not rushing, but living, right now

This is one of those extraordinary posts where the author gathers up what you've been thinking - or have been on the edge of thinking - and puts it into words.

I often feel like I am rushing from place to place, never stopping to pray or reflect or consider. In the rush, more and more of what I do is motivated by pleasing people, not disappointing them. I lose sight of what really matters: living to please God.

Recently I've pondered the possibility of pausing from time to time, sitting in a chair and staring out a window, praying and reflecting on Jesus and calming my soul before God, before I rush onto the next task.

I love Zac Eswine's suggestions (shared by Mike Emlet):

So what does it look like to lean against the temptation to be “everywhere-for-all”?

• Frame your day with pauses that remind you of your absolute dependency on God and ground you in the present. Eswine suggests using the time-honored tradition of breaking the day into four portions—morning, noon, evening, night—and pausing at the beginning and end of each period of time to pray and read Scripture for a few minutes. Although my consistency in this discipline waxes and wanes, I can attest to how it acts as a speed bump to what would otherwise be a frenetic, prayerless, and unreflective day. 

• Focus on the here and now as you meet with people. Truly attend to the people in front of you—their words, smiles, grimaces, and furrowed brows. So much of interpersonal ministry is being with a person, not arriving at a destination. We are like children on a long car ride who whine, “Are we there yet?” while missing the glory of the ordinary passing scenery, not to mention the blessing (OK, sometimes!) of being together as a family. 

• Learn to value the ordinary, “exult in monotony” (66). If you don’t do this, you miss much of daily life! Without those eyes to see and ears to hear, it’s no wonder the here and now feels insufficient and the whisper to be somewhere else for someone else beckons. Can you smell the sautéed asparagus? Feel the warmth of your child’s hand? See the impish grin of one of the preschoolers in your Sunday School class? Taste the bitter goodness of that first swallow of morning coffee? Savouring these ordinary moments, gifts from God for a given place and time, reminds us that he will give us what is needful for the moments of ministry as well. 

• Go to bed! “Sleep is a Sabbath-like act. We rest from it all and leave it all for God’s keeping while we lie motionless in the world for a while” (80). Honestly, this is hard for me. While I don’t have the stamina of twenty years ago, I still am often driven by an everywhere-for-all mentality that trades sleep for the diminishing returns of working late. 

As you lean against the temptation to be omnipresent, expect your heart to push back. Even as I write this I sense the gnawing distraction of other tasks before me—preparing for a conference and a sermon, catching up on counselling progress notes, and making vacation plans. Can I be content with what is before me? 

"We can only be at one place at one time". That is good news! Whether you are in the counselling room or in a meeting or at the dinner table or getting ready for bed, remember that you live for one Person, and he equips you to live faithfully in this one place at this moment in time.

You can read the rest here.

what I'm reading: psalm for the busy

When I'm too busy, I become an insomniac. I lie awake at 3 o'clock in the morning, fretting and planning and finishing tasks in my head.

Here's (the first half of) a psalm which reminds me that all my frantic worry and busy labour can't achieve a thing without God. He is the one who "builds the house", not me.

Knowing that, I can sleep peacefully. I can rest.

Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
(Psalm 127:1-3)

good night prayers

It's late, I'm exhausted, and I'm ending this day by stealing this post from Gordo, two prayers before you sleep:

Lighten our darkness, we beseech Thee, O Lord;
and by Thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of Thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.


Be present, O merciful God,
and protect us through the silent hours of this night,
so that we, who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world,
may repose upon thy eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

C.J. Mahaney on sleep

Let's assume you live for 75 years. If so, you spend about 25 of them sleeping! What does God have to say about the 1/3 of our lives we spend asleep?

I love my sleep. I need a nap every afternoon to make me a reasonable human being. So this post by my fellow afternoon napper caught my eye. She writes about C.J.Mahaney's talk on sleep. It's fantastic to see a modern preacher dealing with the topic of sleep!

Christians in past centuries gave clear teaching on sleep. The Puritans encouraged Christians, before they slept, to repent of the day's sins, give thanks for the day's mercies, and pray for God's preservation during sleep. They told people to meditate on sleep as an image of death, and the sheets as their winding clothes!

C.J., clearly influenced by the Puritans, has 3 important things to say about sleep:

1. Sleep is a daily gift from God. If we neglect sleep for "anxious toil" our health and mood will suffer (Ps. 127:1-2). (Not an excuse for laziness - Prov. 20:13).
2. Sleep is a daily reminder of our dependence on God. God could have made us with no need for sleep. Sleep reminds us that we are creatures, not the Creator, who "neither slumbers nor sleeps" (Ps. 121:3-4).
3. Sleep is a daily opportunity to examine our hearts. The 15-20 minutes it may take to fall sleep, is a great time to examine our hearts, repent of the day's sinful attitudes and behaviour, and thank God for his forgiveness in Christ (Ps. 4:4).

A spiritual solution for insomnia?
C.J. suggests if we find it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or sleep soundly, we should look at primary, spiritual issues before secondary, physical issues (although these may be involved). When we can't sleep, we should ask:

• Do I depend on, and trust in God? David slept sweetly even when pursued by murderous enemies (Ps. 3:1-6). I know that fear of intruders, anxiety about the future, and proud workaholism (as if God can't do his job while I sleep!) all stop me sleeping.
• Am I walking in wisdom and obedience? God's Word tells us that if we walk in wisdom, our sleep will be sweet (Prov. 3:21-24). Examining our hearts, and seeking God's forgiveness, can help us to sleep soundly.

