SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Month: August 2024

  • The Path (Devotion 2.8)

    Sometimes we choose the path.  Sometimes the path is chosen for us.  Either way, we must travel.  That can be difficult when we just don’t want to.  When we are feeling stuck or beat down, we just want to stop.  We don’t want to proceed.  In running, I have found myself at this point multiple times.  I have been on the path (that may have been chosen for me, but I still showed up on my own free will) and plodding along.  At some point, I have wanted to quit.  I wanted to sit down and call it the end.  That works okay if we are on the road and you have communication and someone can come get you.  It doesn’t work as well if you are on a trail in the middle of nowhere.  Those are the times when you suck it up and keep moving. 

    Life can be like the trail.  There aren’t always folks available to come get you out of your mess.  There are parts where you just want to quit.  And there are majestic and amazing sections you want to camp out forever. But you can’t do any of these things for long.  You must keep moving, even when it hurts.  In life, we experience grief and pain, tragedy and disappointment.  We experience celebration and joys, new opportunities and once-in-a-lifetime moments.  All of these are part of the path.  We just keep moving…one step at a time.  Whether you chose the path or the path was chosen for you, you can do this.  Don’t stop for long, great things still await. 

  • Refreshment (Devotion 2.7)

    We had a “false” fall for a moment.  It was almost a tease since the summer swells come forcefully.  It’s even hot all night long.  It can be hard to run even though the sun is not shining.  The humidity just settles in like a smothering blanket.  A little breeze seems to offer a temporary reprieve, which I welcome each time.  The best, though, are these little cool air pockets that occasionally happen.  They seemingly come out of nowhere.  They are just a puff of coolness on an otherwise brutal run.  It is so refreshing it often takes me by surprise.  

    Could we be that bit of cool air in someone else’s sticky day?  I don’t mean actually air conditioning.  I wonder if we could be a bit of refreshment to others who may find the day oppressive.  What might a kind word do?  How might an encouraging moment change someone’s day?  What about a smile, a kind gesture, a moment of grace?  These all could completely change the trajectory of someone’s difficult moment.  

    It could sound as if this is really overstated.  But our world is often overwhelming and stifling.  It can beat us up with every turn.  Kindness really does make a huge difference.  Grace really does show up.  Friendship can be exactly what someone needs.  If we were all kind, imagine the wave of refreshment which could wash over us?  We won’t know if we don’t try.  Maybe we just find a way to be extra kind this week.  You never know what a difference you could make.  

  • What Was I Thinking? (Devotion 2.6)

    I can’t tell you how many times this question has rolled through my mind…”What was I thinking?”  Sometimes it is prompted by those around me asking me what I was thinking.  And then, I can hear the response now (not from me)… “He wasn’t, that’s the problem.”  (Sometimes it just be like that). 

    There are times when situations happen and they come out of nowhere.  I really did think through things and this is just what happened (what had happened was…).  As much as we try to plan and prepare, things can just go haywire.  And then there are times when I fly by the seat of my pants and everything goes better than expected.  

    Planning is great and needed.  Sometimes quick decisions are called for and vital.  We can find ourselves in situations we didn’t plan or expect either way.  I think this is where wisdom comes in.  When we pay attention to those who offer sage advice, when we take the time to really listen to the stories of others, we can find such guidance in their words.  

    That’s one of the many values of the Bible.  There have been way too many occasions I read the Bible and think… “What were they thinking?!”  They did ridiculous things and made some of the most foolish mistakes.  And then I look in the mirror.  Me too, Israelites, me too.  But we continue to learn and grow.  We listen, we pay attention, we seek guidance, and we also tune into our own experiences.  We often know the answer, even if it is buried deep within.  We learn from mistakes and we keep moving.  We don’t give up.  And we do think.  And we do try.  And we do work hard.  We just keep moving.  

    Don’t let foolishness derail you.  Don’t let bad decisions keep you from seeking what is right and good.  And don’t stop taking chances.  Failure is a powerful teacher.  Wisdom is often costly.  Keep on thinking and reading and listening.  Growth is coming.

