Making Time to Be Still

nomarginsaw Have you ever read a book with minimal margins? I haven’t seen one and I don’t know for sure that one exists but just imagine one with me.

What about a life with minimal margins?

We all have different margin needs. All the things listed here are great things. But there are things missing too. And, likely, over time or in different circumstances our needs for margins change. I know mine have. Different stages of life have different demands. But when I am running from one thing to the next and I don’t have any space built in, I run ragged. I am definitely not as patient. And I am not as open to possibly wonderful things because they don’t fit into my schedule. I don’t have time to be sick or visit with a friend who might be unexpectedly passing through town or even notice God trying to get my attention.

I can’t live like that.

I don’t believe many people can. Making space in our day, in our week, and in our lives is important. Sometimes we need to space to regroup. Sometimes we need the space to recharge. Sometimes we need the space because it is important “to be” without any expectation of producing anything. And while God can work in any circumstance, there are times that a quiet space is where we are able to see Him working. It clears my mind and cleanses my perspective. Creating space to pray, play, or simply rest is so important! If I have no margins, there is no room to move.

marginsaw But that isn’t exactly how our world tends to think. It is easy to get caught up in the gain, the advance, the conquer….and sometimes we lose ourselves in the process. Respite from the world’s demands and times to ponder and pray can make our days, our nights, and our responses more informed, more measured, and more calm.

When things are feeling a little crazy for me, I take stock of all I am trying to juggle and I usually see that I need to make some adjustments in my schedule. It is important to evaluate and adjust according to my current circumstances. So, here I am, still clinging to this verse from Psalm 46:10. It reminds me that I am not wonder woman and I am not God. I don’t know it all. I don’t have to do it all. It gives me permission to “be still” and rest in my knowledge of God!

On the Road,

Liz

be-stillp

Entertaining Angels

conversationw I have a confession to make. I love talking with people but I get very anxious when I am in a position where I need to begin a conversation with a total stranger.

Those of you who know me personally might find this revelation hysterical. I can talk a mile a minute and I love conversation and I love getting to know people. But sometimes I completely freeze up just trying to initiate conversation.

If I am selling things at a Hungarian festival, I don’t have a problem initiating a discussion because someone is coming up to me and is likely interested in what I am selling. But have me seated next to a stranger in a social situation and I really struggle to find my “opening line”. I am sure I overthink it.

But meeting new people and engaging in conversation is so much fun. I am rewarded every time I do it because I learn so much and the conversation is always interesting. And yet I still overthink my opening line so much that I am inhibited to start. I think I am overly concerned I will offend people or appear intrusive. I want to fix that!

There is so much to learn from the people around us. Taking time to have conversation is important. It is easy to become isolated because there is so much tension. There is definitely an art to conversation these days, but there is also a ministry in conversation. With so many people pulled in so many directions it is easy for those who might need a little extra time or encouragement to talk be bowled-over by those who are impatient and in a rush.

Do I take the time to connect with the people God has placed around me?

The life stories I have heard range from heartbreaking to encouraging. Each situation has some nugget of wisdom for me to learn. While there is an art to listening I think the ministry opportunity is in the conversation. Most people will talk for the interaction, not just to hear themselves ramble on… and both parties can gain tremendous insights about one another as well as themselves when there is a dialogue.

hospitalityw This week, try to look at conversation as ministry and consider how the exchange of experiences and insights benefits both participants in conversation. Remember: being hospitable isn’t something you have to be at home to do! You can be a welcoming and friendly face in a place you have never been before.

On the Road,

Liz

Grace. Period.

MyLifew If you have been out on your own and paying bills for a while you probably know about grace periods and even needed them a time or two. Buy have you thought of a grace period as a time someone needs as they adjust to a new reality?

It takes time to get reoriented after unexpected news.

Receiving either good news or bad news can turn your world upside down. Sometimes a little time and space can help you get readjusted to a new reality.

Have you ever tried to carefully plan something like your life? Personally, I gave up doing that a long time ago. Things change so quickly that I have found I just need to roll with it. I have had a few goals and plans along the way but there have been a few times something equivalent to a tidal wave has rushed over me and I found myself in a place where I need some recovery time; a grace period.

