No way! That’s impossible!

Well then… What if, whether that’s true or not, you choose to believe it is so?

Given that what happens, happens, no matter how you choose to view it — whether you curse it or celebrate it — why not choose a more positive, empowering perspective?

Now, there are a couple of things you must know if you choose to embrace this belief (even for a day):

1. Keep in mind that we often pray for a specific “result,” without considering that it may take 7, 27 or 227 steps — that we can’t possibly imagine — to reach that result… so, you have to consider that what you encounter at any moment today may be one of those necessary steps en route to the “ultimate” answer to your prayer.
2. There are the prayers you speak, and the prayers of your eternal soul — your true self — that you don’t even know how to speak, but which ask for what you truly desire… so, you have to consider that any given moment could be an answer to a prayer you didn’t even know you were praying.

Wanna give it a try and see if this changes your life (or at least your day)? As they say, there’s only one way to find out!

As the day unfolds, I invite you to ask, in any given moment:

What if this is an answer to my prayer?

As long as we want to be interesting, distinct, special, and worthy of special praise, we are pulled away from the deep realization that we are like other people, that we are part of the human race, and, in the final analysis, that we are not different but the same. – Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Direction

“The basic human condition of brokenness.”

That phrase (from Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen) grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

Brokenness.

That is the one thing we all have in common… and it’s the one thing that we really don’t want to talk about, isn’t it? Actually, maybe we do want to talk about it… but we don’t.

Our brokenness is something we often try to hide from one another. And when we’re not trying to hide it from others, we’re trying to fix it ourselves. See, we don’t even want to deal with our own brokenness! We just want to find a way to make it go away. (See: “self help” industry–among other things.)

But, as much as we try to hide it, or as much as we try to fix it, the brokenness is always there.

Not too long ago, I busted a hole in the wall in our hallway. I’m not the most handy guy, but I bought a patch to cover the hole, installed it, and then sanded it down to make it blend in with the rest of the wall. I sanded and sanded and sanded and finally repainted it, and from some angles, with the right lighting, you can’t even tell that there’s a patch. But if the light shines on it just right, you can see it plain as day. Even in the dark, though, I always know it’s there.

That’s kind of the way it is with our brokenness. Maybe we can hide it from most people most of the time, but it’s still there. And if they don’t know it, we certainly do.

If only we could open up to one another, if we could show our wounds and our brokenness to one another, we could finally relax and be at peace. Instead, though, we come together and, like a bunch of roosters, puff out our chests to look bigger and more impressive than we really are.  We try to show that we are “interesting, distinct, special, and worthy of special praise,” as Nouwen said.

In the process, not only does our posturing inhibit us from making deep connections with one another, but it only makes our brokenness hurt even more, because when we finally retreat back to our own space, we feel like we’re the only ones who are broken.

Well, he seems to have it all together. I guess I’m the only one who’s hurt.

Of course, that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

What if, though, we could come to one another like this:

I am wounded.
You, too?
Then let us travel together
And help one another.

Only when we show our brokenness can the walls between us come down, allowing us to be in true community with one another. (Now, granted, “community” brings its own set of challenges… but that’s for another day!)

As I was thinking about this, the account of Jesus appearing to his disciples for the first time after the resurrection came to mind. What did he do? “He revealed the wounds in His hands and side.” (John 20:20 The Voice)

It’s recorded as if this gesture was to show them that he was the same Jesus who was crucified… but whether intended or not, he was also saying, “See, I am wounded, like you; I know what it feels like.”

It is through our brokenness that we realize we are the same.

I am wounded.
You, too?
Then let us travel together
And help one another.

Peace.

photo credit: locked out via photopin (license)

I don’t write here frequently anymore, but I found six POWERFUL words in the Bible this morning that I had to share.

But first, this:

He has made me grind my teeth on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.
(Lamentations 3:16-20, New Living Translation)

Can you feel the anguish in those words? I can.

Have you ever been there? I have.

Those words are so real to me that as I read them, I could actually feel the sand between my teeth and taste the dust.

No peace.

No prosperity.

All hope is lost.

Bitter beyond words.

Grieving.

But then I came upon those six words that grabbed me:

Yet I still dare to hope…
(Lamentations 3:21, New Living Translation)

Yet… after all that has happened, after all that I’ve seen.

Still… nevertheless, even now.

Dare… boldly, courageously.

Hope… expecting good.

Here’s the rest of the passage:

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.
(Lamentations 3:21-26, New Living Translation)

Yet I still dare to hope.

I dare you to, too.

Want more on hope? Check out Pastor Pete Wilson’s brand new book: Let Hope In.

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.”

