Size Matters Part 2

As I considered in yesterday's entry that there are things (a lot) that are not known about God, I wanted to dig a little deeper into the aspect of knowing Him. I have had a two conversations over the last few days which have me considering the actuality of knowing God.

1. Conversation One surrounded the fact (yes, fact) that we can know God. And that there are a lot of things which we can believe and have ideas about but there is a concreteness to God. He can be known.
2. Conversation Two surrounded the aspect of knowing more about God. This was driven around the idea that through age comes wisdom and life experience that allow for us to know things. Our experience has allowed us to provide counsel and encouragement.

1. Regarding Conversation One: There was a girl I knew who lost a battle with Neuroblastoma. At her memorial service her father shared a story of how, sitting at her bedside, he wanted to ensure that his little girl knew how much he loved her. He told her that his love for her was great and that he wanted her to make sure that she knew that. To which she replied "I know you love me, Daddy, but I also know God loves me more". This young girl was ten. She'd battled cancer for 9 years of her life and she knew God in an intimate way. A concrete way. She KNEW God!
2. Regarding Conversation Two: Many consider C.S. Lewis a spiritual giant. Certainly a well schooled man who had a deep viewpoint on who God is. I read he was once asked about how he and others can have such a knowledge about God to which he shared “Think of me as a fellow patient in the same hospital who, having been admitted a little earlier could give some advice.”

Okay, back to the Big God that we looked at yesterday. I was thinking of both conversations described above and thought of God like the ocean. The ocean is freaking huge and that there are areas like the Bering Sea which (witness The Deadliest Catch) are very tumultuous and fierce. In contrast, there are beach-like areas which are placid, warm and inviting.

So, can we know God? Can we understand Him? As the ocean, God is vast. And some have been thrown into mighty waters and experienced a God a lot won't ever understand. And others have waded into the ocean a bit further than others and can turn back and say. "When you get out this far it warms up a bit".

We must wade in further—even swim—scary and undiscovered as the ocean may be—to find out more about it. God only knows what is lurking beneath the waves.

Size Matters

The older I get, the more I realize what I don't know. And that is something that I find oddly comforting. I don't have to have all the answers, I don't have to fully comprehend things, I don't always say and do the right thing. Because, when I believe I got it figured out, I am consistently shown otherwise.

I used to think (and sometimes still do) that I had a lot of answers when it came the "Christian Faith" and living therein. I have read a lot of books, heard a lot of sermons, been in a lot of discussions, and experienced a good bit of Faith-walk in my life. By contrast, I have failed a ton, experimented too much, hurt many people, and generally screwed up a lot along the way.

I also used to quite think that I had God himself figured out. I've come to realize that I hardly do at all. Perhaps a fingertips worth (until I am shown otherwise)—and there's a lot of body beyond the tip of a finger.

One thing I think I've figured out is that God is big. Really big. Beyond anything I could imagine big. I like Him big. And I believe He wants us to be amazed by how big He is. Because that's what He is. Big. Huge. Out-of-this-world.

In The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Lucy asks Beaver about Aslan inquiring if he is "safe", to which Beaver replies "safe—no, but he is good". I love this interpretation of what God could be like. Monstrous, Powerful, Clawed, Saber-toothed, Muscular, Mighty....but good.

I am gonna steal from Steve Martin here.... Let's get small, and keep God big.

Stand Corrected

Do I stand corrected?

Will I stand corrected?

Have I stood corrected?

Do you stand corrected?

Will you stand corrected?

Have you stood corrected?

None of us have it all figured out yet.

Attitude Amazing

When I come across someone who, under tremendous circumstances, embraces an incredibly positive attitude, I am inspired, humbled, and a bit ashamed. Inspired by their conscious decision to take a certain stance or belief given a heavy state of affairs. Humbled by my own life situation and how I can lose sight of the incredible blessings I hold on a daily basis. And ashamed to think of the sort of attitude I can take under certain "trials" I face each day.

We all have heard great stories of triumph and amazing attitudes, but when we are exposed to them in our own individual lives—with people we have seen and touched. It has a deeper impact.

1. My Aunt battled cancer in a few forms over the last years of her life. This lady was a true angel. A shining example of attitude and faith. Amid her battle, she'd been asked "Do you ever ask God, why me?" to which she replied "Why not me."
2. A buddy of mine was out of work for over a year. I know there were internal battles he waged with himself, but he made the decision to "embrace it, and find out what God desired for me to learn from this" and now employed and digging back out from under states he "wouldn't have changed a thing" because there was so much to learn.
3. At seven months old, Hailey Trainer was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Amid incredible sorrow and questions, her parents embraced an attitude of prayer and trust, and leaned heavily on family, friends and the church body. Hailey is now a miracle child who at 2-years old, is the oldest living survivor of her form of cancer.

