Our eighteen year old cat has taken to an interesting habit recently. She will hop up on my lap, receive some behind-the-ear scratches, then promptly jump off the chair. After a few minutes, she’ll reappear on my lap for another round of scratches. This will happen a few times before she finally settles down for a cat nap. Should I not deliver an acceptable number of scratches, she gives me that cat look which says, “What are you waiting for?? I am the center of the universe. Some courtesy please!”
I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning by Fr. Richard Rohr, where he mentioned that one of the most radical and liberating realizations that a person could have is that they are NOT the center of the universe. As Pastor Rick Warren says, “It’s not about you.” This discovery paves the way for an ever-broadening experience of Life’s Bigger Picture. It allows for being connected to people and stuff all around us in some wonderfully inspiring ways. It is seeing our small story as a blessing withing the Larger Story. It’s what Jesus called Abundant Life. It’s what I call God.

It’s like two drops of water perched on the edge of a dock over the ocean.  One drop says to the other, “I fear I’m about to drop from my comfortable attachment to this dock.”  Drop #2 replies, “What’s to fear?”  Drop #1, “I fear I’ll loose my unique, sparkling personality.” Drop #1:  “You will still be you, but just more spread out and greeting a much bigger world.”  “Ohhh”, said Drop #1 thoughtfully.  A minute passed and Drop #1 suddenly shouts, “Bombs away!”, letting go into a Much Bigger Story.

The other day, I ran across a FB post where the author, normally a consistent critic of the President, surprisingly complemented the President on how he was handling the COVID-19 epidemic. I paused to reflect on how the viral challenge might be doing something positive to us on planet Earth.

Fear is a powerful motivator. But so is love. And I’ve seen both operating, sometimes rather intensively, over the last few weeks. The whole TP trauma shows off our monkey brain survivalist. We get energized when the trigger of losing control of our realities is threatened. Yet, I am sensing that there is a new kind of energy in the air also, an energy hinted at by my FB author.

Maybe it’s a new awakening to a profound connectedness. Coronavirus doesn’t pay attention to your race, gender identification, religious beliefs, economic status, or any number of labels. It pays attention to the fact that you’re a suitable human host for replication. So this is humanity’s adversary, a common enemy for us all. And how we respond to this affects global health. It’s not about my little piece of turf anymore.

Maybe it’s a deep dive into what’s really important in life. Our normal activities have been turned upside-down. Life is topsy-turvy. And, as we attempt to grab something secure in the whirlwind, maybe we will learn to grab the important stuff…. which really isn’t stuff at all.  Right?

I don’t know. What I do know is that there is an Unstoppable Force working behind the scenes Who is good and healing and generous. Will be keeping my eyes and heart focused on that.

Like so many of us, I was shocked and saddened by the sudden deaths of nine people yesterday in a helicopter crash in southern California. Most of the focus has rested on Kobe Bryant and his daughter. Yet one family lost both parents and their younger daughter. It was just a routine trip to the kids’ basketball games. Simple. Straightforward. Yet, in an instant, they are no more.

Mortality is a slap in the face… with a iron fist. It knocks us silly, that is, our comfortable, controllable illusion of reality. But it can be a wake up call too. For me, it is a stark reminder to live every moment to its fullest. And, for me, that is allowing the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to what Jesus called “abundant living”. It is growing each day in the deep knowledge that I’m never alone, that I have a faithful Friend to guide and encourage me, that I am continuously surrounded by God’s Power and Love. Each moment is a present, a gift, to live more consciously aware.

I pray for the families who have suffered such unimaginable loss. And I pray that their eyes would be opened to the resources of God’s Love, Comfort, and Shalom that are embracing them for the journey ahead.

Just finished a 7 day water fast and wanted to share a takeaway or two.

1. I broke the fast with a bowl of homemade lentil soup. As I began, I noticed I was paying a lot more attention to each bite. Not unexpected. Texture, flavors were more more savored than usual and I found myself pausing briefly a number of times throughout the meal. A thought popped up: What if you could maintain this mindfulness with food? Could this be a form of gratitude? So I’m setting my sights on eating more slowly, consciously.

