Hold On...It's Coming

Probably the thing I struggle with most is being patient.  Not the kind of patience needed when the guy in front of you at the grocery check-out realizes he has forgotten his wallet (usually just after he scanned through his entire shopping cart).  Or the kind of patience one must possess when traveling through Chicagoland traffic.  Oddly enough these impatient moments make sense to me.

Lines at the grocery store will not go on forever and the traffic on your reverse commute will, at some point break-up.

There will be resolve.

The patience I struggle with is when life hits moments that, like heavy traffic, have little movement.  When life feels stuck I want to know how to get it “un-stuck”, I want to know the purpose of the “stuckness” and what is on the other side of the curve.

I question whether there will be resolve.

My impatience breeds anxiety and steals the joys each moment tries to offer.  No joy received.  Asleep to the possibilities in front of me and entrenched in confusing nightmares of my own making, it is in this space that God becomes the Manipulating Trickster.

Maybe another image is in order.  Something that gives respect to the restlessness I feel but renders it powerless.

Jesus gave the example of a child asking for a fish and reminded us that God is not a manipulating trickster who gives a snake, but a loving father who gives beyond what we even ask.

The dynamic is like a child jumping up and down with arms outstretched towards their parent who is lovingly (and patiently) at work un-wrapping a treat for their child.  “Hold on”, the Parent says in a tone that is affirming and promising.  “It is coming”.  With a smile the Parent finishes unwrapping and gladly hands the treat over.

The child was on the verge of a temper tantrum but the Parent was not fazed.  The treat, the gift was always coming; Hope sure and certain.  The resolve may not be in our way or our timing, but there indeed will be a resolve...

And it will abound with goodness.

The Gift-Giving-Gizmo

In John chapter 14 Jesus says to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I don not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The world gives under the constraints of a closed system. A system of scarcity in which there is only so much to go around; so much food, wealth, affluence, health, and power. As a result, the giving of this world has to be conditional.

You will receive these “gifts” if only the right conditions exist. Being born in the right place, going to the right schools, choosing the right line of work. The mechanism by which the world “gives” requires the proper investment and a little (or perhaps a lot) of luck.

Because this is the choice mechanism of “gift giving” in our world, in order to receive these gifts one must tirelessly pursue the “right avenues” in order to reap a benefit. In essence we become legalistic mechanics of the gift-giving-gizmo…making sure we’ve done everything possible so that we’ve postured ourselves to receive from the world. Maintaining the gift-giving-gizmo is tiring; maintaining the gift-giving-gizmo is, for all purposes, work.

That’s why we have phrases like, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Very few things in this world are given benevolently; they are earned through exchange or proximity. And so in this world the notion of a true gift is rare. That’s why when we see something or experience something beautiful, creative, and prophetic we stop in awe. We realize we were just witnesses, recipients, of a gift.

So when Jesus says that he does not “give as the world gives”, he is standing against the so-called gifts of our day. For Jesus, “gift” has nothing to do with human manufacturing or human achievement. Instead it is through love poured out on the cross and brought to power in the resurrection that gift is truly defined.

When Jesus tells those who are thirst to come and drink (receive the gift) he then goes on to say that anyone who drinks will have “rivers of living water” flowing from them (Jn.7:38). The beauty in this gift is as we participate we ourselves begin to pour out this love-gift to others. This gift is meant to be shared.

It cannot be earned. It can not be cozied-up to. No corporation can commodify it, no military regime can grab it, and no religious order can bestow it. This love-gift is given out of an over-abundance…plenty to go around; no scarcity here…a true gift.

As you go about your day, don't wait for the gift-giving-gizmo of this world to do something remarkable. Instead, give generously of the love-gift that has been given to you.

What Have We Got Here?

The other night at a meeting we spent some time brainstorming all of the various talents, passions, and giftedness of people who have connected to the Renovate community. I began to write on the whiteboard as people shouted out words:

artists (musicians, vocalists, graphic designers, theater, film makers), teachers (french, spanish, mathematics, english, film, business), financial planners, ceo's, truck drivers, sales people, tattoo artists, bakers, electricians, seamstresses, show producers, massage therapists, doctors, hair dressers, organizers, directors, leaders....

the list went on to include the various life experiences of our people: single, married, divorced, kids, no kids, single parent, employed, unemployed, churched, un-churched, de-churched, politically left, politically right, those living with illness, and those with deep emotional pain.

The whiteboard was full.

When I stood back and looked at the list I saw something more...I saw people. People with passions and stories to share. People who upon coming together, pooling their talent, life experience, and collectively offering it to God could change this world.