Where does this blog go from here?

Today I pondered where to go with this blog, and here's what I came up with... nothing!  But my brain's a bit fried right now, so probably what I need to do is take a break and come back when I have a good thought.  I don't want to be one of those guys who one writer was describing when he said of bloggers, "Never have so many written so much about so little to so few!" 

So, until I get a strong direction, a clear thought, or an ongoing sermon series that gives me a good focus, I'm going to back off.  God rested on the 7th day, and I'm taking a break on the 42nd day.  (The previous comment is in no way meant to imply that my creation compares in any way with what God did, nor that I think I can keep going six times longer than God and be okay.  The fact that I'm rambling on like this probably proves both that I have little to say tonight and that I should have taken a break at least one day earlier!)  The counsel of Proverbs17:28 seems appropriate for me right now.  "Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise."  I'll be back when I have something to say.

The Love Dare - Day 40

Day 40!  So does that mean it's coming to an end - this love dare thing?  Or is it just beginning for real?  I presume the Love Dare, as depicted in the book, was meant to kick-start a whole new life of love.  It was meant to be a beginning.  And I'm certain the original Love Dare, as depicted in the Bible, with its repeated call to "love one another," was meant to start something that would last forever.  When do we get to the end of learning to "excel still more" in our love as 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 instructs us?  So this can't be the end.  It has to be the beginning.  So, here's what I've learned and plan to take with me into the next phase. 

When left to myself, I love me better than I love anybody else.  I don't naturally "regard [others] as more important than yourself" (Philippians 2:3).  I need supernatural help if I'm going to go beyond the 'I'll love you if you love me' kind of love which is typical in this world. 

Even when I embrace God's help and begin to love sacrificially, I have to be intentional about it every day or it won't happen.  My default mode (into self-centeredness) is really strong. I always fall back into a "me" focus. 
When it comes to loving people, I need the the warning of Proverbs 21:5.  "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty {doesn't take time to make a plan} comes surely to poverty."

Love needs to be demonstrated - something that can be seen and felt and experienced.  That's how God does it.  "God demonstrates His own love toward us..." (Romans 5:8).   

Motives count.  "Whatever is not from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23).  In other words, love for the wrong reason doesn't register as love in the eyes of God.  It's just another self-centered act.

We're designed to be devoted in our love for people.  "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love," Romans 12:10 says.  And in Timothy 4:15-16, after a long series of commands which include the command to "love," Timothy is instructed to "take pains with these things; be absorbed in them."  Sounds like God wants us to be passionate about loving people.

It's okay to do the same thing over and over, if it's an act of love.  In Acts 9:36, a woman named Dorcas was praised as a woman "abounding in deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did."  Repetition is a good thing when it's love (or truth) that's being repeated.

When we start out good and then fail (as we so often do), we can heed the urging of Jesus as expressed to the church at Ephesus.  "Repent and do the deeds you did at first."  We can start over and get back in the game!  Grace is when God bestows a benefit on someone who deserves to be punished, and that is what happens every time a believer fails to live up to the standards of God.  Instead of punishing us for choosing to fall short of what we know to be right, He graciously points to Jesus for having endured the punishment for our rebellion already and invites us to start over!

And finally, we need to persevere.  In that same string of commands in 1 Timothy - the ones we are told to be passionate about - we're also told to "persevere in."  We're supposed to keep going.
So I think I will.  It's been a good experience, and I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to be learned.  I'd like to find out for sure.

As for the blog, I think I'll keep that going too.  It might morph into a different focus - maybe a bit broader.  Or maybe it will fizzle out completely.  I don't know.  But it's been a great accountability partner to me.  Every night comes faithfully around and demands that I give some sort of description of how I've spent my day before God.  It's really helped me stay on my toes.  And maybe it's helped somebody else, too.  I'll let God sort that part out.  For me, I'll try to have an idea by tomorrow night what this next phase will look like!