  • A Foggy Perspective (Devotion 2.5)

    I am always amazed at how small changes can make such a large impact.  You don’t even notice when it happens.  A perspective change happens in an instant, almost in a stealth and undercover way.  This morning, it happened.

    I was walking the trail and things looked different.  I have spent time on this trail and know it fairly well.  I have spent time walking intentionally, not just hurriedly passing through.  But today, my perspective changed.  The fog had settled in and decided to take a respite in the thick of the trail.  It was still absolutely beautiful as ever. But it seemed like the tide was lower or the marsh had grown substantially all of a sudden.  It was odd and caused me to pause to take it all in.  It was as if I was walking on a different trail.  After a while, I proceeded on.  Once the fog decided it was time for coffee and moved on out, it all returned to what was familiar.  Nothing had actually changed except my perspective.

    When I am walking the trail on a normal day, I look out.  I admire the water and the trees which bank the shores.  I watch the egress search for food.  Minnows swim in schools and seem to grow even more.  But what I was missing was right in front of me.  I was looking beyond the present.  I was looking far off at the joys which the vast river held.  That was not a problem.  But I had missed the marsh right in front of me.  As the fog held close, my distance was obscured, forcing me to see what was right before me.  And it, too, was beautiful.  It was like staring into a new land.  It had been there all the time.

    As I traveled on, I was reminded of how we do this in so many parts of our perspective.  We are so busy worrying about what is far off, what is to come, what may happen, what may be out there, that we miss all that is right before us.  We create anxiety and worry about tomorrow when today holds so many joys and celebrations.  There are so many wonders which fill our vision but we have decided to focus on what is outside of our reach, even when it is good.  A little fog can change it all.  

    Today, the fog changed my perspective and I saw the joy of today.  I saw the beauty right before me.  I saw all of creation which was here and now.  I saw how today is a gift not to be bypassed for tomorrow.  Don’t miss it.  Today’s fog is pointing you to the glory before us.  Thanks be to God for fog.  

  • Day 1…or Monday (Devotion 2.4)

    I’ve lost count on how many times I have had a new day 1.  You know…the times when you will start something new… AGAIN.  Maybe it is a weight loss program or an exercise regimen.  For some, it is stopping old habits like smoking or beginning good things like eating more fruits and vegetables.  At the beginning of the year, people call them New Year’s Resolutions.  During the year, we call them Mondays.  Monday is always the day folks pick for some reason.  Saturday is deep into the weekend, and why ruin that.  Wednesday is middle of the week and its survival mode.  So Monday seems to be the best.  But when Monday comes, we realize we really don’t like Mondays that much so we will begin on Tuesday.  And so the story continues…more times we have a day 1.  

    Yet, in all of this, those are important.  No matter how many you have, the fact that you even attempt a day 1 is beautiful.  Despite past failures, we are willing to try again.  Even though we have had 3,546 other day 1 starts, we are willing to have 3,547.  This time MIGHT be the time.  If we are honest, our health is worth it.  Our mental health is worth it.  Our spiritual health is worth it.  WE ARE WORTH IT.  We are worth pushing through the challenges to find another success, no matter how small.  Maybe we only made it through a few verses of the Bible.  That’s a few more verses than we may have read yesterday.  Maybe we only walked one mile.  That’s still one more mile towards good health.  Maybe we ended up eating only one healthy meal rather than the 3 we had planned.  That’s still one more meal towards our health.  Don’t discount the small wins.  Don’t get discouraged because it hasn’t worked out in the past.  That was the PAST.  

    So, if this is your new Day 1…go get em!  If you are still trying to figure it out, make tomorrow your day 1 (No, Monday doesn’t HAVE to be the day).  The point is, just keep trying.  Just keep moving forward.  Never EVER give up!  Let’s conquer this day 1!

