The Earth, The Sky and Everything In Between

So I guarantee this is the first writing series I'm going to continue posting and possibly finish. Why would that happen when none of my other 'series' have made it past the ever-difficult 1st post? Mostly cause I already have about 5 of these written.
'Growing Young' is a series I began a few years ago, and is inspired by thoughts borrowed from Rich Mullins, who borrowed them from G. K. Chesterton, who likely borrowed them from someone I wish I had known myself. I hope you enjoy a few of my thoughts on what I believe is a central theme of our faith, God's love, and the two working in step together.

Matthew 19:13-14, Mark 10:15

Some years ago I heard Ken Gire, an author and speaker, give a talk on the love and mystery of God. The intimate setting provided for whole families to attend, so there was a large group of children congregated near the front, with the adults in their chairs a little ways back. Part of Ken’s talk that night was about not being afraid or embarrassed to ask God the things about Him we don’t understand. He then opened up the room to any such questions about God that anyone wanted to share.

A small hand quickly appeared from the cluster of children near the front. Ken acknowledged a young girl who, after a moment’s pause and consideration, asked, ‘How can God be three people and one person at the same time?’ Some chuckles could be heard from the back of the room, from adults probably thinking it cute for a child to ask a question they themselves had long considered unanswerable, and thus had stopped asking.

But Ken never heard or simply ignored their snickers, which quickly ceased when everyone noticed the complete focus and tender care with which he received her question. His eyes and ears were on her alone, and the rest of us responded in complete, near-reverent silence. I don’t remember what answer he gave, but I do remember that he answered her with such love and holy simplicity that he not only met her on her level, but drew the rest of us to a place where we began to feel young enough to come before God with the same simple faith as that young girl. By affirming her innocent, unadulterated desire to know her Father better, he provided the rest of us a very candid example of what Jesus meant in Matthew 19 when of children He said, ‘the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’

Children in their innocence can handle in ways most adults cannot the mystery of God. For children, it is enough that God is bigger than their understanding or control, and it is enough that He loves them. They carry in them a faith that stands simply-but-firmly upon the promise that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” As each of us grow older and out of our sin-fated innocence, our view of God becomes harder to accept without the filters of personal comfort, understanding, and any number of assurances that, like any idol, mistake our own likeness for that of God’s.

Fortunately, God has a different plan in mind. Through His Spirit, God is working to restore and grow that innocence we have lost, and growing us into someone who can see through His eyes instead of our own. He is growing us into someone who resembles His Son, and if it is true what Chesterton wrote, that ‘we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we,’ then we are in Him growing young.

This series entitled ‘Growing Young’ is dedicated on bringing light to God’s growing us younger in Him, so we might be young enough to see the world through His very young and innocent eyes, where the fantastic is still possible, dreams are still alive, and heaven isn’t an escape from this world, but a completion of the magic He set in motion, so very long ago.

Pray early and often, but especially pray early. That early time with God really sets a pace for the day. This isn't some 'do it cause you'll feel good' trip, though. We are called to commune with God, and I just find starting that early is conducive to continuing that communion throughout the day.

Selah.

Day 1

I most always wake up late. Actually, I'm not always late and I wasn't today, so let's say I most always wake up inconvenienced, and today my inconvenience arrived at 8:30am. Sunday school is closing fast and I haven't packed for my 6 day trip to Omaha, Nebraska, for which I'm due to leave in 3 hours.

My impression of Nebraska has been and is a flat, corn-colored void with occasional earth-dents they call 'cities'. Nebraska is that place next to Iowa, which is that place next to Illinois, home of Chicago. Despite my impression, I'm glad to escape Texas for a week. I love my home - I just bought a house there. I guess there's a comfort being in a place where I'm an unknown. No one has ever seen me before, nor will they see me again for some time, if ever. Is that an abatement of some responsibility? Am I drinking escapism? I think maybe I am, just a little. Why else would I look forward to a week in Nebraska?

.........

It's Sunday night, my first in Omaha. After I landed, I took a long walk through downtown, which to my surprise is actually pretty extensive. Several new developments and improvements make you think you're in a much larger city. There is a distinct culture to Omaha, and I caught it before I ever met a single person. In fact, you could say I caught it before I saw a single person. I took a long evening walk through a very large and well-developed downtown district, and for much of it I was the only pedestrian in sight. And really, I do mean the only one. Most of my walk I was completely alone in this big commerce centre. I actually loved it. I've never seen anything like that, and I doubt I ever will again.

