Life at the intersection of Grace and Growth.
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Do you find yourself longing for those big, goose-bumpy, glowy moments of spiritual connection? Those mountain-top experiences are so great. They fill us up, and motivate us, and often leave us feeling connected with God. But you need to know something. If you’re looking for that kind of moment, you may be missing something even more important.
Intentional spiritual growth. That’s what lights my fire. I love the idea that we can learn and grow, and that it can happen without fear, or condemnation. We aren’t striving to prove anything or earn anything or impress God or anyone. We are receiving our life as a gift, and out of gratitude, learning how to turn our hearts more and more Godward.
In the course of my ministry, this interest has led me to explore so many different topics of life and spirituality. Identity. Emotional wellness. Inner Healing. How we read and relate to scripture. How we can turn our attention toward God. How we apply all of this in our daily lives.
Those varied interests have all shown up here on the blog in one way or another, and it’s fascinating to me to see what resonates with people. I’ve been writing online since 2008, and writing here at this blog since March of 2010. Since I started this blog, I’ve written 322 posts — more than 200,000 words! Wow.
I’m stunned just thinking about that. (Quite a testament to what you can do, if you keep plugging away, just a little at a time.)
My son is a fruit appraiser. Grapes, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, apples. Before he consents to put one in his mouth, he will carefully evaluate it. Look at it from every angle. Smell it. Check for squishy parts.
Only after determining that it rises to his standards, will he eat it. Bananas are acceptable for about twelve minutes in their progress from green to brown. Blueberries and grapes have to be perfectly firm with no visible blemishes. Apples can’t be bruised.
In our house, Lucas gets the perfect produce, and all the rest of us eat the sad, blemished, castoffs. I think my son is a bit extreme, but his fruit evaluation reminds me of an important spiritual principle.
In Matthew 7, Jesus taught us how to evaluate spiritual teachers. He said, “You will know them by their fruit.” The principle is this: Looking at the fruit will tell you about the nature of the tree. What kind of tree is it? Is it healthy?
And I just have to say it… I’m looking around at the American church, at Christianity as it is showing up in culture today, and in far too many cases the fruit just isn’t beautiful, tasty or good.
Do you have that sense, too?
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Do you feel like you have to do ALL THE THINGS! Is FOMO a real fear for you? Do you struggle with anxiety or frustration because you can’t seem to manage all the commitments you’ve made? Our culture is allergic to the idea of limits. We’re told that effective people can do it all. But this is a lie. A good life, a peaceful and healthy life-even the Abundant life–is marked by a clear awareness of limits. You may be surprised to hear this, but limits are a part of God’s good creation.
From time to time, I share with you a guest post, when I find one that’s particularly helpful. This short story, from Richard Spillman, is such an encouragement. So often we get discouraged because the small good we do in Jesus’ name can seem to not make much of a difference. Ever feel that way? Here’s Richard’s words:
By Richard Spillman
It was a cold and wet Sunday morning in June of 2006 when my wife, Bonnie, and I met Rachel for the first and only time. We serve at a church for the homeless of Tacoma called the Downtown Crossing.
This particular morning, as we do every Sunday, we went outside at 7 am to welcome people into the church service. I greeted the usual group of friends all of whom looked tired from spending the night on the streets. Then I noticed a small, African-American woman sitting on her backpack and leaning against the side of the church.
We went over to her and introduced ourselves. Bonnie asked her if she had been able to sleep in a shelter that night. Rachael told us that she had tried to get into a local shelter; but she had been near the back of the line. The shelter filled up before she could get in. She had tried to sleep outside, but she was too uncomfortable to get any real rest.
Now she was tired, cold, and hungry. This is not an unusual story because there are many more homeless on the streets of Tacoma than there are beds available in the local shelters.
It was then that the Spirit led Bonnie to ask Rachael if she had a blanket.
