God speaks to me - or places thoughts in my mind - in the most interesting ways. It fascinates me that the Creator of all, this God of majesty and awe speaks to me in the most ordinary ways... and in the routine places within my day.
Riding the train to work. Walking by myself. Washing the dishes. Reading to my kids. Holding my baby.
Recently God has been speaking to me about the pace at which we move through life. Those of you who know me may find that odd because as you know, I enjoy the unhurried life. In fact two "friends" claim to have seen me walking home from the train at an unusually slow pace (I still believe that was an illusion caused by them driving by me at excessive speeds). Maybe it isn't so much the speed at which we live our lives, but rather the inability to be fully present in the moment. Or the ability to take the time to engage in observing what is happening around us.
Being a product of the United States, we are taught the value of multi-tasking. We are told the way to success is getting more things done in less time by partially engaging in multiple activities at the same time. But I am starting to wonder about that. I mean, if multi-tasking results in freeing up more time for us to be with those we love, or things we love... then I can see the value.
But what if multi-tasking breeds the need to do more, and to be fully present less? What if it allows us to get more done, but results in us living life less?
What are you really accomplishing when...
You completed your to do list but didn't have time to answer your child's question?
You buy your dream house, but your extra hours at the office allow little time to enjoy it?
You are so focused on ______ that you miss _______
We could go on and on.
I am afraid that all too often I neglect the relationships I most need... all so I can earn a few more dollars, run a few more errands, and complete my list of menial tasks.
Maybe being the most productive society doesn't always mean being the best.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
In The Beginning...
For years I have loved the idea of writing - not actually writing... but the idea of it. I hated every writing assignment in high school and college, but there was something inside me that always dreamed of writing.
I think I disliked the structure of writing. The pressure to write, or being forced to write about something I cared nothing about. I disliked writing because I did not excel in intellectual discovery, persuasion, or grammatical structure. But on occasion I experienced glimpses of the joy I found in writing.
Growing up, and in fact to this very day, verbalizing my thoughts proves very difficult. Expressing my feelings out loud (coherently) seemed impossible at times. I remember the difficulty being so great in high school that one time I took a zero on a speech assignment rather than give the speech.
Throughout college my greater struggles were understanding what was going on within my soul. You could ask me how I felt about something and I would find it difficult to tell you what I was feeling... about almost anything. It was during these times that I began to find myself through the process of writing. I began to gain insight into my soul and hear the promptings of God as I wrote. Writing became a way for me to rediscover the desires God planted within my heart.
As I begin to write more regularly, I have found that I need to write. I am discovering that I connect deeply with God through writing. My soul finds the words it longs to speak... and God reveals Himself to me through this process. My hope is that God will use my words to speak to you... but this isn't all about you - it is about me processing who Jesus is.
My intent is to post daily. The reality is that I still hate writing assignments and the pressure to write. I write when I feel led. I write when God stirs my soul. This blog has become my journal, and these posts will mark events on my journey.
The Disruptive Life? You may be wondering where I came up with this name. Well... if you want to follow Jesus, you better be prepared to have your life disrupted. His plans are not always are plans...
I think I disliked the structure of writing. The pressure to write, or being forced to write about something I cared nothing about. I disliked writing because I did not excel in intellectual discovery, persuasion, or grammatical structure. But on occasion I experienced glimpses of the joy I found in writing.
Growing up, and in fact to this very day, verbalizing my thoughts proves very difficult. Expressing my feelings out loud (coherently) seemed impossible at times. I remember the difficulty being so great in high school that one time I took a zero on a speech assignment rather than give the speech.
Throughout college my greater struggles were understanding what was going on within my soul. You could ask me how I felt about something and I would find it difficult to tell you what I was feeling... about almost anything. It was during these times that I began to find myself through the process of writing. I began to gain insight into my soul and hear the promptings of God as I wrote. Writing became a way for me to rediscover the desires God planted within my heart.
As I begin to write more regularly, I have found that I need to write. I am discovering that I connect deeply with God through writing. My soul finds the words it longs to speak... and God reveals Himself to me through this process. My hope is that God will use my words to speak to you... but this isn't all about you - it is about me processing who Jesus is.
My intent is to post daily. The reality is that I still hate writing assignments and the pressure to write. I write when I feel led. I write when God stirs my soul. This blog has become my journal, and these posts will mark events on my journey.
The Disruptive Life? You may be wondering where I came up with this name. Well... if you want to follow Jesus, you better be prepared to have your life disrupted. His plans are not always are plans...
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