So, there is this song from the Bahamas, that has been rolling around in my noggin this past week.
(please scroll to the bottom and press play)
First off, it's just a groovy song.. yes I did just say groovy, did you press play? It's groovy right?
Second, it talks about something we all have been given a lot more of lately.... TIME.
All the time in the world... don't you want some of that?
This pause that we all have been given, although it is scary and we don't know what is around the corner, and we all want to believe that life will go back to normal in a few weeks, the truth is none of us know.
Not even the people, the government officials who are making the decisions for us right now, no one knows where we will be in a week or two weeks.
But, in attempt to stay focused on whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is worthy of praise (see previous post) this song is making me think this time is a gift.
What we do know is that it is a time when we have been forced to slow down, and we don't like being told what to do, but maybe for just a moment it's a time we all get to remember what is truly important.
All the time in the world... don't you want some of that?
We are given this incredible gift of time, and yet it is still so hard for us to slow down and reflect.
I hear in myself and others the new shift of attention rather than looking inward, the conversation is the stats of how many cases are in our area, or the challenges of home schooling, or what food was at the grocery store... don't get me wrong I'm right there with everyone with these topics, but I wonder how much of it all is a distraction from once again looking inside ourselves to hear the river of life
calling out...
It makes me think of this quote from the book Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser;
"All the while, deep within us, flows an endless river of pure energy. It sings a low and rich song that hints of joy and liberation and peace. Up on top, as we make our way through life, we may sense the presence of the river. We may feel a subtle longing to connect with it. But we are usually moving too fast, or we are distracted, or we fear disturbing the status quo of our surface thoughts and feelings. It can be unsettling to dip below the familiar and descend into the more mysterious realms of the soul."
I want to hear the "low rich song that hints of joy, and liberation, and peace" and this is the perfect time to do that.
Please do you and your soul a favor and take some of this time to self-reflect, Elizabeth and her book Broken Open -How Difficult Times Can Help us Grow- would be a good place to start.
Despite the fact that we find ourselves inside, and possibly bored to tears with the Corona-virus outbreak, find the ways , the things, the foods, the FaceTime visits, that make your soul sing and enjoy this groovy song while we wait this one out together.
For as many, many years ...as far back as I can remember
my most favorite verse from the Bible has been Philippians chapter 4 verses 6-7.
The text reads like this;
(this is the Amplified version cause I like words... a lot)
"Do not fret or have any anxiety about ANYTHING, but in every circumstance and in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with THANKSGIVING, continue to make your wants known to God.
And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of it's salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends ALL understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
(if you don't like so many words try finding this verse in the New Living version or NLT)
I have only memorized a few verses in the Bible over the many, many years that I have been reading
it's amazing-nes, and this verse was one that I could even tell you where to find it in that big ole book.
The reason for this being my favorite, or as some would call it a "life-verse" is because believe it or don't, I am a very anxious person. I used to worry about everything, and therefore didn't sleep real well at night. So when I first came upon this verse I thought about how much it made sense to me that if I just brought my prayers with thanks to God the worry and anxiety would go away.
I'm here to tell you that honestly it worked a little, no actually it worked a lot, when I practiced praying about EVERYTHING.
Often times, I will admit though to you beloved reader that I didn't pray.
Instead I would fixate on the worry and then it soon would turn to anxiety, and then I soon would pour myself a glass of wine instead.
I'm just being honest.
This remedy has become like a muscle now though that if I work it, it grows HUGE and works every time.
Still, there has been something missing for me all these years ... like a hole in a donut... mmm donuts... wait ok come back to me my thoughts.
For a very long time,
I'm talking like over 30 years now... (insert wide eyed emoticon and granny emoticon too while you are at it) I haven't read these verses in succession of the following verse 8.
Until the beginning of this year, I just memorized Phil 4:6-7 and verse 8 stood alone on an island that seemed unreachable.
I mean I read verse 8, but not with the company of verse 6 and 7.
It's hard to explain that you can read something a million times and then suddenly read it, like it's the very FIRST time you have ever read it.
Does that ever happen to you, am I alone here?
Well, I'm here to say verse 6, 7, and 8 are BEST FRIENDS and should be kept together at ALL TIMES!
Here is verse 8 text;
"For the rest, (or AND THEN) brethren and sister-then, whatever is TRUE, whatever is WORTHY of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is JUST, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY and LOVABLE, whatever is KIND, and WINSOME and GRACIOUS, if there is any VIRTUE, and EXCELLENCE, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS."
When I read it this time it read like this to me;
STOP thinking about what isn't true, false imaginations, rehearsed arguments in your head only, scary and unsure things, lies about yourself and others.
It basically said to me, think on GOOD things.
Somehow, at the beginning of this year, verse *8 stuck OUT to me like it was in NEON lights.
AND this is what suddenly came to me like Oprah talks about having an AWE HA moment, or is it Ha ... AW HA ? Whatever, you get what I'm saying, it made me think about these verses like a math equation for the problem, for the very real issue of worry and anxiety in my life.
