Peace

Many years ago, my 19 year old daughter and I were relaxing in the kitchen when we were both surprised by the then 7 year old honey bunny running up the stairs and immediately tumbling through the corridor into the kitchen by way of 3 momentous forward rolls. The older daughter sharply reprimanded the younger one for stopping within an inch of her shins as I leapt to my feet in applause and delight! The older daughter scolded me a bit for encouraging this behavior. My defense was more like a challenge, I invited her to try doing 3 forward rolls with a sudden stop and a taadaa finale like her sister. She took a walk down the hall and began to bend into a ball shape that replicated the previous performer. At the end of it all I explained that I was so moved by the fluid motions of the younger that I could not help but thrill in her use of energy and flexibility. After the elder sisters labored efforts, she too could only agree that the task inspired a sense of honour when carried out by youth and executed with ease. The elder did not show olympic promise as a gymnist.



One persons sense of appropriatness can certainly hinder anothers ability to freedom. In discerning the balance of relational stregnth, there are times when opposites must learn to co-exist. Wheat must grow with tare, silence must have a voice, peacekeepers must have peacemakers.



Keeping infers ownership , making infers the work or production of a thing. Making peace means hammering out unrest. Keeping peace means enforcing a code of agreement. Seeing both sides of a situation can cause a better understanding of anothers position. This does not insure a shared conviction. It can however, reveal oppertunity for commonality. Relationships are work, wether it be sister to sister , or co-workers , or spouses. To create a peace means to view someone else as God sees them. To take in the amazing love God has for all he created in that individual and reflect back to them an awe about who they are morphing into. In other words, to see Christ alive and at work through the unique quirks of their personality. What one may view as a weakness or friction, God may see as a place to pronounce His Glory, to reveal His wisdom, to confound this present world with hope and evidence that His Son at work in all of us can and will redeem each of us as we find it in our own hearts, and graciously offer it to one another!

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God! Amen.

Nuts and roots

From where I sat this morning, I could easily watch the sneaky little squirrel that was approaching my patio on the hunt for nuts. He ran up and down the leafless tree in my backyard to proudly display each find to his friend. The two of them engaged in a lively bit of chatter and then they were off again to collect more of the precious booty for a long winter ahead. This scene played out numerous times as I sat there with a front row seat. I was writing my own dialogue in my mind to the kinds of things the two of them might have been saying in each exchange. " how is the collecting going on your side of the yard?", " did you check out that pile of leaves over there ?" Get all you can while the getting is good , I heard the folks mention a clean up day and then it will all be gone." " I don't think I will go hungry this winter, but I wonder if the others know about this place?" " We must tell them right away, so they can stock up for the lean times!"

Maybe it was just wishful thinking to imagine a troop of squirrels ridding my yard of the nuicance nuts that needed to be raked up before first snow. They always seem to get trampled into the grass and buried halfway, only to be found next spring under a tender bare foot. The food of squirrels comes from the very subtle release of seed from the tree. The season for lucious fruit is past, the remnant left for only the wild to devour. The cycle begins again, roots have time in winter to go deeper, not compelled by sun and warmth and rains to work and produce foliage.

Now is the season to be rooted! We act like squirrels this time of year, don't we? We run around busily stashing our treasures away for " The holidays". We converse about bargains, recipes, and family plans to get together. We engage in the chatter of ritual comfort. But do we allow the spiritual season of growth and life an entrance to the underground work of root restoration? We have stored up scriptural training, we have sat with good council, we have understood and offered our fruits to one another, but have we taken time to lay axe to old roots and heal. During this close the windows- prepare for the winter - settle in time of year, take time to search out your heart before God. Rake over the hard areas and expose the rough patches. Throw away the dead branches, and while all may soon seem still, let your heart be rooted deeply in the Truth.

I want to encourage you to keep a personal journal of the winter season , the quiet and unnoticed journey the next few months will take you through. Sometimes we can't see fruit in areas we have given much attention to. It is at these times we need to remind ourseves daily of the microsopic developements that are taking place within us as we wait and watch. We will bear much fruit! John 15

Ring Toss

Games are a big part of our culture. For centuries peoples of all nations have been either participants or spectators to sports, tournaments, and various challenges. Even this week our " World Series " took place and many entered this arena supporting their favorite team.
Excitment grows when two strong men arm wrestle. Adreneline rises as quizbowl youth face off. Voices escalate in my own family room as video games and rock band are played! Everybody wants to be or see a winner!

Yesterday I lead a group of wheelchair bound residents in a scheduled activity. The time was slotted for Ring toss. I positioned the chairs in a circle , I passed out some light weight rubber rings and had them take turns at the targets. We went around the circle throwing and missing for about an hour. Each player encouraging of one another, until it was Mrs. F's turn.

Mrs. F would not release the ring, try as she might to extend her arm and adjust her grasp, she kept telling us she couldn't let go! After about 20 minutes of this same complaint I asked her what was wrong with her hand. She responded " it works just fine, I can't let go until you place the target within my reach, I don't want to miss it". As the group made comments to the effect of passing her turn up and getting on with the game I had to admit to myself how trivial a game it was. Next time around I placed the target directly below Mrs. F's hand and it landed on the ring. This kept the group happy, to allow them less distraction and a return to a faster pace.

On my way home from work that night I thought about this scenario. The spirit of God quickened to me a personal message based on Mrs. F's behavior. How many times do I hold on to trivial things in my life that I make more important then they need to be? Why do I sometimes take hostages in having things done my way? Am I so rigid that if everything is not set up correctly I can't enjoy it! Let me tell you, I immediately searched my heart and found a few areas that I needed to apply repentance to.

Having returned to the workforce on a "floating schedule" I can't be in controll of anything but my response to daily challenges. I need to come up in the area of " good attitude". I thought I was doing pretty well prior to this moment of revelation, and then I got this real epiphany. All I can do is all I can be at any given moment! I have no secret to my own strength, ability or talent. What I may possess is only part of the life of the triune God at work through me as I allow it. I don't need doors to be opened for me, I need to open doors in my heart and mind to allow the free movement of the Holy Spirit. Victory is only mine because Christ has shared His triumph with me!