruits of God’s Spirit is patience. The Bible reminds us that, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Look to Him, and ask for His help when it comes to waiting. He can give you strength to endure as well as creative ideas on what to do while you wait. Draw close to Him during your time of waiting and you will discover enduring hope in the process.

These are simply a few principles to help us wait well. May we continually apply these thoughts to both short term delays as well as long term anticipation. Let’s also consider how we can respond well to the impatient people around us. Remember the words of the apostle Paul, “Love is patient, love is kind.”

Simple Joys

August 27, 2018Leave a comment

This past week, we were blessed to have my 2 ½ year old grand-daughter staying at our house. We visited parks, played at the pool, colored pictures and discovered that life is filled with countless simple pleasures. As adults, we often allow our worries, cares, hurts and disappointments to muddy the waters, and we easily lose sight of the fact that there are many reasons to smile. So let’s revisit some of our childhood cheerfulness and take a few cues from these little ones.

Life lessons from a two year old:

Take time to see (and I mean really see) God’s creation – the magnificence of a flower, the wonder of a bug, the fun designs in fluffy clouds.
Smile often. Smile big. Allow yourself to be happy. Bring joy to others, by giving them the gift of your smile.
Cry when you are sad. We all need to release our tears and grieve at times.
Do a happy dance now and then.
Forgive quickly and completely and move on.
Make new friends where ever you go.
Be truly happy to see others and hug them like you mean it.
Use your imagination. Allow yourself to be creative. Dream big dreams. Keep hope alive in your heart.
Play. Find something you enjoy (a sport, a hobby, an activity) and do it with gusto.
Remember, the best activities are the simple ones. Collecting leaves on a walk, making pretend pancakes at the park, reading Green Eggs and Ham (again), playing “House” under the kitchen table, making a fort out of a large box, all remind us that we don’t need a lot of elaborate or expensive things to experience joy in life.
Love well and laugh often – the best lesson of all!

When Plans Change

August 13, 2018Leave a comment

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This past Saturday I returned from a week in Deer Valley, Utah with my husband. Let’s just say that the trip held some unplanned adventures. One of the highlights of the trip was being at the Utah Symphony performance under the stars along with some wonderful friends. With an overflowing picnic basket and beautiful mountains surrounding us, it was a spectacular memory in the making. Unfortunately, the next day, we made a hiking memory that was slightly less than spectacular.

Knowing we had to check out of our hotel room at noon on Saturday, my husband and I set out for a morning hike on the Ontario Trail – a not-too-difficult, hour-long hike up the mountain and then down the ski lift back to our hotel. No worries…..except if you take the wrong path. When we got to the top of the mountain trail, we somehow missed a sign and started on a path that took us down a road less traveled.

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As we finally realized our error, we were too far down the trail and knew we had to push forward toward a large lake at the base on the opposite side of the mountain from our hotel and civilization. Along the way, we saw disconcerting evidence that a mountain lion was in the vicinity. Needless to say, we picked up some big sticks, as our one-hour hike turned into an almost three-hour tract through the wilderness. Along the way, I had an unfavorable encounter with a hornet’s nest which left me with several throbbing stings on my hand and arm. Did I mention we also saw fresh bear tracks?

We breathed (or should I say huffed and puffed) a sigh of relief when we made it to the base of the mountain and onto a small gravel road. Sadly, we were at least 11 miles from our hotel. As we plodded down the road, thinking we still had miles until we reached a distinguishable Uber location, we heard a car approaching! Two young men who had camped in the area, became a much-welcomed relief to our tired and sore feet. They picked us up and drove us all the way back to our hotel, where we “more than slightly” over-extended our check-out time.

We never know when we will face challenges that stretch and strengthen us, but when we do, it is always good to consider what we learn from the experience. Here’s my take-away when plans change or life takes unintended twists and turns:

Pray for guidance and protection.
Stay calm and consider your options.
Be alert to the dangers or challenges. In our case, it was mountain lions, bears and hornets, but in life you may face difficult people, financial challenges or other unforeseen obstacles.
Equip yourself with necessary provisions. We needed big sticks, extra water and snacks. Consider what you will need for the possibilities ahead of you.
Enjoy the view along the way.
Accept help when needed.