(Psalm 55:22 – New Living Translation)

Imagine this (if you can):

You’ve just been driven from your homeland – from the country and the way of life that you know and love. There’s no way to feel but robbed and defeated.

Now you’re stuck living with “the enemy” – in captivity – for 70 years. It’s a recipe for misery. How could you go on?

This was the set-up for a verse you probably know well:

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
(Jeremiah 29:11 – NIV)

The people of Israel had been taken from Jerusalem and were now held captive in Babylon – and would be there for 70 years. But God says good things are coming.

Really? Okay… so I guess we’ll just wait and hope and pray for 70 years to pass…

That might have been the people’s response, if God had not said something to the contrary just a few sentences prior.

And that might be our response, too, when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected.

No, if you’re reading this, you’re most likely not in captivity. You’re probably someplace relatively comfortable – at least with access to a computer or smartphone.

But even so, do you ever (or always) have a sense that life isn’t exactly what you want it to be? Whether it’s the “big” stuff like money, health and relationships, or the little stuff… like the traffic that was moving a little too slow this morning, or the Starbucks line that was a little too long.

So what do you do? Maybe you remind yourself of Jeremiah 29:11 and you think:

I guess this is God’s plan.  I’ve just gotta wait and hope and pray for better days ahead.

I know that’s been my response in the past. But then one day I came to the realization that while this might seem to be an effective coping mechanism — “God is in control” — it’s actually a recipe for watching 70 years go by and then one day waking up to find “I just missed my entire life.”

And while our enemy would love that — “the thief’s purpose is to steal…”– it’s the exact opposite of God’s plan for us: “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10 – NLT)

That’s why, before Jeremiah 29:11, God told the people of Israel:

“Build houses and make yourselves at home. Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country. Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you’ll thrive in that country and not waste away.”  (Jeremiah 29:5-6 – The Message)

Did you get that?!

God told them to live and thrive and not waste away — even while they were in captivity, facing circumstances and conditions that were far from ideal.

He’s telling you and me the same thing today.

Too often (in my opinion), the “Christian way” is to hope for a miracle when we come up against challenges. But what does that really do for us?

To quote Matthew Henry’s commentary on this passage, it just leads us to be “unsettled and consequently uneasy… always tiring [ourselves]… with the expectations of relief…” until our “disappointment at last would sink [us] into despair and make [our] condition much more miserable than otherwise it would be.”

Been there, done that. (You?)

It sounds like quite the opposite of the life that Jesus and Paul spoke of in last week’s passages, doesn’t it? Remember how they wrote about living:

• freely and lightly
• with a real affection for others
• with an exuberance about life
• with serenity
• with the ability to stick to our commitments
• without feeling the need to force your way
• with the ability to direct your energies wisely

Often, I think, we wait for a “miracle” to allow us to feel those things and to be able to live that way. The truth is, though, that we find that life when we decide to find that life. God makes it possible, but it’s up to us to choose to walk into it.

It’s a choice we can make right now, in this moment… and in every moment.

Easier said than done? Yes, and we’re going to address that in the weeks ahead. There are some very real strategies and practices that are available to us — and when we engage in them, God meets us there, and we experience that grace that is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)… and that is a miracle.

Until next time, choose to LIVE in this moment, whatever this moment is.

Peace and blessings to you.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
(Matthew 11:28-30 – The Message)

Are you experiencing “real rest,” living “freely and lightly,” and having an “exuberance about life” on a regular basis? If not, then please sign up below to receive this new series via email, as I share insights and strategies and practices that have allowed me to taste what Jesus and Paul speak of in the verses above, in new ways… and I hope they’ll do the same for you.

Along the way, I invite you to share your comments — agreements, disagreements, stories, experiences — so we can make this a real conversation. And if these messages speak to you, please share them with others others who are tired, worn out and burned out so we can help them, too.

To living freely and lightly,
Shawn

I began writing Peace in the Storm almost five years ago, after Elizabeth and I had gone through what we would call one of the most difficult years of our lives, but also one of the best. In the midst of the troubles we faced during that time, as I read the Bible, God provided me with what was truly a “peace which exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:7 NLT), and I wanted to share the Scriptures that had comforted me with the hope that they may also comfort others who were going through difficult times — and it seemed that hurting people were all around us at that time.

Of course, hurting people are always all around us — the only question is whether or not we notice them. I realized this clearly again at church on Sunday, when the pastor opened up the altar for all those who were experiencing significant pain or trials in their lives. So many people went forward that he never even got to the sermon. I remember hearing one woman bawling. I have no idea what she’s facing in her life, but there is no doubt she was feeling deep pain. Again, I remembered: hurting people are all around us. Some days it’s me who’s hurting. Some days it’s you. Some days it’s someone we know. Every day it’s people we don’t know. We’re all looking for peace in the storms of life.

