Coming Up for Air

"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!" -Philippians 4:4

"We're kinda' like a woodpecker in a petrified forest.  Just keep busy and look for opportunities!"  -Bob Green

Sometimes, I feel like that woodpecker...just going from one tree-shaped rock to another.  It isn't easy working full-time, chasing after a fifth grader, an eighth grader, and a junior in high school, keeping up with extended family, working on this old house, and still try to glean some sort of work-life balance.  Sometimes, I just don't seem to be making a lot of progress.

These are all good things, And I know that there are many who long for meaningful work and a loving family.  I know.  And I am thankful for this business. However, I know that I am not alone in sometimes feeling so inundated with this flood of obligations, that I just can't come up for air.

Or won't, because that means neglecting someone you love or a task that needs to be done. But, I can't help but think that this isn't the way God wants us to live. It certainly wasn't how the Apostle Paul lived, "Rejoice in the Lord always."  That's tough.

At least, it is for me.  But this weekend, I took advantage of some beautiful weather and rented a big chipper and went to work on the brush pile that has been growing out back over the last several months.  The machine might have been a little overkill, but it worked flawlessly.  Big, gnarly branches were sucked in and chipped up.  The pile of unruly brush shortly became a manageable pile of beautiful mulch.  The chickens were happy. My neighbors were happy.  And I was happy...and I was ready to face my list and chase after the kids.

The stress of work and the list of obligations were forgotten for a couple of hours of joy.  I know, it is a strange thing that causes me joy.  However, it has always been cathartic for me to be outside working on a project.  For you, it may be working on a car or reading a book or playing an instrument.  For my wife, it is working on her calligraphy.  But do it. For just a couple of hours come up for air.  The joy you experience will give you buoyancy to carry you through deluge above water. You aren't being selfish, you are being faithful. Rejoice!

Church Stopping. Less doing. More being.

Look to the Hills

"I look to the hills, where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth." - Psalm 121

"Some places take your breath away. Some places let you breathe." -Unknown

Today, we woke the boys up at 4:15 am and drove two and half hours through the Flint Hills of Kansas (Yes, there are hills in Kansas!) to the state cross country meet in Wamego.

As you may have heard. Kansas is a place of extreme weather.  We are prone to bitter north winds in the winter. Hot, days and muggy nights in summer. There are occasional hail storms and tornadoes when the cold north winds and the hot south winds don't get along. There are torrid rains and relentless droughts.  There are spring storms and autumn snows.   

However, Kansas is also a place of amazing beauty.  On the Kansas plains at dawn, everywhere I looked, the sky met the horizon. Heaven kissed the earth. The sun brooded over the surface of an undulating sea of grass. I nearly wept with joy.  

It is what I needed. It is what we all need. A reset. A broader perspective. A reminder that there is more to life than a list. There is more to life than success, politics, and the stock market.  There is help and strength and peace as strong and deep as prairie grass and as gentle as a morning dove.

It has been a difficult couple of weeks. Difficult meetings at work. Health issues in my wife's family.  School drama.  Bad drivers.  It is easy for me to allow these things to wall me in and close me off...  All I see is what is right in front of me.  

Not this day. 

We were tipped off to a quaint little place for breakfast in a residential neighborhood across from the city park. The coffee wasn't great, but the pancakes were huge and the conversation was fantastic. I dusted off some old dreams of a little cabin somewhere out there on the infinite horizon, and my wife dreamed of Christmas parties and time in her studio.  We talked a lot about work and family concerns, but laughed and shared a leisurely moment while the little boys ran out to play in the park. 

We were ready when it came time to drive to the meet. We cheered our oldest son on as he ran and we enjoyed the fading warmth of the brilliant sun.  It was perfect....and, by-the-way, we won state!