The Love Dare - Day 39

Karen is down to one job!  She now gets to spend part of her time at home again.  It's been kind of a wild ride over the past six weeks, but it's been a good experience for Karen.  She kind of likes running an operation like the concession stand, and all the rest of us have gotten along fine.  We all knew our schedule would be only temporarily insane!  But now, Karen is home for part of every day, so it's going to be a lot harder to find ways to demonstrate love, at least in the realm of 'acts of service,' which has been my bread and butter during the past 39 days.  The problem is that Karen is a very organized and efficient woman!  There's not much she hasn't done already when she's home for a bit.

This means I'm going to have to be more creative and/or intentional in finding ways to demonstrate my love for her.  God never said it would be easy. 
1 Corinthians 14:1 says to "pursue love."  That implies an intentional and sustained effort toward a chosen
goal.  Kinda like the cheetah in the picture.  He's got his sights set on something and he's pursuing it with his mind focused, his eyes fixed, and every fiber of his body engaged in the pursuit.  That's what I need to do in finding ways to love Karen.

It's really just part of becoming like Jesus.  Revelation 1:5 describes Jesus as "Him who loves us," and He certainly gave us a model of pursuing us when He gave up the comforts of heaven in order to come to our world.  He was focused, too!  He didn't turn aside for anything.  "Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end," John 13:1 says.  His love for us, through His death, "released us from our sin by His blood," Revelation 1:5 says.  So, what we're actually in pursuit of is an unhindered relationship with the One who loves us - being like Him - thinking like Him - desiring what He wants - loving as He loves.  ...  That's a lofty goal - to embrace and reflect a living and loving God!  Better get back to the pursuit!

The Love Dare - Day 38

I'm a recovering sinner.  I've known this for 34 years now, and I'm reminded of it almost every day.  This Love Dare project has been a good source of reminders of how shriveled, warped, and leaky my love is.  Even my good intentions get derailed seemingly at the puff of the slightest breeze.  At times, it resembles a disaster! 

Today was much better than yesterday.  I took time for other people instead of just looking out for my own needs, and that is certainly progress!  But my good determination won't be enough to keep me going.  I know how desperately I need a power greater than me to maintain any kind of love that will "excel still more," as Paul urges in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10. 

But I have a plan for addressing my tendency to underperform, and surprisingly, it's the same plan my favorite cartoon character uses to address his foibles (which are many, by the way). He calls it his 'Disaster Recovery Plan.'  Not a bad name to describe how sin has devastated our lives and causes us to achieve so much less than we dream of accomplishing.  So how do we respond?  We activate our Disaster Recovery Plan, and we cry out to God for help! 

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble," God says, "I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me" (Psalm 50:15).  I think the cry for help is the most basic of all prayers.  It acknowledges our belief in a God who is there (Hebrews 11:6), it admits our need for a power and a wisdom greater than ours, and it doesn't try to suggest to God what He should do to fix our life.  It just cries out, "Help!" 

That's not a bad way to start each day. - or even to close one.  I think I'll try it right now, and see what God has in mind for me in the hours and days to come.  I'm not afraid of what He might do.  He's the one who's making me into who I'm supposed to be!  "God, help me!"

The Love Dare - Day 37

Today, I got caught up in my own stuff - mostly related to a class I took in March in which the final project in now due (this Friday).  It's my own fault.  I knew I would have to pay for putting off the work until this late hour.  I won't try to blame anybody else.  The sad part is that I won't be the only one paying the price.  I did nothing for anybody else today.  It was all for me.  I'm not proud of that, but that's my report for Day 37. 

Ironically, I'm working on a project about being more like Jesus - things like Philippians 2:3-4.  "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."  In the light of my day, it's kind of embarrassing.  I guess it's back to the basics for me. 