2. I also became aware of the passage of time. Without food prep, eating, and a certain bodily function, time seemed to move at a slower pace. This includes while I was working during the day. Not sure exactly what to make of it but a feeling of appreciation comes up. Also, a reflection on being more aware of the flow of my daily activities, Pacing. Timing. Gratitude again? More mindfulness?

Sensing here that God is moving me to pay more attention to the quality of how I move through this life. I know that seems a simple concept but here the gift is experiential. I very much would like to continue in this pattern. And I believe I will.

I’m part of a weekly book discussion group that is just a few chapters into Ann Voskamp’s book, “One Thousand Gifts”. After suffering for years from the traumatic death of her sister, Ann discovers the life-changing power of gratitude. She develops this new mindset through a daily journal of small, specific things for which she is thankful. Every day, she becomes more mindful of how life is a gift from a good Giver, especially when life does not go as planned.

Our group was gifted with small journals for each member to record thankful moments throughout the day. I confess that I’m really not a journaler but I did enter into writing down my own thankful moments. So I’m normally a pretty positive and grateful person but this activity has helped me to better connect to life around me (including God) in some cool ways. I’m noticing an increased awareness of what’s happening for me both internally and externally. Also, with that awareness, I see a greater willingness to let go of harmful judgment and control. This is good.

So we’ll see where this all goes. So far, the ride has been worth it!

Drove to the Soo yesterday and was listening to The Blend on Sirius XM Radio. Katy Perry’s song “Wide Awake” popped up and caught my attention. The lyrics portray something major in her life that goes terribly sour. Yet in the midst of that crumbling reality, she wakes up. That is, her mind and senses become acute and it is a good thing.

I began to think about “waking up” as the key component to any spiritual journey. Having the courage to end our dreamy, fictional perceptions and exchange them for what is Truly Real is no small feat.

Waking up, for me as a follower of Jesus, means I am willing to surrender all my ideas about life that He might teach me the mystery of Truth and Love and how to apply that in my day to day circumstances. It means letting myself be surprised everyday by God’s invitation to go deeper into the abundance He has for me (and others). It means waking up each day to a new hope and new horizons.

Thank you Katy for providing a launching pad for some cool reflections. God bless you.

The other day I was doing some late fall cleaning of the garden and came across a monarch chrysallis. It was attached to one of the green plastic tapes that I’d used to support the tomato plants. I just stared at it for a moment. The butterfly inside looked like it was just about ready to burst out but had died. Maybe it was caught by one of our recent hard freezes. Maybe something else. But it had, seemingly, barely missed its window of opportunity. I felt sad for the little guy (or gal).

It got me thinking on how important timing can be in our lives. Sometimes it’s life or death. Sometimes the timing of little events can change the trajectory of the rest of our lives. The Apostle Paul invites us to “walk in the Spirit”. This not only has to do with aligning ourselves to the direction of God’s movement but also to the cadence, or timing, of the Spirit. Doing the right thing at the wrong time can have disastrous consequences!
So I am still a little sad for little unborn butterfly but thankful that the Lord ultimately takes care of His “little ones” and that He reminded me to be a bit more conscious of His Timing in my life.  Maybe we could translate Paul’s phrase to “move with the Spirit”.  For me, it’s like God as our dance partner in life and learning to follow His lead.  Takes practice!

The other day I chanced to glance at a tiny dot hanging from the shower curtain bar. What I saw was the tiniest little spider I have ever seen. This little guy was so small he could sit comfortably on the head of a pin and still have room to entertain.

But what happened next truly amazed me….

I normally swat or squish bugs to their heavenly (or the “other” realm) resting place but this time something (or Someone) stopped me. Snatching the top of his web string, I just held him in front of me, watching his nearly microscopic legs working like crazy to escape. Suddenly – I kid you not – my heart was flooded with compassion for this dinky dude. Really…. compassion! So I decided to quickly whisk him outside to the garden, where he could catch his micro-food and live to tell his adventure to his little spider grandkids.

After this, the thought popped into my head: “You experienced just a small taste of how I feel about my creation.” I’m presuming this came from God. So I responded with a thought: “Please help me to learn this compassion.” Then I sensed God smiling in that loving, wistful way.