Silence is powerful - it draws out all that words cover in misdescription and noise, and speaks directly to the soul. Silence speaks with confidence and maintains humility, and in my experience that is one powerful, powerful combination. Maybe I need to practice silence some more, cause most times I feel lacking in both of those areas. Cause right now I'm a guy trying to find his feet in life; learning how to swim and walk and ride a bike all over again. I am trying to find my feet as a man, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do once I find them. I just know right now I'm trying to keep my ears open - trying to keep perspective on my life and God's role in it - and trying to hear him in the silence I've now found as I keep walking on, looking for my feet, in Omaha.

Sometimes when I need a good laugh, I'll flip on the cheapo televangelist channel. I am and will forever be amazed that anyone takes that stuff seriously.

So this lady is on there doing a roundtable discussion that turns into storytime on how God answers prayers. She went into this long discourse on how the pressures of life have a way of dragging us to a near standstill spiritually. She talked about how easy it is for us to forget God in those moments, and how when we remember to seek Him, He turns our struggles into joy and He is with us; guiding us and showing us His love.

Almost gets you thinking about your own life. It did with me - until she opened her mouth back up and "He turns our struggles into joy and is with us; guiding us and showing us His love -- like when you're getting ready for a party, and have so many things to do you feel just overwhelmed. So I stopped right there, got on my knees, and prayed that God would take control of the situation and lift me up with His power. Not only did I get everything done, but had 30 minutes left to rest!"

You know, I almost thought she'd apply the idea with something meaningful, but I obviously forgot which channel I was watching. The best part was all the other ladies' affirming nods - you know, that sincere, eyes closed, 'I can feel the spirit in this room' kind of nod - you know the one. I guess the real sad part is a lot of folks see that and say 'that's what the whole Christian-thing is all about'.

Breaking from that for a moment, I had a prayer request of my own the other night.

By the way, is it wierd for a 24 year old to refer to anyone as his best friend? Is that kinda kiddish? I was thinking about that a lot, but what I figure is I might as well. I'm not closer to anyone else outside my family, and I'm not gonna act like I don't pick favorites, cause I certainly do in most areas of my life.

So we'll call him my best friend, and his name is Kurt. He's preparing to spend his life on the other side of the world in service to Christ. In the 5 years I've known him, we've shared a lot of good times together through conversations, camping, being investigated by border patrol, you know, all the quality moments in life that bring people together. For the last few weeks he's been traveling from the deep south back to Portland where he lives, visiting friends and relatives with his girlfriend Sarah. A few nights ago, they stayed with me for their one night in Fort Worth. They were late getting in, and by the time we had dinner and got back to the casa, it was about 10:30 with my 5:30am wake-up call staring me in the face. We talked for awhile, had some good tea (I love tea), and called it a night. As I was drifting off, I prayed that God would let me stay home for awhile that next morning without lying to my boss.

A few seconds of conciousness later and I was up and on my way, having totally forgotten what I prayed the night before. I get in my car, start turning it out of the drive, and noticed it wasn't moving where I was telling it to move. After decorating the moment with an expletive, I did what any man would and should do, and just gave it more gas. A few seconds later I was enlightened. I couldn't drive straight because my tire was completely flat. I immediately remembered my prayer, and with a widening grin of excitement and humiliation, I thanked God for answering my prayer and apologized for cursing. I felt very biblical - being so holy and unholy in near the same moment. Made me feel like David, and he was a king.

Kurt woke up a few hours later and we got to work on the car for a while and talk about the deeper points we'd missed the night before. He is the best friend I've got, one of the few people who need just ask and I'd be on the next plane to wherever he is.

I sincerely wanted to find some big spiritual lesson or illumination that came from the extra 3 hours I got to spend with Kurt this week, but if there is one, I'm not conciously aware of it. Maybe my big point is one of encouragement - don't be afraid or ashamed to ask God for things that seem silly or rather simple in the 'big picture' of life. I believe in a God who laughs and dances, and who loves children and fairy tales. I think He has a soft spot in His heart for simple people praying simply. Don't be afraid to offer up your questions for God. You're never too smart or mature to not ask God most anything. But if He happens to give you a pleasant answer to a simple request, like flattening your tire, please, please, please, use those moments not as a point of fixation, but a reminder of all the different ways God is so very good, and how those moments are meant to encourage us to pursue Him all the more.