The Love Dare - Day 36

I was the only one in my family who got the afternoon off from work, and I might as well admit right up front that I made use of the quiet to take a long nap.  There's something about our downstairs couch that makes me conk out on Sunday afternoons!  Then I did a bit of work on some classwork that's looming ahead before getting to the love tasks of the day.  It was all stuff that has become typical over these last 36 days - clean up, pick up, straighten up kind of stuff. 

But about half way through my tasks, I started thinking, "This doesn't count as loving Karen, because I've done this lots of times.  I need to do something unique."  Now, maybe I do need to do something unique, and I certainly don't want to argue against creativity in the way we express love to the people around us.  But does doing something over and over really diminish the 'love factor' of that act?  If that's true, then no young mother can be considered 'loving.'  She does the same things over and over day after day.  It's not love when you do it over and over? 

I would argue it's MORE loving when you do it over and over!  Lamentations 3:23 says, "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease... They are new every morning."  It doesn't say they are completely different every morning... just new.  Delivered with a new commitment.  Delivered with a renewed compassion.  Delivered with a brand new desire to demonstrate love. 

So here's what I've decided to do.  When I find something that communicates love, I'm going to do it again and again and again and rebuke the devil for trying to convince me it doesn't count.  Karen didn't agree with him at all.  Her first words when she stepped in the house tonight were, "Oh, thank you for cleaning up for me!"  My repetition felt like love to her!

The Love Dare - Day 35

We all knew, going into today, that there wouldn't be much on the 'active love' list for today.  When Karen was home, I wasn't.  When I was home Karen wasn't.  And all through the day, both of us were busy with commitments or stuff that had to get done.  Sometimes, you just have to wait for the right time and the right way to demonstrate your love 

We can wait.  Patience is part of walking "in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called" (Ephesians 4:1-2).  Patience is part of that fruit which the Spirit produces in us (Galatians 5:22).  (We don't produce it.  He does!)  The very love we want to demonstrate - that love which God, Himself, has "poured out within our hearts" (Romans 5:5) - that love is patient (1 Cor 13:4).  We can wait.

The Love Dare - Day 34

Had a pleasant trip to Williamsburg tonight, to help celebrate our niece's high school graduation, and it made for a nice time to share life together... more so on the way down than on the way back.  It got pretty quiet on the way home.  I was the only one awake (at least in the front seat), which gave me time to think as I listened to my favorite CD - Rod Stewart's 'Great American Songbook' (which may represent the best evidence yet that I really am getting old, given that I'm not only listening to '40's and early '50's music, but I'm liking it!)  But anyway, I got to wishing I could express myself as well as some of these songs do, and by that I mean express what I'm feeling.  I can analyze things and explain things, but I wish I could express my emotions better.  For instance, when I hear the following words, I think, "Yes, this is what I feel for Karen." 

 
     I can only give you love that lasts forever,
     And a promise to be near each time you call,
     And the only heart I own,
     For you and you alone.
     That's all.  That's all.

     I can only give you country walks in springtime,
     And a hand to hold when leaves begin to fall,
     And a love whose burning light,
     Will warm the winter's night.
     That's all.  That's all.

     There are those I am sure who have told you
     They would give you the world for a toy.
     All I have are these arms to enfold you
     And a love even time can't destroy.

     If you're wondering what I'm asking in return, dear,
     You'll be glad to know that my demands are small;
     Say it's me that you'll adore
     For now and evermore.
     That's all.  That's all.
          © WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP; MIXED BAG MUSIC INC;

I feel it, but why can't I say it?  It wouldn't even have to be as poetic as the song.  I'd just like to be more emotionally articulate. Surely there is something about two lovers engaged in a tender conversation that God really likes.  How else can we explain God inspiring so many of the passages from Song of Solomon to be recorded for all eternity?  Have you read that book?  It's unabashed love, communicated through passionate, verbal pictures!  I want to be able to do that for my wife.  Is there a way to learn how to do that? 

