Archives For Life as it happens

These are writings that tend more toward being musings about everyday life, culture, art, work and community without necessarily having a particular point to make about God stuff. Obviously as a Christian I think and write from a God-focussed perspective but not always with a view to being theological. Perhaps this is what folks mean by the phrase ‘incarnational’, but frankly I reckon it just sounds poxy so I’m calling this group of posts ‘Life as it happens’ because that’s the inspiration behind them.

What I said in my heart while on holiday

January 18, 2013
Dublin Bay, Wanaka

Dublin Bay, Wanaka

While on holiday in Wanaka recently, the abundance of overt wealth and expensive SUVs being driven around got me wondering how some folks can end up with so much money?

A well paying job obviously helps, I recently searched on the internet to see how my own salary compared to what is possible and came away rather demoralised! Yet salary alone is not the way to make lots of money. Business acumen, avoiding debt, high return investments, and the real estate market are all proven paths to riches.

So my envious heart jumped to wondering how I could enjoy part of the pie being so lavishly consumed by the wealthy. How could I generate a better income?

Most of the really high paying jobs are beyond my reach, even those on oil rigs or mines (no doubt to my wife’s great relief!). We have no spare cash to invest, and with my erratic shift roster a part-time job is not practical. After a few days greedily dreaming of get-rich-quick schemes the practical realities of life bit back, deflating my hunger for riches somewhat.

In this slightly covetous, mildly envious and dejected state of mind I read Deuteronomy 8:11-20 in which God warns the Israelites against comparing themselves with the nations around them. This passage has always helped me plot a course through life and is a timely corrective to my recent straying in heart from what is of true importance:

Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.
(Deuteronomy 8:17-19 ESV)

All I have is due to God’s blessing. My financial debts are the result of my own poor choices at various times. Yet even the ability to do my job and earn an income of adequate proportions to sustain my family comes directly from God, regardless of how hard the work may seem to me. Even more importantly, these verses recalibrate my thinking to see that not only is God the source of my material blessings, He is the only source of ultimate meaning or satisfaction.

As paul points out to a young pastor:

godliness with contentment is great gain,
(1 Timothy 6:6 ESV)

In fact, Paul’s exhortation in verses 7-12 of 1 Timothy chapter 6 sum up well why I was never destined to be a rich man once I began taking the Bible seriously! It is good advice and fleeing the love of money to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness and to fight the good fight of faith is the best way I could invest my life (and the best way you could invest yours).

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Image: my phone

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More and less in 2013

January 1, 2013

2013 on palmsWell, a new year – time for resolutions, a fresh start, renewed energy – all that jazz. For me it is just another day at work.

However, despite my own cynicism, the start of a new year does mean something more than ‘just another day’ to me. After the draining rush and stress of Christmas and the ‘end of year’ wind up, there is a sense of needing a fresh start, a chance to get things moving ahead on the right foot. Fortunately for us who live ‘downunder’ we get to start each new year in the middle of summer so there really is a chance to nurture new growth, to get out into nature and unwind a bit, or read that book we were given for Christmas.

As yet I haven’t made any resolutions or specific goals for 2013, but I did drag out my old notebook in which I’ve written goals for years already gone by and noticed a few interesting patterns:

  • Some big goals that initially appeared out of reach have been achieved, particularly ones regarding jobs and income.
  • My goals of eating and spending less are the ones I put least effort into reaching!
  • Personal challenges that God has allowed into my life have forced me to work harder on some ‘personal development’ goals that had been on my list but slightly neglected – should have done that work sooner!
  • External pressure is a huge motivator for me to work on my goals; for example, I had a goal of studying the psalms more deeply which was neglected for several years. Then our church began preaching on the psalms and so that year my goal was more than fulfilled.
  • Spiritual growth/disciplines such as Bible reading and prayer are super important, hard to measure, never ‘complete’, and difficult to sustain without external motivation.
  • Small daily steps working on personal values can get me a long way, conversely – neglect of daily discipline can lead to wasted years.

So, goals for 2013?

I’m still not sure what my goals are for this year. There are a few ideas rattling around in my head but I’m suspicious that their origin is more from my own heart than anything God is wanting me to aim for. Last year was pretty tough so there is an obvious desire to try to make this year better, whatever form ‘better’ might take.

An idea which may be worth pursuing is of making 2013 to be a year of ‘less’. Less incoming clutter into my heart, mind, inbox, and hard drives. I’m a compulsive gatherer of information, to the point of becoming overwhelmed by too much to read, listen to, think about, process. I also eat too much and spend too much so aiming for less in 2013 seems like a good plan.

