Appreciate

I find myself continuing to ponder on this season of Thanksgiving as I stand still. When I allow myself to really look at life, I am struck by the overwhelming number of all that is taken for granted day in day out.  Novelist and poet G.K. Chesterton wisely noted, “When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”  It is my daily intent and hope to daily possess an awareness of ‘taking with gratitude.’ I want to appreciate the daily, the ordinary, the small, the meager, the moments… all that comprise the bounty of blessing and richness of life. Appreciate.
This word stands out in my thoughts…
In considering why, I looked at what it means to appreciate…
“to be grateful or thankful for; to value or regard highly” - I am grateful – I am thankful for the many blessings God has granted in my life.  There are those that I value or regard highly – a loving spouse, beautiful children, family, friends, my faith, a merciful and loving Heavenly Father.
"to be fully conscious and aware of; to recognize” -  I am conscious of the fact that I am blessed with much and try to be aware and recognize those ‘for granted’ things.
“to raise in value” – this is the meaning I think about in more depth.  As life goes on, have I really appreciated the blessings – have I allowed and  shown in a tangible way or expressed that certain blessings in my life are growing in depth, meaning and value to me.  Do I express often enough the depth of gratitude to and for those closest to me?  Have I given of myself and my time to certain friendships nurturing them to show gratitude or increase in value?  Am I continuing to grow in my relationship with the Lord? 
I want to fully appreciate.  How about you?

Psalm 118:1  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 107:15  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind

Thanksgiving...

As I was Standing Still this morning, I paused to reflect on this season of Thanksgiving.  Many pause during this time to assess the things in their lives for which they are truly thankful.  There is often the realization of “bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come (-Abraham Lincoln, Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day, October 3, 1863)”.  We take for granted what we have in life and who we have in our life as we go through the routines and get caught up in the distractions of our days.  There is often the lack of acknowledgement as to where these blessings originate – “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy (op.cit.)”.

My hope and prayer is that as we all consider what we are thankful for during this season, it “cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God (op.cit.)”.  As YOU list what you are thankful for, also recognize and state TO WHOM you are thankful – the Almighty, Everlasting, Merciful, Loving Father.  Oh give thanks unto the LORD!

Psalm 107:21 Let them give thanksto the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Psalm 69:30 I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise his name.
Psalm 106:1 Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

left to lay fallow

Fall has arrived.  Fields are being harvested- Some with great bounty.

Harvest isn’t a word used only in reference to the farm.  In each season of life there have been harvests.  Some brought abundance and joy.  The growth was enlightening.  Some harvests brought peace and calm.  Some brought encouragement and progress in the midst of chaos.  Some harvests may not have seemed so bountiful, but only after going through the drought do you realize you hold in your hand (and heart) a valuable harvest of a few precious seeds that will greatly impact all future harvests to come.

There are times, though, when a season does not bring harvest; for it was a time where things were left fallow. 

Fallow: plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated;
not in use; inactive; undeveloped or inactive, but potentially useful.

I think I possess some areas of life that have been left fallow for a bit – uncultivated, inactive.  This is not necessarily a bad thing however.  You see, there are deep correlations between fallow and fertile.  I read that the benefits of leaving land fallow for extended periods include rebalancing soil nutrients, breaking crop disease and pest cycles, re-establishing soil biota and providing a haven for wildlife. 

Standing still with my fallowness, I consider that perhaps I’ve been giving these areas a time to balance; a time to break the pest cycles of habits and urgent chaotic activities that interrupt harvests; a time for a haven of sorts.

I consider how God has engineered rest into the very fabric of creation.  Perhaps I need to engineer rest into the fabric of my time – my pace – my being.  What better example to follow.

I will be planting seeds again.  And I know the Creator and Lord will bring forth harvests that are more that I could’ve imagined!

Psalm 46:10  “Be still, and know that I am God.”
1 Corinthians 9:10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.

Keeping the plates spinning?

I recently asked a friend I hadn’t seen in a while, “How are you doing?” 

“Keeping the plates spinning,” was the reply.
I immediately pictured those performers that had a dozen or so plates on the end of poles, going from pole to pole to working to keep all the plates spinning at certain speeds so the plates don’t fall off the poles and smash into pieces on the floor. 
A man named David Spathaky, who spun 108 plates simultaneously in Bangkok on television in 1996, holds the Guinness World Record for spinning plates.  Yikes!  Think about the constant evaluation, second-to second judgments, dashing crazily - all the work to keep all the plates spinning.
Familiar feeling?  How many plates are you spinning right now?
I could relate to my friend’s comment too easily.  I knew that feeling of dashing crazily from one responsibility to another; one commitment to another; this scheduled event to that appointment. 
Family, work, events, appointments, a favor needed, a commitment asked…
Suddenly I’m hearing a crash from one direction, then oops…another.  Feeling overwhelmed or exhausted.
It’s not sustainable.
I feel a self-imposed looming disaster when what I should really just do is stand still, embrace the crashing and smashing and shout “OPA!!!”
Can you hear the loud chorus in your head…”OPAAAAH!!!”
An exclamation – a declaration of humorous and joyous affirmation saying “God is bringing you through the self imposed chaos, anxiety, mania, and crazy dashing to a state of the wisdom of a still spirit”. 
“OPA!!!” 
We need to come to a state of serene exuberance.  A plate may fall – actually plates will fall.  It’s okay.  Stop dashing around.  Stand Still.  We’ve been blessed with loved ones that will still be there if we drop a plate or break something.
We have a Father who is there to pick up the pieces. 

 Isaiah 41:10  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Psalm 46:10   “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Living life under the conditional statement?

“When things slow down, I’ll feel better and relax.”

“When they apologize, it will make things easier.”
“If she just had answers, she could move on.”
“If the house would sell, we wouldn’t have to ….”
“I need to get past next month, then…”
“When I finish this…”
“If...”  “When…”

I’ve been part of several conversations as of late in which people are struggling in very heartfelt ways.  I’ve been holding a couple of these situations quite heavily in thought and prayer.  As I’ve stood still with them, several thoughts have struck me.

One of the realizations that hit me most came from my teacher perspective.  Each of those heartfelt statements was a conditional statement.  “If…, then..”   “When …, then….”
There was a prerequisite to each person having happiness … being content … experiencing peace … having hope.  Life for each had limitations, something restricting them from actually living – a contingent circumstance not allowing living, only allowing existing day to day or moment to moment.
With this thought came a strong realization of how much I actually live life under a conditional statement.
So many people are coping with serious burdens, I do realize … yet each of us struggles with troubles. 
Our Lord, Himself, told us “in this world you will have trouble”
(John 16:33) – not might have – will have.  But our hope comes in what he says next… “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
All of those conditions – fear, anxiety, hurt, pain, meanness, struggle, trouble – exist. But we don’t need to conquer them to have peace or contentment or joy.  Christ overcame and conquered them for us.

In the midst of the storm, we can dance in the rain.  During those days filled with hurt, we can find pleasure in the moment and treasure it.

I think I’ll stand still with the thoughts and knowledge that I can and will live life unconditionally through God’s love.  I invite you to do the same!

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
1 Peter 5:7   Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Psalm 55:22   Cast your burdens on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.