beWARM

A dear friend (whose name is not Sally) recently shared  that she has sadly been feeling like she’s in the “back seat”. It was surprising that this thought came from a woman who, in my estimation, has been riding “shotgun” with more women than I can count.  She has been a quiet source of  love,wisdom, and encouragement that I respect and admire.

In my teenage years, Back Seat Sally was the kind of  girl whose actions were meant to be noticed – and which resulted in a rather “questionable” reputation.

As a mother of teenagers, I remember days when I felt about as significant as a baseboard – or at the very least, a barely noticed shuttle service who also put meals on the table and kept the house and laundry from looking like a disaster zone. (Apologies to my precious daughters for this reference.)

Nowadays, I sometimes retreat to silence in a large group when a few people are carrying most of the conversation.  And, being honest, there have been a few times when life’s happenings have made me feel relegated to the background.

God can either place us in that back row for His own reasons – or ask us to choose to occupy a spot that might seem unimportant, however temporary.

Think about Mary; God chose her to be the mother of Jesus.  She could have capitalized on Jesus’ notoriety, fueling the rise of her own celebrity. (Think People magazine, and the parents of Hollywood stars.)

When Jesus died on the cross, Mary could have garnered everyone’s sympathy with a high-drama documentation of the agonizing death of her son, and the injustice of it all.

However, Mary’s choice was to quietly endure.  She accepted the role which God ordained for her, suffering and all.

I wonder if I would have the courage to do the same, with such dignity.

Luke 1:26-38 is the account of the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, revealing God’s plan for her to be mother of Jesus. While reflecting on this passage, verse 35 came to the forefront:

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…”

Like Mary, am I willing to remain in the background – to be in the shadows – surrendering to God’s will, and allowing Him to have the glory?

Sitting in that back row – for Him – is a choice He hopes we will embrace.

What happens when you want God to do – or undo – something?

All is well when our prayers our answered expeditiously. But when we repeatedly get down on our knees to petition, even beg God to answer our requests – and nothing changes, we begin to wonder.

Why isn’t He granting our fervent wishes? (Hello, Lord…are you even hearing me?)

You would think we were in line at the fast food drive-through, the way we expect immediate results. We place our order – and there it appears.

In our culture of instant gratification, biding our time is not a strong suit.  I think back to our patients on our mission trips who get in line at 2:00 am. By the time many of them are finally seen at the clinic, it can be 9 or 10 hours later.

No coffee shops with WiFi to pass the time in, either. If they’re lucky, they will have a place to sit for a while. And most of them go without food or drink for all those hours.

Practically unheard of here.

I have short and long-term prayer requests.  Those with staying power are mostly ones that have to do with my self-improvement projects that deconstruct, sometimes repeatedly.

Others that remain at the top of my list are situational.  (Lord, can’t you please please please make that happen?)

God speaks to me through music…and He does have a sense of humor.  The other day I was on the treadmill enjoying praise music as I plodded along.  God made His point when my iPod battery died in the middle of While I’m Waiting by John Waller.

Okay, Lord…I get it.

If you click on the link above to hear this powerful song, it may speak to you as well.

What surfaces for me is: 1. God is in control, 2. I can’t rush Him, 3. Perhaps if I look more closely, there are still aspects of a situation He wants me to see – or something I need to change, 4. Most likely, He is already working behind the scenes and/or within me or others to accomplish His purposes, and 5. I should rest in confidence for the duration.

And that confidence doesn’t mean I am sure God will grant my every request. It means that I know He is with me – and, in spite of how things may seem, He has my best interests at heart.

Rising to the challenge of faithful anticipation has been added to my short list.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. ~Psalm 27:14

Writing this post presumes that 1. when completed, it will fly through cyberspace at previously unimagined speed, 2. appear in the inboxes of all subscribers, and 3. actually be read, perhaps even by some who randomly arrive at beWARM.

All of these results are in sharp contrast to my thoughts this morning.

Oh yes, I am certainly LinkedIn – and for the most part, loving the constant information/communication stream that connects me to friends, family, and the world-at-large.

And, shouldn’t it make my day when I receive yet another notice of 30% off and free shipping from my favorite online merchant?

But when I reach for my mobile device to check for new messages – for the 15th time of the day – I begin to wonder what – or who – is running my life.

Making a sacrifice during Lent was a given during grade school.  Usually it amounted to not eating something I loved for six weeks; most often it was the candy I loved so much.  Later on, I vowed to refrain from crunchy potato chips (still a temptation). Taking away my daily coffee was more than I could handle. even if I was allowed to go “off the wagon” on Sundays.

