February 6th - From Imagination to Sketch

 The story...

What might the only church in town look like?  I asked a sketching hobbyist friend to paint a one-church town.   She responded with questions regarding what I wanted it to look like.   I told her that I didn't want to bias her imagination but did ask that the sketch reflect the purpose of this blog.  She agreed to draw her image yet seemed a bit uneasy regarding how "good" it would turn out to be - would it meet my expectations?  She did good...

I wonder if we would more readily "draw" from our inner-person, soul, or heart if we periodically did spiritual reality assessments.  It seems like we would grow in our self-awareness as we pray, meditate on truths, and invest in quiet time where we humbly turn our ear and heart toward God.  Is this part of what it means to walk humbly with God?

Just for today...

"Troubles are opportunities to grow, to make us better, not bitter.  Rightly used, we can learn from them not to repeat our own mistakes."  One Day at a Time (p. 37)

"When in doubt, don't."  Courage to Change (p. 37)

February 5th - Idealized Hopes

 The story ...

The lyrics, of the MercyMe's song "I Can Only Imagine," kindle wonderful images in both my imagination and inner man.   What will the reality of the next life be like?  Scripture reveals Words from God and images that people were given, or experienced, such as in Isaiah 6.   I expect that all of our images are wrong; yet, close enough to motivate us to move toward them and experience real grow along the way.  

I imagined how my future spouse would fulfill me by meeting my love needs.  It probably didn't occur to me that she would also be hoping that I would fulfill her love needs and that she wouldn't be capable of fulfilling mine. These idealized hopes likely kept us moving forward until we rested in reality versus the ongoing strain of striving for an unattainable "best."  I've heard it said that insecure singe people, who marry to fill the void they feel, will likely idolize their spouse.  If and when their spouse doesn't fulfill their fantasy, then the idolizing may turn into demonizing.

I can only imagine the only church in town, that might be characterized as "the best," yet I doubt that it can every truly exist.  Personally, I've spent too many destructive hours critiquing the church, and the people in it, for not meeting my expectations.  Might the attainable good church be the place where people learn to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God in Christ (Micah 6:8).

Might the "good" only church in town best be communicated as a painting?  I admire those who can paint what they see or imagine in their mind.  I'm not an artist yet I did invest a chunk of my life toward imaging and painting something that was hidden in my inner man. I understand that it's best to just display a painting and let the viewer decide what it means to them.  So, here it goes - my first public display of my artwork.  Please be kind.

Thoughts for the day ...

"Think," yet resist those thoughts that are impulsive, compulsive or reactive.  Aretha Franklin has something good to say about thinking.

February 1st - Imagining the Only Church in Town

The story ... 

Sixth grade was the year that I felt most secure as a person within society. The school had a sort of code or ethos that I understood and the teachers did a pretty good job of controlling the environment and behavior according to the stated and unstated code. The principal was the enforcer.

Most sixth graders knew that they better guard themselves from the hurt inflicted by other "Selfs" or they'd suffer - If they didn't learn it by sixth grade then they certainly learned it when they moved on to middle school. It's an easier road to think and act like the group - do groupthink. For me, academics came easy and I was able to work in an around the rules to safely be the unique person I was - our class was the oldest and most capable within the whole school - we had it made in sixth grade.

The building that was once my sixth grade home

There are so many questions that I had when growing up that I assumed that my parents, teachers, or pastor could answer - if I could just sit still and learn.  For me, disillusionment began in Junior High School. They didn't have all the answers and I felt on my own.

I imagine the only church in town spending less time talking about the doctrines that “we” believe and more time focusing on what scripture teaches us about Him, me, and us.  There would be groups of people, within the community, that would work out their faith together – groups that could be a bit less guarded and open among the safety of their friends. 

Just for today ... 

We are powerless over other human beings.  Yet many of us act like little gods when attempting to exert our will to “help” them conform to our ideas of what is best for ‘em. 

When I change my behavior for the better, the behaviors of those around me are more likely to grow. 

Step towards better understanding the "good life."

Welcome fellow life travelers who're committed to a more realistic view of ourselves and our faith in God. This blog is an attempt to "flesh out" key points of a life journey within 365 daily buckets.   I'm a curious person by nature and continue to be surprised at the value of introspection grounded in reality.  Might daily reflections "paint" a good life that we can work out and share with other community members?  The kind of community that might be experienced in the only church in town.