Positioned for Strength

Positioned for Strength

I’m building strength again. And by this, I mean that I have been sick for what feels like decades now, incapacitated. For all of March and much of April, I’ve been drowning in pneumonia, bronchitis, cold, fever, you bet.

Interestingly, there have been many spiritual sicknesses that have overwhelmed my body, mind and spirit as well. Not necessarily just this last month, but on and off for the past few years. You know, after such a shock, how does one really recover? And recovery, well, it leaves you different than before. Not necessarily worse really, just different.

Well, I’m wondering about positioning myself for strength. I’ve been waning, and I’m ready to train. (Well, physically, not just yet, but) Spiritually, I am being wooed, reminded of how God has me, and drawn back into his abiding presence. What erroneous things have gripped me over the past several months and years. I have not believed that God really is fastening me to himself or that his aim is to have me abide in him and bear his fruit, bringing peace and joy and love and hope and self-control, and kindness and goodness and The Good News to the world.

Oh how I long to be in this union with God. Oh how I long to be floored and humbled and flattened and prostrated by his incredibly love and merciful gifts and astounding service. OH my goodness, God is g(there’s no word that fits). I just can’t believe it/Him. And I’m ready to do Your will.

I feel it is a time of positioning myself to be strengthened by Him.

Organic Relationships

I really like the idea that we all bring out something different. This idea first enraptured me when I was enthusiastically pointed to a chapter in a book that talked about communal salvation. C.S. Lewis shared that when one of his best friends died, he thought it would allow him to know his other best friend better. But in fact, he found that he lost a part of his other friend because never again would Lewis see his friend reacting to the first friend's joke or responding to that friend. In other words, each person draws out something unique from the other.

What do you draw out in other people?

This got me thinking. If I were gone, what would my friends be missing? What elements of them wouldn't be seen again. And when we transition in and out of each others lives, what do we take with us?

I used to feel like I was doing something wrong by not acting the same with every person. It made me wonder if I was truly being myself. But now I realize how organic each relationship is. We spark and prod, ignore or bore different places in every person. We each draw something unique from one another. How amazing!