  • Choices: The Mundane and the Consequential (Devotion 2.3)

    Choices are something we are faced with every single day.  We make them, often without thinking about them.  Sometimes we don’t feel like we have a choice, but in reality, we made the choice anyway.  It can be really difficult when there are multiple options in our choices.  This is displayed in way too many households, friendships, partnerships and the like today.  It begins with a familiar and almost haunting sentence…”what do you want to eat?”  It is a question that is asked way too often, likely to end in giving up, giving in, or just settling.  I can’t imagine how many times this question is asked in a day.  Because most of us are not actually hungry, this is more of an issue of what would seemingly make us happy in the moment.  It is one of the most difficult questions because while there seems to be nothing in our cabinets, the options are way too vast.  We are spoiled.

    There are some choices which are not so mundane and frivolous.  We are faced with choices of where we will work, if we should marry at all and if so, to whom, where we will live, and where we will be educated.  There choices have more consequences and outcomes are more serious.  They are still not permanent, though.  We can change jobs or move homes or go back to school for a different degree.  We may find the love of our life or find we are best alone.  They are choices of a higher caliber.  They carry more importance.

    And then there are choices which make an even greater impact than all of these.  In the Bible, the leader and follower of God, Joshua, challenges the people of God – choose this day… Choose on this day… and keep choosing… Whom will you serve?  It is a simple question with consequences which affect every area of their lives.  It is a question we continue to ask ourselves today.  Whom will I serve?  All too often, the answer is me.  I will serve me.  And yet, the challenge is to serve God.  Joshua reminds the people all God has brought them through.  He reminds them how powerful God is.  He helps them to remember the faithfulness, even when they weren’t.  

    To choose to serve God is a life which is full of love and compassion, which isn’t always welcomed.  It is a life of kindness and patience, self-control and joy.  But it isn’t easy.  And we must continue to choose…on a regular basis.  

    In the end, our actions reflect whom we have chosen to serve.  What does your life say?  Whom do you serve?  Today, I choose the Lord.

  • Beauty in Chaos (Devotion 2.2)

    Finding beautiful things in the middle of chaos can be so meaningful.  This is one of the joys in this life.  When I am aware, I am searching for the hidden beautiful.  I say the beautiful are hidden, but actually they are in clear sight.  They are just missed, overlooked, and bypassed.  They are always there.  We just tend to see the over brush instead.  We miss the amazing and instead focus on the mundane.  At least, I do if I am not careful. 

    I try to slow down a bit, which is not an easy feat for me.  Actually, it is one of the most difficult tasks ever.  I try to do everything quickly so I can get to the next task – there are always tasks waiting, aren’t there?  Instead of enjoying moments as they come, I am already focused on the next thing.  I call it “preparedness” but it is really anxiousness.  It doesn’t help when people tell me to slow down and just enjoy.  That’s not natural and seems contradictory.  Let’s face it – it isn’t going to happen just because someone told me to.  I’m stubborn like that.

    Instead of pushing myself to slow down, I begin the hunt.  What’s right in front of me that I miss when I rush through?  What is it that I miss when I don’t take the time to breathe?  What is God showing me that I have chosen not to see because I have already moved on to the next thing?  What is my anxiousness preventing me from noticing?  

    There is the most beautiful trail I visit as much as possible.  There are water views, bridges, marshlands, crabs, birds, and so much more.  But do you know what catches my eye every single time I pay attention?  There are flowers growing in the middle of over brush which appear even more vibrant and beautiful than an entire bunch in a garden.  They are resilient and determined, appearing from out of seemingly nowhere to simply bring joy.  And when I look, I see.  They are the beauty in the chaos.  

    May you find the beauty in your own chaos today.  Walking carefully and searching intently reveals the most amazing creation.  Blessings as you tread lightly today.