Problem to solve ;
Worry and Anxiety
Solution;
Prayer + Graditude+ Thinking on Good THINGS= PEACE.
Now, beloved reader I don't know if you are a person of faith or not, but even if you are not I think we can all agree that pausing to pray or meditate, living thankfully for what you do have, and staying focused on good things is truly a remedy for this worrisome and anxious time.
Here are some of my prayers with thanks these days;
For those that are having trouble breathing, I pray healing, and thank God for the air in my lungs.
For those that are in positions of leadership, I pray wisdom, and thank God for eternal wisdom.
For those who are already feeling financial burdens unexpected, I pray for relief and thank God for provisions unseen.
For those that feel alone right now, I pray comfort and good neighbors that have eyes to SEE them, and I thank God for all those who are currently looking for ways to be a good neighbor.
God make me a good neighbor.
For those that are international students that can't fly home, I pray for surrogate moms and dads to shelter these and doors to open all over to strangers that soon will become family, and I thank God for family.
For those that work in the health field and are on the frontlines of this virus, I pray protection and I thank God for miracle workers.
I pray too for you dear reader that you might have peace that surpasses all understanding,
peace like a river,
peace that calms this storm and leads you beside quiet waters,
Ok y'all can I just pretend that I'm a southern belle for hot minute?
What is bringing me SO much JOY right now is listening to my gurl Jen Hatmaker (you can find her here) on her blog or her podcast on Spotify which is titled,
FOR THE LOVE.
I stumbled upon her podcast the other day when I was scrolling Spotify, and whimsically looking for some funny talkers. The title of her podcast just struck a chord of joy in my heart so I gave it a listen.
She arranges her podcast in FOR THE LOVE series like;
For the Love of Faith Icons,
For the Love of Power House Women,
For the Love of Finishing Strong
etc.
The first podcast I listened to, and the one that caught my attention right away was her recent interview with the beloved Beth Moore. Beth is a bible study teacher from way back when, (another Southern gal) that I have gleaned so much from over the years. The interview, well as the southern would say, "it just dilled my pickle!" From that podcast on I have been in full blown stalking Jen Hatmaker mode... not really just on social medias and books, and I promise I won't end up outside your house Jen... unless you invite me to, then I'd gladly sit down with you on any given Sunday and share a cup of.... well, anything your drinking girl, cause I like your Kool-Aid !!
As I quickly discovered Jen has been "busier than a moth in a mitten!"
She is the momma of 5 kids, pastors wife, speaker, writer, non profit organizer, and funny all around southern belle, etc.
As, I dug a little deeper into the vortex that is Hatmaker, Jen INC. I found out that I had known of her and her work many moons ago.
Little did I know, or remember but, I had actually read one her books titled Seven An Experimental Mutiny Against Access, many many, suns and moons ago when we lived in Redmond Washington in an 800 sq ft cabin and I was desperately looking for ways to minimize.
Do y'all remember that phase in the Scofield story book?
Well, let me remind you it goes something like 6+6+ 800 sq ft = ADVENTURE TIME!!
That's the trimmed down version if you remember or lived that time with us just skip ahead, if not here's a more detailed account;
When one lives 12 miles outside of Seattle, one tends to find the activist books, the revolutionary ways of life, the culture of recycle, renew, repurpose quite easily.
I believe I bought her book in a book store because... Amazon prime was not even a thing yet, and the reason I found it was because the category and department I was shopping in those days was all about REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE, or something like that.
Boy howdy did that book challenge my sox right off to downsize and re-prioritize our little(no so little) family of 6... that's right S I X people living in only 800sq ft.
Sidenote- I still can't believe that we lived in that tiny cabin for 4 years and I double can't believe that the last year we added 6 more, that's right I said S I X more. We added 6 to our already overcrowded 6 humans. We had a DOZEN, 12, TWELVE, .... people sharing 800 sq ft. and one bathroom, on a septic tank, no dishwasher, and one source of heat, an old wood stove.
To be fair to the sanity level of us all Moses and Dan did build a beautiful outhouse for us all to partake in.
If you don't believe me or remember this season here's proof... it really did happen.
Oh how beloved that outhouse became ...
Those were the days!! (insert wide eyed emoticon here)
After I devoured her book and gave her props for taking her Texas style life down a notch,
I passed that book on to my sister and then had forgotten about her entirely. Shh... please don't Jen because we are quickly becoming BFF's in my mind.
The book Jen and I are going thru together right now(did you like that, we are in this together) is brilliantly titled,
Of Mess and Moxie.
Every night, you can find me cozied up in bed with this book and laughing with Jen about her beautiful life.
Y'all this book has made me happier than a hound dog with TWO tails !
Speaking of hound dogs tell me your thoughts, about a coon hound puppy making it's way into my life right now?
This is just a short and sweet update of what is bringing me buckets full of JOY right now, so if you are looking for a lil sweet, crazy funny, pure JOY too,
give my gurl a lookie Lou, and tell her I sent you right over like Red Rover.