It's not entirely unlike what Jesus does for all of us when He fixes His eyes on us, gazes deep into our souls, and says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).  In asking for help in expressing my deepest feelings, I'm just asking to be more like Jesus!










xxxxx

The Love Dare - Day 33

Today, I tried to notice all the neat things other people do for me.  I thought it might motivate me to keep me doing neat things for others.  And it turned out to be an encouraging (and motivating) day.  I won't list every story, but here are a few that helped make this a good day for me - a day that motivates me to keep loving people.

It wasn't even 6 AM before Karen told me she was proud of me.  I like words of affirmation!  Then, my fitness class trainer gave me a man-style compliment.  You know, the kind - delivered in a rough sort of way, but meant to express something positive.  "John, you'd better be at our potluck!"  I assured him I'd be there and then thought, "It's nice to be wanted."  The office crew was their usual encouraging selves today.  We all went out to eat together to celebrate my June birthday.  We always have a lot of good laughs when we go out together, and I can't help thinking that it makes us a better team.  Thanks everybody!  I even received encouragement from a young gal who I've never met.  She's trying to raise support to go to the mission field and sent some info to the church followed by an email asking if we had gotten her stuff.  I don't like to leave people hanging, especially big-hearted people who are trying to get to the mission field.  So I sent her an email and tried to fill it with a lot of encouragement as I broke the news to her that we would not be part of her support team.  She wrote back in less than 5 minutes, full of thanks for my 'kind email.'  And you know what?  Her email ministered to me!  Graciousness is always an attractive action. 

I was watching for love today, and I found affirmation, the showing of personal interest, encouragement, and graciousness, and now I'm motivated to be more affirming, more interested, more encouraging, more gracious.  Hebrews 10:24 says, "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love..."  I don't know if the people who loved me today spent much time pondering how they'd do it, or if their actions were just spontaneous.  But I sure enjoyed the fruit of their actions.  Thank you, God, for using so many people to remind me of Your love.  I'm ready to be a messenger again!   

The Love Dare - Day 32

We're getting near the end of this 40 day Love Dare, and you may be thinking that the picture at the left is meant to depict me joyously crossing the finish line.  After all, I've been putting my love stories out there for 31 days now!  And yes, I'm in the picture all right, but I'm not victoriously crossing the finish line.  I'm the one falling on my chin - at least, that's what I did today.  Or did I?  I'm really not sure.

It isn't that I didn't do anything that could be construed as 'loving' today.  Actually, I did several things for other people in the course of this day.  But I didn't want to do any of them, and if I could have gotten out of them, I would have!  So I can't really claim those as acts of love, can I?  My motives certainly weren't very good.  On the other hand, I knew that doing them was the right thing to do, and that's why I did them.  James 4:17 says, "to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."  But I did them!  So it must have been a good thing in the sight of God, even if my motives weren't as noble as they could have been.  I didn't have wrong motives (trying to look good, trying to impress God, etc.).  I simply didn't want to do the things I did, yet I did them anyway because they were the right things to do.  So, did I fall on my chin, or did I do good?

Jesus once told a parable about two sons (Matthew 21:28ff).  He started with a question.  "What do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'  And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.  The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  Now, clearly, I was the first son today.  My heart was saying, "No!  I won't do it."  But I did it.  And the correct answer to Jesus' question of "which of the two did the will of his father," seems to have been "The first."  So maybe I really was doing the will of my love-exhorting Father today, even though I didn't really want to be doing it. Of course, there's always the possibility that I'm just justifying the half-hearted commitment to love that I exercised today.  If I was doing the will of my Father, I certainly missed out on the joy that often comes from a whole-hearted obedience.  And yet, I did the things that were right to do!

So... maybe that is me crossing the finish line in that picture!  I'd like to think it is, or at least that I am heading in the right direction.  But just to make sure, I think I'll try to be a bit more heart-felt in my love-stuff for tomorrow!  This is no time to be backing off.