And so, here’s a recent lesson I learned that I pray will bring peace to you as it did to me…

As some of you know, Elizabeth and I have been in the process of adopting for almost a year now – by “in the process” I mean having a home study done, filling out lots of paperwork, etc., on the way to getting on the waiting list of a couple of adoption agencies. So far, we’ve come close to having a baby twice, and actually, we did have a failed placement (meaning the birth mother placed her baby with us and then changed her mind) a couple of months ago. That happened before we had made any official announcement that “we have a baby!” simply because we knew we were still within that uncertain period during which the mother had that right. It was painful, but we’ve healed and we’re once again in waiting, anticipating the arrival of our baby one day – hopefully soon!

It was once again in a stormy experience — that failed placement — where I learned something about God that brought comfort to me. You see, there were several things about our match (adoption term) with that baby that made it seem to be a “God thing.” Several unusual “signs” that seemed to be a message from God saying “This is your baby!” Then it all fell apart. Have you ever experienced anything like that? What do you do? Do you question God? Wonder if He’s a liar? Just give up on “signs”? We were asking “What is God doing?” “How can He allow this to happen?” “Why?” When the adoption fell through, we had to wonder if it was ever in God’s plan at all, or if that adoption was ever in His will. Of
course I can’t speak for God, but here’s the conclusion I came to:

We live on earth, not in heaven. Things don’t always work according to His will here. Does He reign over everything? Yes, of course. But there are imperfect humans involved, too, and God gives us free will as we know. He doesn’t force anything. So all of the “signs” leading up to this adoption may have absolutely been from God. The fact the adoption fell through doesn’t mean that they
weren’t. I believe that it may very well be that it was God’s will for that baby to be adopted by us, but it was not the mother’s will, apparently, and God allows her to make that choice.

Some people were praying with us during this process. Were their prayers not heard? Does God not have the power to answer them? Of course they were heard, and God can do anything. But again, we live on earth, not in heaven. What we’ve experienced, I believe, is an example of God restraining Himself, and it must be so difficult for Him. We know God loves children, we know this child is God’s creation, and we know that our home would have been so much better for him (based on some things we learned along the way). So how could it not have been in God’s will that this child be placed in our home? Likewise, I’m sure it is God’s will that all of the hurting, suffering children around the world be placed in loving environments. But this is earth. This is not heaven.

Jesus prayed that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). If God’s will being done on earth “as it is in heaven” were a given, that prayer would not have to be spoken. In heaven, everything will work perfectly according to God’s plan – and what an awesome thing that will be! – but as long as we are here, we have to live with the consequences of our original sin which changed everything.

Is this a comforting message or a depressing one? It’s comforting to me because it’s real, and I think sometimes our Christian beliefs are missing a dose of reality. We don’t need any more “Christianese.” That only leads us to get mad at God, or to give up on Him. To those who were praying with us, I would say: Don’t question the importance of prayer. Don’t question whether or not you said the right words. God is God, worthy of all praise. He is not to blame. We started this. He gave us (as humans) the highest responsibility, and we blew it in the Garden. Now here we are.

God still loves us. He still hates to see us hurt. That’s why He sent His Son to save us. Things are not as they are in heaven. As long as we’re here on earth, we’re going to have to live through some pain. He will still be right beside us, though, and He gives us peace and comfort to endure. And just as He has been working to save that little boy since before he was born, I know He will continue. Remember, “…we know that God causes everything to work together for the good…” (Romans 8:28 NLT) He is the great Redeemer!

Thanks, as always, for reading. I’m praying for peace for you.

I'm praying for the proverbial sea to be parted today. Whether God does or doesn't, it's good to be reminded that He can. If He doesn't, still I trust Him. Our God is an awesome God. With wisdom and power, He reigns. Never forget, or never be afraid, to call on Him:

"…you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me!" (Isaiah 43:22 – NLT)

Let that not be said of us.

Whether you are enduring chronic illness yourself or not, please check out the "Christians with Chronic Illness" blog carnival for links to some touching, powerful, wonderfully written articles from 15 different blogs. You'll either find inspiration for your own life, or you'll experience the blessing of suffering with those who suffer, or both. I promise it will be worth your time!

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." – James 1:2 (New Living Translation)

The version of the Bible I was reading offline – also New Living Translation, but apparently a different edition – replaces "consider" with "let," which for some reason strikes me more powerfully. The point being, simply, that trouble does not automatically bring joy (obviously). We must choose to view that trouble as an opportunity for joy – even great joy!

Thoughts? Testimonies?