Concluding meditation
Here's a wonderful meditation on sleep as a picture of our absolute dependence on God's grace. A great final reflection for the day!

Each night sleep is a picture and parable of what it means to be a Christian. Each night sleep is a very small, but real, act of faith. Each night I lay my full weight in a relaxed state on the bed, trusting that structure to support me. I am completely relaxed. There is no fear or concern. There is no effort on my part. I make no contribution to the support I am experiencing. Something else is holding me. And through the night, Someone else is sustaining me. And this is a picture of what it's like to be a Christian.

I pray that we would all sleep sweetly and refreshingly tonight, with souls stilled and quieted, like trusting children in the arms of God (Ps. 131).

to wake or not to wake

So how's getting up at 6.00 going, I hear you ask?

Very well, for a week. Lots of peaceful time to pray, read the Bible, reflect, and read Christian books. A more relaxed morning getting the children ready for school.

Then the entire family was struck down pretty much simultaneously with a horrible cold. One of those phlegmy, throaty, coughy, chesty kind of colds which leave you feeling exhausted and useless for anything.

And here is the triumph: I didn't attempt to wake up at 6.00 that week!

Does this sound like a victory to you? Well, it is for me! My tendency is to think if I find the perfect spiritual program, I'll get on top of my godliness once and for all. It's easy for me to serve plans not people. It's easy for me to worship programs instead of God.

So once I've planned something, I find it very hard to be flexible. Which is a brilliant way to make sure no plan lasts very long. Have you ever tried to keep a complicated, demanding plan going for a month? I have. It ended in tears, exhaustion, and discouragement.

So it took some courage to even decide to start getting up at 6.00. And even more courage to decide not to for a week.

Plans are not my god: God is. When they help me serve him, I'll use them. When they stand in the way of wisdom, love and godliness, I'm learning to let them go.

But if only I could get some sleep, that 6.00 wake-up is looking very attractive ...

a new discipline

I've started getting up at 6.00 in the morning.

It's not that hard, since I'm usually lying in bed half awake by this time, stretching out every last moment of rest. And I get to bed around 10.00 most nights, and have a nap every day after lunch (which helps me cheerfully serve my family during the afternoon), so I'm getting plenty of sleep.

But it's been lovely to sit in the quiet (until a child wakes, which they do pretty soon!), read the Bible, and pray. And then I've still got half an hour to read some of those great Christian books on my reading plan (see list to the right) before I get everything started for the family at 7.00. It's also good for my kids to see me reading the Bible and praying.

We actually made it on time to kinder this morning!!! We've been starting off the day much more calmly - no shouting at the kids to get ready, no hurrying people out the door. This morning, Lizzy, who's getting very observant at 9 years old, said "I like it when you get up earlier, Mummy." And I have time to look at the calendar and think about the day, so that's less things forgotten.

My earlier rising has been inspired by two things I've read recently:

- this post on GirlTalk (well, they aimed for 5.00, which is very noble of them, but that's a bit beyond me if I want to spend time with that night-owl, my husband, and still get enough sleep to be cheerful with my family during the day).

- this quote from Martha Peace (an author I've discovered recently who writes wonderful books for Christian women). I've never seen a quote I simultaneously agree and disagree with more. Read it and see what you think:

I have heard of women who pride themselves on being "night people." That means they have trouble getting up in the mornings because they come alive at night. They may stay up to all hours reading, watching television, or pursuing some sort of interest. The next morning they are too tired to get up and care for their family. ...

These women are not "night people." They are lazy and selfish. Who would not rather stay up late to do whatever they pleased and sleep late the next day?

Once a young wife begins getting up earlier than her children and her husband, she will cease to be a "night person." She will be tired at night and go to bed at a reasonable hour so she will be there to serve her family the next morning.

I wonder if she knows anyone who really is a "night person". My husband and one of my close friend are night people, and I know how intractable body clocks can be. My friend, after trying and failing to get to sleep early for years, has recently discovered what a precious time the late evening hours are to read Christian books, reflect and pray (although she's still careful to get to bed at a reasonable hour so she can get up to care for her family). I'm under no illusion that the godly Christian life will look the same for everyone.

On the other hand, I'm sure these words are appropriate for some women (and men) who stay up late to enjoy themselves, then rise late at the expense of their families. Let these words inspire you to be disciplined in your use of time and sleep, just don't take them as Scripture!! If the Bible doesn't make it a rule, neither should you. Do what suits you and serves God and your family best: but be careful not to be self-indulgent and unwise in your sleeping habits.

Can I assure you that this post should be completely irrelevant to some of you? During seasons of illness or grief, and times with a baby or young child who wakes during the night, your life will look nothing like this, and that's absolutely fine: you have other responsibilities at the moment.

But as for me, now my children are past babyhood, I'm going to try getting up earlier. I'll see how it goes. But that's what I'm doing for now.

Expect a follow-up post soon on perfectionism and discipline: when discipline can be dangerous.

The quote is from Martha Peace's Becoming a Titus 2 Woman, cited in Carolyn Mahaney's Feminine Appeal p.72.