Finally, always remember to thank God for His provisions. Curt and I recognize that God’s hand was with us all along the way. This was truly a wilderness opportunity to trust God for the outcome, plus we saw tremendous mountain top views that the typical tourist-hiker never has a chance to see. No matter what your wilderness experience is, allow these principles to help you through the unexpected paths in life.

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Hiking sign Photo by Callistus on Unsplash

Mountain Lion Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Are You Stretching?

February 26, 2018Leave a comment

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My daughter Joy is a fitness trainer, and she would be the first to tell you the importance of stretching both before and after a workout. In fact, the Harvard Health newsletter noted, “Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight.” Just as stretching is vital for the healthy functioning of our muscles, so stretching is vital to the social structure of our society and to our own personal well-being.

Our body’s muscles shorten and become tight without stretching, and in a similar way we can become short-sighted and inflexible when we choose to only interact with people who look like us and think like us. Sure we love to cling to what we already know and love. That’s fun and safe! But if we really want to build bridges of unity in our cities and communities, we need to open up and be willing to have conversations beyond our own cultural circle.

Stretching may look different for each of us. Just as some find it stretching to talk to a new neighbor or employee, while others may find it stretching to begin a conversation with a woman at the check-out line at the grocery store or a waiter at the restaurant. There are opportunities all around us to reach beyond our comfort circle and engage with someone new, whether it is at work or in your neighborhood or school or city.

In his book, Welcome Homeless, Alan Graham reminds us that we are all born for relationship. He writes, “To see people, we have to engage. We have to get out of our cars and talk to people. To understand the street, we have to walk the street…You can’t understand the heart of people from a car. You’ve got to get out of the car. You’ve got to crawl on your hands and knees. You’ve got to make desperate attempts to truly connect and learn someone’s story.” Through his work with the homeless community in Austin, Texas, Alan Graham is stretching others to go beyond the comfortable.

And that’s what stretching does, it makes us slightly uncomfortable, but it strengthens us and makes us healthy as human beings. We become fully alive as we step beyond what is easy and reach into the lives of others. Where do you need to stretch? Where do you need to start a conversation?

Photo by Nick Hillier on Unsplash

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-of-stretching

Alan Graham, Welcome Homeless, (Nashville, TN: W Publishing, 2017) pp. 16 -17.

In the Pit

June 10, 2017Leave a comment

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Ever felt like you were in a pit? When life or emotions seem to bring us down, it is difficult to see anything but the pit in which we dwell. Interestingly, did you ever notice that there are several instances in the Bible where people were in literal pits? Think about it. Joseph was thrown in a pit by his brothers and then eventually sold into slavery. Not the Plan A Joseph had for his life. And then there’s a little known story about Benaiah who ended up in a pit with a lion. Seriously! The Bible tells us that Benaiah was a valiant warrior and performed many great exploits. The prophet Samuel recorded, “Benaiah struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion (2 Samuel 23:20).” Now that probably wasn’t on his schedule of things to do that day either.

David described God as the one who “redeems our life from the pit.^” Now perhaps you have felt as though your life or your day was in the pits and you could see no hope, no redemption and no way out. I suppose that’s how pit-dweller Jeremiah felt. Jeremiah was one of God’s prophets who was thrown in a pit as a result of simply proclaiming what God told him to say. That doesn’t seem right! There he was obeying God, and he was thrown in the pit. Take a look at how low this Old Testament prophet must have felt as he wrote, “The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.”

But Jeremiah didn’t call it quits. He was able to keep his eyes on the Lord despite his circumstances. Here’s what he said after describing his situation, “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’ The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him (Lamentations 3:19-25).”

Now there’s a person who has their eyes in a positive direction! He’s not dwelling on his dismal circumstances in the pit, instead He is dwelling on the Lords faithfulness. His sight is going beyond what he can see, and looking to the hope of what a faithful God can do. How’s your eyesight? In one of his most fearful moments David declared, “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame (Psalm 34:5).” Oh for the faith to look past the dark clouds of despair and see the sunlight of God’s faithfulness peeking through to bring us comfort and hope! May He be your strength today.

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