  • Traveling (Devotion 2.1)

    If I give you directions, it is probably best you consult a GPS.  My directions consist of landmarks which may or may not be located where I tell you they are.  In my mind, it is clear.  But when I speak about it, somehow it gets jumbled.  If I’m honest, though, I really don’t know where I am going most of the time.  Directions just aren’t my thing.  I am probably as directionally challenged as they come.  Some days I don’t let this slow me down.  I am blissfully lost and just keep moving.  I’ll find my way eventually.  But at other times, it has caused me to not try challenges for fear I will be forever lost.  I find this in life as well.

    We can get caught up in the movement of life that we forget where we are going, how to get there, or why we are even on this path.  We can wake up one day and not know how we got there or what in the world we are even doing.  It can even be so distressing that we feel hopeless and maybe even…lifeless.  But waking up is the key, even when it is painful to realize this isn’t where we intended to be.

    I have some wonderful guides in this life.  My wife, children, family and friends have been lights to help me on my way.  But they can’t ultimately do anything but show me where I am.  I have to find the way.  I rely on my faith but can get lost there too (my own fault, of course).  Waking up, realizing where I am, and finding where I should be heading is so important.  For me, this has been most realized when I am in silence.  When nothing else can impede or distract my thoughts, I can listen.  I listen to nature, singing the songs of goodness.  I listen to life lessons I have heard from those who have gone before me.  I listen to God as he seeks to show me the way.  

    And…I get up and travel forward.  I travel one step at a time.  But this time, I travel with intent, not aimlessly.  

    Move forward, there is still lots to see.

    Psalm 94:18-19 (New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised)
    When I thought, ‘My foot is slipping’, your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

  • the Pause

    It can be difficult to pause, to stop for a moment and just breathe. My nature is to simply keep pushing until I collapse. But pausing can be so refreshing and important.

    When I pause, I open my ears to hear what is around me. I can clear distractions to see what God may be teaching me. I notice good things which would have been otherwise overlooked in the rush of life. I can focus for just a moment and hopefully adjust my path to reflect following God.

    When I don’t pause, I feel anxious and rushed, overwhelmed and chaotic. It’s hard to focus when there are constant distractions vying for my attention. Because my attention span is short, I tend to simply go from one thing to the other without recognition of the valuable. It’s ultimately unproductive.

    So I pause. For a moment, a day, or whatever it may take. I seek to redirect my path, find peace in the journey, and follow God on this amazing thing called life.

  • Won’t He Do It

    I enjoy Sunday mornings so much.  This is the time when I can slow down and take my time.  I sit with my coffee by the window and watch the world awake to another day.  I can slow long enough to hear the birds sing and pause the rush of my otherwise busy life.  It does my soul good to simply be still for a few moments.  

    Music is an important part of my life (though I don’t sing or play).  It is in these moments I hear a message in my mind from something that has become stuck throughout the week.  I’m sure you know how tunes or phrases can begin to play in your mind and continue despite your best efforts to move them along.  Today, that tune is “Won’t he do it, yes he will.”  It’s a fairly new song with upbeat music. It plays in my mind today and I let it.  It takes on a unique message for me on this day.  

    One year ago today, we opened the bakery.  I had no idea what would happen.  If I’m honest, I had very low expectations.  This past year has shown me that I was dreaming way too small and I just need to hang on for what’s next.  That’s exciting and scary, all wrapped into one.  But if this year has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that I can’t do this alone.  

    There have been so many people who have stepped up in my life and I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  I have an incredible family and friends who have become a vital part of my family.  I have watched folks put in long hours and do amazing things.  And again, I have learned I could not have done this alone.  

    For someone who is a driven, independent person, this has been a beautifully difficult lesson to learn.  I could not do this without those who stand with me every single day.  And I have realized, most importantly, I could not do anything without God.  I’ve tried, I must admit.  I’ve tried to do it all by myself.  But I can’t.  And the best part is, God doesn’t expect me to, and neither does anyone else.  

    So as challenging as it may be, I seek a deeper relationship with God.  I seek more moments where I can sit and be, listening to where he may be leading.  I seek to live in gratitude for the people who walk with me on this journey.  And I seek to live in community with amazing people who will not let me do this alone.  Won’t he do it?  Yes he will.