Reflections

Picture by Jamie Sharbono

Is that all there is?

As I am sitting here writing this article, it’s the week of Thanksgiving and God is speaking to me in so many ways right now.  Wow, how time flies!  Have you taken the time to do any reflecting on 2012 yet (as we sometimes do), or will the holidays come and go and leave your head still spinning.  Whether you have taken the time for some reflection or not, let’s do it together now.

            I can’t speak for you so I can only share my own experience, but I am sure there will be some similarities.  The year 2012 (like many years if we are really honest), was a year with many ups and downs like a roller coaster, but also of times that stopped me in my tracks for a while.  It began as many years do, with me soul-searching and looking for God’s plan for the coming year and giving him thanks for all of our many, many blessings.  It began with excitement of all of the unknown possibilities.  In hindsight, I now know that I should have fastened my seat belt a little tighter for the ride ahead.

            At the end of April, after 8 years of employment, I lost probably one of the best jobs of my life.  I was devastated.  I took it very hard.  Why God, at this point in my life, did this have to happen?  For the next 5 months I worked very, very hard at finding a new job, while continuing to talk to God to find out what his plan is for this next phase of my life.  God and I are still working that part out, but he has also opened the window to my current position at Home Depot, of which I am eternally grateful.

            During my 5 month sabbatical, I considered not going to Swaziland, since I did not have a job.  Wow, was I glad that God still wanted me to go!  I won’t go into all of that now, since many of you have already heard me talk about teaching the Swazi’s how to build an Earth Bag Home and about the awesome relationships that continue to grow between the Swazi’s and many of us at New Hope Church.  I just thank God for that experience.

            By now you have figured out that losing my job was one of the experiences that stopped me in my tracks, but the other one even hit me harder and it’s something that all of us take for granted.  You may have heard us talk about a young woman that we met in Swaziland by the name of Sbongile.  While were there in June we met her and her young 10 month-old son.  Like most people there, they struggle to make ends meet and struggle to have enough food, but they both appeared to be in good spirits and looked pretty healthy.  A few months later we learned that her 10 month-old son had died from the lack of clean water.  Clean water!!  Are you kidding me?  We also later found out that although there was a well nearby where they usually got their drinking water from, it had dried up during the drought.  She had to resort to giving her baby water from the river, and his immature immune system could not handle it.  I know this happens in many places throughout the world, but it’s somehow different when it happens to someone you know.  In the U.S. we just don’t think about that happening.  Think about it!  We use clean drinking water to flush our toilets how many times a day?  I am feeling called to do something about clean water for them, but I am not sure in what direction currently.

            Anyway, these were the two times when I was stopped in my tracks.  I have used the time off to work on my relationship with God, but we don’t have to have times like that to want to build our relationship with our Creator.  Now would be a great time to start and it begins with reflecting about the past (not dwelling on it), but more importantly opening ourselves up to listening for the gentle nuggings of the Holy Spirit.  Commit to finding time each day for solitude.  After all, how can the Holy Spirit talk to any of us with all of the noise and business of our lives?  I have committed to allowing daily time for dialogue with my Lord.  I am turning off the cell phone and staying away from the computer and TV, and allowing time to just shut up and listen.

            Let me give you two exercises to focus on and let’s see how you talk with God and how God talks to you.

1.      Think about this and then talk to God about it.  What if you woke up this morning with only the things and the people around you, that you thanked God for yesterday?

2.      I got this idea from one of the participants of The World Race that they wrote on their blog (if you are not sure what this is, check it out sometime at www.theworldrace.org ).  Consider writing a letter to your future self.  Okay, I know it sounds a little crazy, but please try it.  You can write it to your five-year future self or ten-year future self, or whatever you choose.  I think it will surprise you just how clarifying this can be and how it get’s you talking to God about his plan for your life.  If you’d like, feel free to share this experience with me.  I’d love to talk to you about it.  I’ll be posting mine soon on my blog at www.god-inspired2.blogspot.com.

It’s 2013.  Where will your path lead you this year?  Will you continue on the path of just going through life with one day no different than the next, or will you take time to ask, “Is this all there is?  What is your plan, oh God, and how do I fit into it?”  God expects each of us to make a difference in our world.  How will you respond?