We all find so much to complain about moment-by-moment throughout our day. It could be a remark made about us, someone taking credit for something we feel was ours, or if someone simply just looks different. Shame on us when we do so. And it is a shame that through trivial (or even tremendous) circumstances we can loose sight of opportunities at hand, and attitudes to take.

Take time today to reflect on those you know whose amazing attitude has impacted your life. And check your own attitude. I know I need to.

Father Figure

Being a father reminds me on many occasions about what being a child is. Yesterday at church, our Sr. Pastor Crawford Loritts considered part of a child's perspective*, and the comfort and confidence a child has in their father (or mother)—The bills are paid. There is gas in the car. Food is coming. There will be clean clothes. That most needs will be met—and that we should share the same confidence in our Heavenly Father.

In 1 John 2:13, the author writes "...I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. " We need to know the Father. And trust Him as the child described above does. Trusting that he is aware of our bills, the car, the food, the clothes. And will provide for us as we need.

As a grown(er) person, and somebody who has been in a growing relationship with our God for a while, I have seen many times where the bills make a borderline untimely payment, the car is filled one quarter tank at a time, we're hitting the pantry, and Macy's is surely not shopped.

Just as we want our kids to learn that there is hard work and patience required for our needs being met, often times God's desire has been for me to learn through a time of trial or want. And I have always seen my Father deliver. Not always as expected, or I even desired at the time, but in a sufficient (sometimes beyond sufficient) manner.

Now this is a perspective I don't keep daily. So often I try to take matters into my own hands and lose track of the relationship, wisdom and support I can receive from my Father each day. I need to remember who's roof I live under—and the price paid for me to live there.

*Certainly there are many children who don't share this exact perspective due to environmental circumstances, poverty, etc, but I believe the theory is the same, the vehicles of a father, or The Father's support may look different.

Calibrators

Back when I was a single guy, I had a roommate, Jim. He and I would frequent the local establishments for a few beverages with the hopes of some sort of engagement with the fairer sex. I recall there were seasons when this engagement proved more "successful" than others—shall we say, one of us for some reason would have better "luck with the ladies"* with a greater frequency. I can recall having conversations with Jim which would typically pan out to a dude, you are on a roll these days. Oddly enough, it seems that whenever this roll was identified, and one of use would try to take advantage of it, that roll would end. The simply fact of awareness seemed to set things straight. We were not nearly as cool, suave, etc. as we thought we were.

Obviously the effect of awareness does not solely come to play when it comes to the guy/girl thing. I know that I am in need of some sort of awareness on a daily basis. There are many things that can puff me up and make me loose sight of who I am (or Why I Am—see March 5, 2010 posting). Things such as:

• Success
• Experience
• Appreciation
• Validation
• Knowledge

Now these by no means are bad things—and often are wonderful things which may be used for great purposes—but they easily can (at least in my case) step in and remove some necessary perspective. In order to keep myself aware of how I need to truly consider myself, it is necessary for me to keep calibrated through relationships such as:

• My spouse
• Honest and trusted friends
• Prayer
• God's Word
• ...even this blog

It is important to identify calibrators in our lives and seek them out continually. We need to be disciplined in these relationships and see that they are nurtured, communicative, and trusted. This allows us to keep our antenna up to identify those things which cause us to consider ourselves different than God intended. And also create an awareness of areas where we are available to apply ourselves at a deeper level—as God intended.

Galatians 5:25 shares "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.". So often I will lose sight of my step with the Spirit. Thank God for the relationship I have with Him, through Jesus, and thank God for all of the relationships and calibrators in my life.


*When I refer to "luck with the ladies", I don't mean getting lucky, I mean simply moderate engagement—don't over think this, y'all.

In Discipline

I have been reading a book by Scott Belsky entitled "Making Ideas Happen". In a nutshell, the book is about organizing ideas and projects, and the discipline of pushing them through execution. Belsky has made it very clear that creatives battle discipline and the ability to see ideas through fruition (I can attest this to be true). I am about halfway through the book and have been applying some of the organization methodologies and oddly enough enjoying it. I am interested to see if I can keep this up—as I've always battled the ability to sustain organization—but that what this book is about. Time will tell if I remain disciplined to the process.

Considering the importance of discipline, today I am in need of a post Memorial Day jump start. So I have forced this blog out. Or rather, disciplined myself to scribe it. Brief as it is, I believe that, once written and published, it will have created some inertia to dial back in to work.

I hope to remain in discipline.