SIMPLIFY!

Written June 11, 2012

"I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any [person] remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing.” John 15:5 (New Century Version)

How simple is that? I am in the process of downsizing my spacious home to be able to fit into a townhome. Recently, I reflected how “downsized” God’s truth is – straight and to the point:

“As long as I remain in Christ, I will continue to bear fruit.”

Grapevines can live to 200 years old and still produce grapes. These old vines do not produce as many grapes as younger ones, but the wine from these “mature” vines is the best.

The scripture does not say that I am to be attached to a particular church, just the Vine of Jesus Christ. As I explore the wider Christian community, it strikes me how the gospel message is pretty much the same from church to church, denomination to denomination.

Christ taught these words to a small group of disciples and he created each of us to live in community. Right now my community is expanding. I still have my closest friends and I connect with them regularly, but I am open to surrounding myself with other varietals of God’s Kingdom. 

My Tuesday morning Centering Prayer group is becoming precious to me as I sit in silence pondering God’s truth along with new friends: I recently prayed for 93-year-old Rollie’s impending back surgery and for his wife LeAnn to experience the peace of Christ.

This fall I will start Christos’ two-year Tending the Holy program, training to become a spiritual director. I anticipate connecting with a peer group of fellow learners with whom I will grow close as we progress together through our training. I consider myself fortunate to have these community pockets during this transitional time.

Earlier in my life the idea of living in a smaller home seemed way too confining. Now I’m ready to pare down, amazed at how many times I have filled our huge recycling bucket with 40 years of stuff. It’s time to sell, give away, recycle and toss the rest.

I never thought I would get to the point that I would be ready to leave my ever-evolving gardens. My aging body and physical limitations have brought me to a fresh sense of freedom – “I can let go of my beautiful yard”. I’m excited to realize more time and energy to pursue new interests. Already I sense the Spirit expanding my ministry in God’s Kingdom; He will enable me to produce the best “wine” as I continue to mature. Hallelujah!

REFLECTION

How have you learned to simplify in an area of your life? If downsizing is a negative:  let God help you see the positive.

Revealed In The Fog

It was our first day on the North Shore of Minnesota’s side of Lake Superior. We drove up in intermittent fog yesterday and this morning dawned with fog. I can hear the lake lapping at the shore but I cannot see very much beyond a few rocks in the water below. I tried to snap a photo only to find that my camera lens seems to have moisture spots marring the photo, making it hard to decipher the image. Reminded me of this scripture verse:

1 Cor. 13:12 NLT

Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.

So much of following Christ is a walk by faith and not by sight. I’m trusting that the sun will come out on this vacation day and burn away the fog so that I can see more of Lake Superior to revel in God’s beautiful creation.

In daily life we don’t always get to see the whole picture; only what is right in front of us. After one comes through a time of struggle, then you can appreciate not having seen beforehand all that would happen to you.

Right now, I believe that God has given me a vision for Jim and Donna’s future that means a move to downsize to a town home so that we can conserve our time and energy to be able to continue working for another ten years, Lord willing. It’s a little scary because of our financial situation. I wonder how God will work a miracle. I wonder what little steps along the way will lead us to the final end:  settled into a town home, ready for the next years of our life. Indeed, I feel a dense fog obscure the pathway and I need to follow by faith as God takes my hand through this next maze of twists and turns as the fog may thicken before we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. We will need faith, courage and strength to persist to the end.

I never thought I would get to this point of feeling ready to leave our lovely Golden Lake home. We have enjoyed so many wonderful years there since building it in 1983, and have shared it with many people who have been blessed by God’s goodness to us.

Our next home will be shared as well through our gift of hospitality, no matter how humble. It will be God’s goodness to us in the land of the living meant to be shared, giving the glory to God.

CHALLENGE:

Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior is my favorite retreat spot. I sense God’s presence there in the beauty of the landscape. He has gently revealed many lessons as I slow down to take time to listen. When was the last time you took time for a retreat? Perhaps the “fog” of your circumstance is telling you to slow down and listen before moving ahead in faith. 

(Written on our Labor Day vacation 2011)