01.02.2021 - week 86
we are living in the ‘i just feel … ‘ generation. when contrasted the stiff upper lip of the victorian british world depicted in downton abbey or the crown the difference is remarkable. conveying our inner thoughts and whims is no longer a sign of weakness but rather a brand building necessity. everyone you a ‘long post alert’ it’s a signal of someone having some things to say.
sometimes it’s tremendously helpful. recently an old friend posted about a season of depression and suicide attempts that gave me great insight into others i know struggling in a similar way. at other times, i hope my biographically influenced words in this space have been useful to you. the best book i read in 2020 was an autobiography of stunning beauty .. but there’s another side to this trend.
- a view of publicly conveyed sadness or vitriol as inherently good regardless of veracity
- a culture of victimhood that somehow puts happy + well adjusted folks at a social disadvantage
- the assumption that anyone not conveying dark feelings must be hiding something
so a question to consider … when does self-disclosure become self-indulgent?
when does the process of telling all your feels become selfish and not helpful?
i think its when we hurt others in the way explain our hurts. it’s easy for pain or failure or trauma to make a person extremely self-focused. and when we are self-focused its very difficult to love our neighbor as ourself. when my need to self-disclose hurts others i should probably find a different timing or format.
the truth is, it feels good to tell you story. it feels powerful to tell it like it is. it feels empowering to have people comment on your posts telling you that you are brave or good or have been through a lot. we all like to be noticed and liked, but if the words we share hurt others (even those who hurt us) without warning or without a balanced telling of the story or with the intent of hurting them back, we aren’t being helpful, we are wrong.
KG Korner
(a few wise words from lady kristen macdonald)
My son Graham might as well have been singing, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas! Just like the ones I used to know.” Although those lyrics didn’t come off his lips he has anticipated sledding and snowballs and fort building for more than a year! I remember last year when we visited at Christmas time the snow literally began to fall as we entered the airport to fly home to LA. There’s nothing like a fresh snow, the anticipation, the beauty of it covering the earth and although the weatherman thinks he can estimate how much will fall it’s all up to the Lord.
On a completely different note, before we lived in California I never understood the wildfires and how they can spread so quickly and that there is actually a climate that exists where it rarely rains. the first three months of living there it never even sprinkled. Once you drive through the areas filled with mountainous grassland that hasn’t gotten rain in weeks it all adds up. What we found hilarious was that when it does rain, events get cancelled and emails get sent saying « stay safe in the rain!” LA friends, thanks for making this Chicago family laugh! We drive through sleet, snow and rain regularly and y’all are letting a bit of rain deter you from an event!
Here’s the thing: whether you are from LA or Chicago the rain and snow are symbols of God’s perfect provision to water the earth. He knows the amount by the millimeter necessary and he knows what he will yield out of it.
Look at Isaiah 55:10-11 with me: ”For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the things for which I sent it.”
Sometimes we look at the weather and how it frazzles us when really God is using it to accomplish something in the much bigger picture. And in the same way He has a plan with His Word and that’s why it is so important to get in it. I’m not saying you need to read the whole Bible this year but I am saying that the “Return On Investment” usually brings a much larger yield than other things you could invest your time and attention to.
On Black Friday, I found some clothing for Luke at an awesome price and when I was wrapping it up I was all excited thinking about how great it would look on him. Not only did I get the wrong size but let’s just say they didn’t work out as I had hoped! Think about this awesome fact: It’s never like that with God; what he purposes succeeds because he sent it.
I pray that as we head into this New Year (Hallelujah!!), that you would determine a way to plant the seeds of God’s Word in your heart this year. I’m going to leave you with the Message’s paraphrase:
“Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.”
leadership thought
neighbors not residents
most christians and churches are good residents but not good neighbors.
good residents take care of what’s theirs. they mow the lawn + pay taxes + keep their part of the building clean. they do their part. do what’s required. they take of themselves and everyone around them benefits a bit as a result.
good neighbors make sure everyone else on the block is taken care of. they shovel extra driveways when it snows + help those whose need extra childcare. good neighbors don’t settle for taking care of what’s theirs, they take care of all that’s gods. they don’t get caught up in who was ‘supposed’ to take care of it. if it’s within their scope of vision … they work it out. good neighbors do more.
in the same way that common grace allows sinners + saints alike to enjoy colorful sunsets or a great kiss or the taste of chocolate or a lebron james dunk, good neighbors strive to help everyone around them thrive.
galatians 6.10 — so then as you have opportunity, do good to all
proverbs 3:27 — Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
jeremiah 29:7 – but seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
as long we think about our block and our town and our little corner of god’s creation as someone else’s to worry about while we focus on “saving souls” or fighting political battles or explaining why some other type of church is wrong, we are at best good residents … if we want something meaningful to happen around us, we must move past being residents to being good news neighbors.
that’s good news in the neighborhood ..
book review
three ring circus - jeff pearlman
this in depth look at the shaq/kobe years was a perfect holiday read. the book (which you can’t help but read through the lens of kobe’s untimely death) describes the build up to and successful completion of three championship seasons and the unending drama that filled a group of egos perpetually struggling to co-exist. it fascinated me to examine the role of phil jackson as a coach trying to navigate difficult people through complicated situations while remaining focused on achieving a goal. the off the court stuff is riveting even if a bit TMI. if you are a sports fan looking for a vacation read, this book is top drawer.
super christian guy
This year has brought and revealed so much division among those who love jesus. whether the virus or the uprising or the election or the bazillion choices those things forced upon all of us, my heart hurts to think of the pain we have caused each other through careless words + needlessly binary opinions.
wherever we go in the year ahead … i pray we will learn to see + believe the best the best in each other + try to learn and see other perspectives. it’s a narrow road, but people are finding jesus from lots of different places.
while of course …
romans 14.5 — each one should be fully convinced in his own mind,’
romans 15.1-2 — ‘we who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.’
loving our neighbor well means going further, speaking slower, and judging kinder than we usually want to
stuff for you to click on
my last week at faithful central … i thought the message was really encouraging and a great way to complete things. Jesus Loves People, Not Systems
one of our team at good news in the neighborhood wrote a wonderful article called ‘5 Tips to Quarantine Proof Your Marriage’ check it out