To immediately contradict myself, I also have a goal of more blogging here on Words of Eternal Life. Having not posted anything here for weeks means that ‘more’ should be easy to achieve! Over the last few months I’ve considered a couple of web projects that have diverted my attention from this blog but my focus is now back here and I’m keen to infuse some more life into this site. I’ve got a few plans of what I like to blog about this year but will keep these to myself until the writing has been done!
2013-sand

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Image: iStock

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Eastercamp 2012

April 11, 2012

I haven’t written at all for the last five days, instead I was travelling to – and cleaning toilets at – the South Island Eastercamp 2012. Over 4,000 teenagers from around the South Island converged on Spencer Park in Christchurch for what I can perhaps best describe as a Christian non-stop What Now with rock concerts thrown in. It is loud! It is huge, very well run, and God is there. Surprisingly, even with about 4,100 young people at the camp there is no trouble – a single Police officer had a fairly relaxed four days. But it was loud.

The Big Top

I did discover that while my trusty sleeping bag kept me toasty warm, my ageing bones need more than 20mm of closed-cell foam between me and the hard ground to facilitate a sound night’s sleep. So while I yawned my way around camp, my 10-year-old daughter revelled in being counted an honourary youth group member. She loved the ‘Big Top’ meetings, the activities, lots of people to hang out with, staying up late, most of the food (but not the gluten-free buns!), and came home wanting a closer relationship with God and to read the Bible more.

I learned what an awesome group of youth leaders our church has, how much I need my beloved wife, and was encouraged to more fully pursue a couple of things God has placed on my heart. I will also miss Stormy’s hilarious commentaries as we did our midnight loo-crew rounds.

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Photo credits: Eastercamp media team

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Melt my icy heart

April 7, 2012

Thank you God for the warmth of your sunshine,
thank you even for the chill air that makes me appreciate it.
Thank you that my cold fingers remind me of the coldness of my heart,
towards you,
and towards other people.

Just as I cannot control the weather and nor can any man,
so I cannot control my heart.
But you have purchased my soul, you own my heart.
You are the Master Potter and the Refining Fire.

Melt my icy heart, incinerate away my dross.
My stony glare reflects my stony heart.
I could take counsel, I could act kindly,
but what overflows this mouth is the essence of a hurtful heart.
Take away the stoniness, kill my pride.
Teach me to value your fellowship rightly.
Teach me to value others more than myself.

Take me on a journey into knowing you,
and the sanctification of my soul.

I wrote this prayer in June 2010. About a month later I was diagnosed with severe depression and the journey since then has seen some pride killing and steps towards a less stony attitude towards others. God is at work, pray with me that He continues! 

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Image of icicle: 123RF

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I tell myself it is worth the trouble

March 21, 2012

At the end of the wick

This year we are attempting to do some Lent devotions as a family when possible. It is a somewhat stumbling effort, but the kids do seem to like it and even our three-year-old is getting the idea, or at least he likes the candles!

For us the best time to do a ‘God talk’ in this format is immediately after dinner while everyone is still at the table and the kids have not yet switched into jungle hour mode (totally hyped, loud, disobedient and cranky). Some evenings the meal doesn’t end neatly however, and bringing everyone back to the table and settled becomes quite a challenge.

To plan my devotions I use the reliable and scientifically proven organisational approach called last minute rush. In this case flicking through the gospels in my Bible looking for a Jesus story that isn’t too long, can be explained to a six-year-old and I haven’t used in the last couple of weeks. Tonight my background accompaniment was middle child having a melt-down over a lost homework book, with boisterous boy playing melody and strains of tired ten-year-old on strings.

Then I couldn’t get the first candle to light (the one in the photo – can you see why?) and little boy decided  he needed to help me. He was most indignant when I refused to give him a lit match! He was correct in assuming I needed help.

By the time I said ‘amen’ we had everyone together around the table.

Our carefully chosen (ahem!) passage for this evening was Matthew 21:18-22, leading to discussions of how large a splash mountains would make on landing in the sea, the meanness of Jesus in killing a fig tree, and how cool it is that God can make impossible stuff happen.

With a young family and me doing shift work, our attempts at devotions are erratic at best. Yet even when it seems the kids are not paying any attention and we are all tired, I convince myself it is worth the hassle. I just pray my children find good churches when they are older with pastors who can straighten out their bizzare theology!

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
(Matthew 21:18-22 ESV)

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Photo of candle: Me

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