A grace period is a space where I can cocoon, process, pray, scream, and work it out – whatever it is. And then, hopefully, I can move forward with God leading the way into my new reality. It is never an easy process – often it is two steps forward and one step back. Somewhere along the line I realized: this is not my life — I just live it!

When I walk through those crazy moments I come out with a stronger understanding of God’s grace for my every day. And because I have been in desperate need of grace so often myself, I should be more grace-full towards others.

Sometimes we just need grace.

Period.

It isn’t hard to muster up compassion for those who have walked a similar path or those who have extenuating circumstances, but there are some times I get impatient with others as they are processing and then I wonder:

Who am I to criticize how someone else is dealing with something?
Who am I to rush someone through the stages of grief?
Who am I to make assumptions on motives?
Who am I to be impatient?

I just need to give some grace, time, and space while they work it out. We are all a work in progress and some of life’s situations are so hard. We don’t have control over many thing that happen but we can control our response. I am praying that grace becomes my first response!

On the Road,

Liz

Periodw

Seek Shelter

360px-United_States_of_America_Fallout_shelter_sign

We used to have drills in elementary school in the 70s….fire drills and nuclear war drills. The Fallout Shelter sign was a common sight in schools and other places in our community. Do you remember them? It’s crazy to think that crawling under our desks was going to afford us much protection during a nuclear attack.

Spring rains can bring tornados and heavy flooding. Fires rage and gobble up homes and businesses. Have heard the words “Take Shelter Immediately!” ?Living near New York City at the moment, I like to explore the Big Apple and I often think about the chaos, the fear, and the destruction that occurred on September 11. 2001. I can’t even imagine that day in the city.

Sometimes it is hard to know which way to go.

There are other times that sort of chaos creeps into our lives:

A medical diagnosis
A job loss or change
All the details that go into a move
A death
An accident
An unplanned pregnancy
A fractured relationship

Where do you take shelter?

I try to take those things that burden my heart to God. Even when I am at a complete loss for words and I don’t know what to say or think the Holy Spirit intercedes for me!

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26

But there are times when I am feeling particularly at a loss and I ask for others to pray for me. There is power in sharing our burden. It is encouraging to spend time with someone who provides a time of refuge from the challenges of the world. Praying with, praying for, or just taking time to listen to someone as they sort through their thoughts and feelings is a powerful way to provide shelter for them.

Pray for the eyes to see those who need some shelter. And if you are struggling and need your own, let God and His Word provide you with His covering. I pray you have one or two praying friends who are a safe haven and can provide a bit of sanctuary from the worldly challenges we are all subject to at one time or another.

Thanks to Wikipedia and Gerald Shields for making the fallout shelter image available!

On the Road,

Liz

Troublew Declarew

Pray Without Ceasing!

Pray without ceasingw My pastor posted a disturbing article the other day and I cannot seem to get it out of my mind. It’s about young women who worked with radium to help the war effort but the chemical they worked with was toxic.They were nicknamed “Ghost Girls”. Here is a link to the article…

The whole thing makes me sick. As these gals were sacrificing their health there were people who knew better, benefitted from it, and let them continue on. I am sure there are many other toxic things in our lives that we just don’t know about yet. Sadly, there are some people who know about it but they just keep quiet.

They see the toxicity but don’t say a word.

That behavior is common in organizations. And, while I wish it wasn’t true, it also makes frequent appearances in the church and in families. Toxic people work their way into the lives of unsuspecting people and can make life hell. The church is very vulnerable to this sort of thing. They are frequently desperate for volunteers and have limited resources so they grab anyone and put them into service without vetting them. Doing some level of background check might not prevent every unhealthy person from worming their way in but it can definitely catch some.

Sometimes we are aware of toxicity in an organization and see backstabbing, public “floggings”, and other unhealthy behavior, and we stay. Why?

Here are a few reasons why I have remained in unhealthy organizations for far too long:

I hate conflict.
I can’t walk away from the others in the trenches.
I want to be a part of the solution.
There are wonderful, healthy people in the organization.
I am passionate about the mission.
The organization has so much potential.
I care for the people I work with or for.

But in the process I have sacrificed:

Sleep
Healthy interactions
Other relationships
Time with our family
Energy
Perspective
Spiritual health
Money
Physical health
And more…..

Good heavens! The workplace is not supposed to be that way! More importantly, the church is not supposed to be that way!