The fact is, if I rated the aforementioned in terms of how much of daily space they eat up (no pun intended), all would pale by comparison to my Technology Time.

So what would happen if I turned away from the god of Instant Messages, even for a day?  My fingers itch at the thought of being held back from their texting keyboard.

All kidding aside…I do have serious concerns about my/our dependence on devices for our daily existence.  And, at the risk of sounding ancient, many times I long for the old days when you only answered the phone if you were at home.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, entitled Your Blackberry or Your Wife, chronicles a Mom who announced that there would  be a one week moratorium on electronic devices for entertainment in their home. (They could only be used for work and homework.) Interesting cultural commentary…and thought-provoking results of family life “unplugged”. A courageous woman, she.

(I should mention that, when I read the title of the article to Joey, he immediately responded, “or your husband”. ) Hmmmm…more food for thought…

Dare I take the plunge? Do I have what it takes to disconnect, even for one day a week?

If I did, I would bet that 1. the untwittered silence would be quite refreshing, 2. I would survive!, and 3. my decluttered mind would have some freespace for prayer, thinking, or…just celebrating the quiet.

I think that Sunday would be the optimal day of the week to try this out. And if you should need to reach me, our home phone still works…

During a recent visit with a dear friend and spiritual advisor, I had the awareness that God was using her as a soundboard that amplified what His thoughts were.  It seemed as if His light was shining from within her, reflecting outward in my direction.

In musical terms, a soundboard is  “a thin resonant board (as the belly of a violin) so placed in an instrument as to reinforce its tones by sympathetic vibration”.

I believe that , being WARM, we each have been given that internal place of sacred resonance.  Herein lies our ability to engage with others and provide a place where, if you will, a harmony of thought can occur – that sympathetic vibration so vital for honesty and transparency in relationships.

If this precious quality is present , we  can reach deeper levels of connection, and have that wonderful sense that we are understood.  Such encounters are an enrichment to our lives and a balm to our souls.

On this day of Happy Hearts, I pray that you receive the gift of wise and  holy listening…and in that moment, feel God’s love  reverberating within.

If you accept my words and store up my commands within you,                             turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—

indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as silver and search for it as hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. ~Proverbs 2:1-6

At the completion of each MMI eye project, I marvel at all that has been accomplished.

This is especially remarkable considering that the work is done by a disparate group of people who have, in many cases, never even met prior to arriving at the mission site.

Yet, despite differences in backgrounds, perspectives, and skill sets, a single-minded team melds together in a most beautiful way. The simple and basic requirement – a heart for serving the poor.

Side by side, team members spend long days taking visions, distributing thousands of eyeglasses, diagnosing and treating glaucoma and other diseases of the eye.  Patients with damaged eyes, even empty sockets, are fitted with artificial eyes.  Laser surgery is used to help some patients with diabetes or glaucoma.  Cataracts are removed; crossed eyes are straightened by strabismus surgery.

Most importantly, all this is done with utmost care, love and respect for our patients.

Each project has its own special flavor – the touching or funny stories, a poignant moment, that heartwrenching diagnosis. Personal and spiritual growth are byproducts as individual limits are stretched, new skills learned…and faith is deepened.

The finished result is a radiant tapestry…handcrafted with compassion by a myriad of hands. In addition to our team members, our project is facilitated by much-appreciated translators and helpers from the local churches that sponsor us. We could not do our jobs without them.

On the surface, the completion of our woven efforts forms a lovely image.

What I find so amazing is the view of the back side. Only there are seen the frayed threads and missed stitches – or those places where double knots had to be made to keep the continuity of design.

Imperfections and snags…smoothed over for the good of the whole.

These are the many untold, even unnoticed actions and decisions that occur to help a project run smoothly.  Sacrifices are made, extra hours quietly worked, additional responsibilities are assumed.  Extraneous worries are temporarily suspended in deference to the task at hand…and the patients before us.

I love thinking about the way in which God brings it all together.

And can’t we apply this example to ourselves?

We are all works in progress.  And God, in His infinite goodness, intends for our “finished product” to be beautiful...His unique creation.

He uses those  dropped stitches and pieced yarns on the back side to add texture, depth, and strength as He completes His work.

Often times, only He sees those imperfections.

Our challenge is to embrace the process of being under construction…and to know that, above all, we are being formed in His image.

And with that awareness, may we all be mindful that every person on this earth is the same.

Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand. ~ Isaiah 64:8