Ok, I'm a person who is sort of "all over the map." As in --quite distractable. For example, I try to do 'logical' things in a long meeting or day-long seminar, that don't seem strange to the folks in the room-- but gets me out of the chair or out of boredom. Like go to the restroom, type notes in my laptop, or walk to the back of the room for more water. I like shorter-term projects way more than 'let's plan one year in advance' events. It's hard to finish a book.
I can change interests and don't keep to too many main passions. But I'm flexible that way. Isn't that cool? Maybe I get bored easily. Phases-- guess most kids have them. The 'make your own candle and use real Florida sand on the outside' phase. Wax in the kitchen pots-- thanks, Mom, for your patience. The collect shells phase. The build your own terrarium phase. The start jogging with Dad era. I recall as a young teen that I had this "thing" about getting an aquarium. Read all about it. But after a few years, I mean, the gurgling of those bubbles in my room was more than I could handle. The problem with the 'play the piano' phase was (which lasted quite some years) that my parents thought that it needed to really be a discipline. And my grandad Moore had been a skilled musician. So I took lessons much beyond my keen interest level.
I have changed cities quite a number of times, e.g., so that seems to be the way God has molded me. I like adventure. But don't like total change all the time-- put it this way, I can keep my living room FURNITURE in the same configuration for years, unless someone helps me think outside the box, but will change the CITY where I live!
When I reflect on this trait, I feel that God has graced me with something that seems like a lack of discipline, but does have it's advantages. It looks really un-spiritual, e.g., especially when you skip around in what you're reading in your Quiet Time or which word you're doing a word study on. Accountability definitely helps here. But God can use such a gifting (if it doesn't drive those around you nuts!) to make you take chances, and break out of a bad rut. To push the envelope and step out in faith. To move, frankly. And having moved a bit in the past-- living in Tampa (more than once!), Waco, Ft. Worth, Vancouver, LA, Cloppenburg and Jena... well, I hope God's gifting proves true as I pray about being a catalyst in starting up a new campus ministry and moving later this year.
“If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and soul, and if you worship him, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons so you can harvest crops of grain, grapes for wine, and olives for oil. He will give you lush pastureland for your cattle to graze in, and you yourselves will have plenty to eat." - Deut. 11:13-15 -
"They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper." - Psalm 1:3 -
4 comments:
I'm curious -- why do you use the phrase "look unspiritual" for skipping around in your quiet time, etc?
well... do you think i'm out of balance here? hmmm. or ok? i've been around nav types and solid believers who have a PLAN-- like you should have QT in the morning first thing. versus skip around different times different days. and you should work through a Beth Moore study methodically, or do a Bible study systematically. I think that's great! and applaud that.
i have trouble reading 'through the Bible' and checking that off, because i get distracted by one word and then wanna follow that idea/ concept/ word all over the Bible. then get on another track... then try to get back to Genesis, and forget which chapter i was on. sometimes it's the difference between "water skiing" thru the Word & "pearl diving" as my dad says.
Yes, I've been around the PLAN mentality. There is some validity to working through the Bible systematically...but I guess I'm wondering why that gets upheld as the most spiritual means? Are you meeting with Jesus? Is He teaching you new things about Himself? The real reason we "do the QT" (or any of spiritual disiplines for that matter) is to meet with Jesus. We go to Him...we just happen to go to Him at times through His Word. Sometimes I think what inevitbably gets passed on in discipleship is putting the spiritual disciplines and the exact way we should do them on some sort of pedastal.
I'm not trying to be critical or anything. I guess I just heard this underlying feeling in your post that you're trying to meet a standard that maybe doesn't need to be the standard. Sure, have a plan, but you're wired differently! Sounds like you're inspired by the variety and learn new things about Jesus from the exploration. It's not any less spiritual!
thanks, blythe-- that helps! :-)
Post a Comment