God can change a dysfunctional system and bring it to a healthier place. He can and He does. But I need to know my own limits.

When you are aware of or involved in an unhealthy organization, pray for God to bring to light whatever is hidden in the dark. Be careful that your “helpfulness” doesn’t mask the unhealthy behaviors that need to be exposed. Pray for those who are being taken advantage of. Pray for discernment about your involvement. If you know of people who are weary trying to remain in a toxic environment, find ways to encourage them. Pray for God to either heal the situation or give them the courage to leave the situation until it is healthier. There is so much to cover in prayer so pray without ceasing!

On the Road,

Liz

Good Words

Anxietyw. copy Have you noticed the challenge of anxiety is discussed more openly than in years past? I don’t know if there is more anxiety or if we have just come to a greater understanding of it recently. But if you know someone who lives with anxiety you know it weighs him or her down.

It is so easy to critique and criticize. There is a world just waiting for the next great zinger or some clever sarcasm. It is also easy to get caught up in my own situation. I know that I can be lost in thought and miss an opportunity to encourage with something even as simple as a smile.

But good words….those are desperately needed.

Don’t discount the words you share and the impact they make. Make a point of sharing God’s Word, which has so much good news for a weary soul, or other good words with those around you today. It can be as simple as:

“I appreciate you!”

There are some wonderful social media images with good words. I have a folder on my desktop that is titled Inspiration and I put them there. When I don’t find what I need, I make it on canva.com because I find that it is good for me to see the good words. Creating good words is therapeutic for me!

Make the time to share some good words today. You might find that the words you share with someone else are the very words that soothe your soul!

On the Road,

Liz

Toxic Environments

Serenityw

Recently, Don and I traveled 5500+ miles together. We all over in the southwest United States… in the country, in small towns, in the mountains, and in several large cities. We were in places where there were many people and cars and also places where we rarely saw a person or house. We also experienced quite a variation in air quality.

When I am out in nature and it is a beautiful sunny day, I just want to take a deep breath. The crisp, clean air is so refreshing. But I really don’t love to head toward a city where there is a layer of smog. Once you are “in town” you might not notice it but it is very obvious from a few miles away that the air quality is compromised. Who wants to breathe that in?

There are places that have a toxic environment and it isn’t about the physical air quality but involves an unhealthy spiritual atmosphere.

“Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to faultfinding.” Have you been in a place where creativity is discouraged? Manipulative behavior is common? Glad-handing and flattery are ever present? Responsibility is shirked? Incompetence is rewarded? Or an elephant is in the living room but everyone is too afraid to mention it?

Sometimes it is the result of a person or two who come in and are “allowed” to change the atmosphere. Other times it is entrenched in the culture of the institution. The family or workplace lost its health somewhere along the way.

Polluted air can impact your physical health. A toxic home or work environment can also take a toll on your physical heath…and emotional health…and spiritual health. But what do you do with it when you are aware of it?

The most important thing to do is pray!

Pray for your own spiritual protection and the spiritual protection of others involved.
Pray for others to come to an awareness of the unhealthy atmosphere.
Consider how you contribute to the health of the system and pray for a healthier contribution.
If you are sucked in, BACK UP! Take a good look at what is going on.
Ask others for their insight. You might be overreacting but you also might be onto something.
Pray about your involvement overall.
If you have to maintain some connection, pray about your level of engagement.

Heavenly Father ~ Help me discern how I contribute to unhealthy environments by either getting sucked in or staying silent on the sidelines. Give me courage to behave in healthy ways. Amen.

On the Road,

Liz

Step By Step

ThyWaysw 2

I love Proverbs! We have this great reminder in our home and I wondered if it might be a good reminder for you today! Just for fun, I looked this verse up in The Message. It isn’t the version I typically look at but I wanted to see at Proverbs 3:5-6 from a different angle because sometimes a look through a different lens gives new insight:

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all. [Proverbs 3:5-6 The Message]

There are times I want answers for life challenges. I know quite a few people in the middle of some pretty big stuff and I wonder what God is going to do with all of it. I know He will do something because He doesn’t waste any experience. He doesn’t want crummy things to happen to the people He loves but there are always consequences to sin. Of course, we each have sin in our lives. But there are many times our lives are impacted by the sins of others. Sometimes I try to figure it all out but it is beyond me. I don’t know it all. I don’t see the bigger picture just yet. I may never know the bigger picture of things. Ever. I just need to trust God. I need to pay attention to His words and follow in His way.

Some days it isn’t easy. Other days it is. Staying “in step” with God is the key.

How do you stay “in step” with God?

Heavenly Father ~ I know that you are working in my life. I trust you are working out all the details. I don’t need to know it all, I just need to know the next step. Help me to do what I need to do today so that I am ready for the next part of the process tomorrow.

On the Road,

Liz

Tealeaves

I had some tea at my friend’s house the other day. I like tea but I had no idea how real tea really worked. I mostly just figured tea was tea. I never wondered about it, actually.

When my friend asked if I would like tea, she listed all the typical options. But then asked if I wanted real Chinese tea. She had been a missionary in Taiwan for over three years so she knew quite a bit more about how real tea worked. I was intrigued so that is what I chose.

tea1ew — These little guys are just a little bigger than a whole clove.

First she tossed a few of these little things in a special teacup with a filter. I like strong tea so it didn’t really look like enough but she assured me it was. Then we added some hot water. We dumped out the water after a couple of minutes and then added more boiling water. This was all new to me! But it was a necessary part of the process.

We were waiting for the tealeaves to open. It takes several minutes.

It turns out she had dumped in a few too many because as the tealeaves kept relaxing from their dried state they nearly filled the filter. But the tea was delicious. I kept adding more water to the leaves and they continued to provide me with tea.

I am surprised how dried and compact tealeaves are. They look so small and unassuming but then open up to be five times their size. It takes time for them to move from the dried state to being able to steep and provide flavor but once they are ready, they can provide multiple pots of tea. I know there is much more to learn about tea but I am glad to have added to my knowledge. I am sure my friend thought I was crazy because it was so interesting to me. I am glad she took the time to teach me some of what she knew about tea.

Dried tealeaves don’t look like much. The process of getting tea from them seems a bit like some events in life. Sometimes what you have to work with doesn’t seem like much but God transforms that “little bit” to be sufficient or even abundant!

Do you recall a time in your life where God’s provision was more than you imagined?

On the Road,
Liz

Road Conditions

fogw — This was a great road, except for the fog.

Anytime I travel somewhere, I notice whether the roads are new, renewed, or in need of repairing.

If I am in a vehicle that has bad shocks and I am on a bad road, well, it can be an unpleasant experience. But set me on a well-maintained or new road with a well-maintained car and the trip might be pretty smooth. Of course, weather plays a role. On our recent trip we traveled through fog, rain, sleet, snow, and icy conditions. We also watched cars swerve, travel too fast or too slow, and many drivers just not paying attention. I am often doing more than simply driving when I am in the car; sometimes I am snacking or singing or even just thinking. When I think about it, there are so many factors that play into a safe and enjoyable road trip. Some of those factors have little to do with me while others are definitely in my control.

Do I do regular maintenance on my vehicle?
Do I know where I am headed?
Do I have my travel plans mapped out?
Am I prepared for weather challenges?
Have I factored in other delays?
Do I have resources for an emergency?
Do I have enough fuel (for both me and the vehicle) for the trip?
Am I rested?

I can feel I am as prepared as I can be but there are always outside factors that can make an impact. Put a well-maintained vehicle on a terrible road and in bad weather conditions and it is still going to be an unpleasant trip.

But if I can remain calm and steady, it definitely helps.

Life seems like that too.

The outside conditions can change – and do – frequently. What I have control of is my response and an accurate sense of my own “condition”.

Am I rooted in God’s Word?
Am I grounded in God’s spiritual truths?
Am I aware of His love for me (and others)?
Have I watched Him give me His grace and His perspective on difficult things I have experienced previously?
Do I adjust my course when I see myself headed down a dangerous path filled with temptations to sin?

As I was reading Ephesians 3 today, this was one of the verses stood out for me:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3:16-17a

When God’s Spirit is strengthening my inner being, I can deal with quite a bit of junk. How I respond to circumstances can be evidence for His work on my inner being. I can definitely tell where I am rooted by the way I respond to circumstances.

Have you had your own response to a situation that was evidence of God’s work on your inner being?

When I have a response that defies human understanding, I know it is God working on my heart because apart from him, I cannot do it!

On the Road,

Liz