Higher Ground

You listen to the music but 

the music makes you feel

Reveals impressions from within

You didn’t know were hidden beneath

the skin.

Our outermost layer seems thicker than it really is, somehow.

We think that it can hide all that resides,

We cover and nurture our covering 

More than we do our own thoughts,

To try our hand at protecting those.

Some will say songs are songs

Just vibrations,

Nouns and verbs

And the things we hear,

They’re just sounds, combined

They’re just words aligned.

But when the right place meets the right space

Our ears give way to steps

Give way to action.

And these words I heard

Mixed with beat and harmony

Gave rise to my spirit’s melody,

to its comedy and tragedy.

I can’t say I’m happy for it,

and I won’t say that I’m not,

But it’s nice to see You here -

Thanks for meeting me,

just in time.

And if You would be so kind 

as to sing Your song to me,

Your dear heart’s whispering

And take my flimsy skin

And plastic case

My unsaid hurts

And just replace

All that is false

And fake I’ve found

And lead these sounds

To higher ground.

Source

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For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

A Big Picture Life

You know those times where you look back on periods of your life and have a nice summarizing statement for them?

“I looked awesome.”

“I was so happy.”

“That was the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

And on and on. There is something so satisfying about labeling things, even if they are bad things, when we are reflecting. It is effectively saying, hey. I exist, I experienced that, I’m still standing. Bada bing, bada boom. I lived. And because you have lived to tell the tale,there’s a level of detachment you now have, an awareness of lessons learned, things to glean that will help you for the present and future times. Even if the times you are remembering were good times, you now know what made them good, even if you weren’t walking around like you had some sort of Morgan Freeman personal narration going the entire time you were experiencing it.

I have a difficult time thinking of the entire picture when I am in my day-to-day life. My dad called me out on this recently when I suffered a disappointment for a job I really wanted. As soon as I found out, I immediately began applying for a job listing I half-noticed the day prior for a project in Arkansas. I didn't want to go to Arkansas. I didn't feel called to go to Arkansas right now or even to pursue that job, and the opportunity was a long shot. I was clearly upset about the disappointment, convinced that everyone that got the position I wanted was a jerkface and who needs them for getting something I wanted. So I went to something irrational.

How easily I forgot that I have a Father in heaven who is working all things out for my good.

How swiftly I neglected to consider how many friends and family members pray for me, prayed for this job specifically, and how we all prayed for God’s will and best to unfold.

How off base I was not to immediately thank Him for answering those prayers in a clear way, and for not praising Him for the better job that surely lies ahead.

My hope for myself and all of us is that we can learn to maintain the right perspective as things are happening to us, not simply after the fact. It is impossible to do all of the time I am sure - some lessons are meant to be learned later if God desires that timing. But how GOOD would it be to be able to insta-process as much as we are able that which we are experiencing instead of immediately leaping to a hasty and oftentimes poor response? To be able to have that freeing ability to label...

“This right here is a blessing.”

“That wasn’t right.”

“This is simply an answer to my prayers.”

“I am experiencing something bad and need to react honorably to it.”

...like we so often do in hindsight? 

I believe we can have that freedom and awareness if we choose walk in step with the Holy Spirit every minute of the day.

When we are constantly in a place of maintaining that open channel of communication with God, lifting up prayers, talking with Him, reacting to life with Him, listening to Him, and honoring His Spirit that lives inside of us, I think we will find that we are able to live more fully as things are happening. Jesus offers us the blessing of that life abundant.

Because truly, everything that we experience either comes directly from His hand as a good and precious gift or is allowed through His sovereign filter when we are His children. While we may not be experiencing something pleasant, we are told in His word that He works all things for our good and that God gives good gifts to His children. We are told that good Fathers discipline their children. And we also see countless times in the Bible that it is only through the steep gravel valleys that we understand how to handle the purest mountain peaks. So because we know these things as truth, we can always find comfort and assurance and reasons for praise in whatever we are hit with.

We can give thanks and praise because it isn’t really a happy/sad thing at all, and I think it's time to move beyond those basic responses as we cultivate and grow into our maturity. Happiness and sadness in and of themselves are not bad things, but it is important to know what they are -- tools to guide us to realizing the nugget underneath the surface. Happy and sad feelings if chased or focused on alone are so double-sided, so elusive, and so constantly changing within our ever-churning bodies that we will always be left wanting and chasing the wind. It’s not about if the things we face in our lives cause us to feel happiness or sadness, it is the place we transition into after those initial impressions that builds the people we are becoming and the character we establish. We are able to give praise and achieve contentment in all things because of the comfort we have in knowing the truth of God's care and the grace and forgiveness of Jesus. It's a comfort thing. A rest thing. It’s an ease we can have knowing IN the moment and not just after the moment that we are being held in trustworthy and sturdy arms, regardless of what it feels like.

My goal is to not forget this truth more often than I forget it. To walk in the light as He is in the light, so I can fully and deeply appreciate the big picture in a sea of little polaroids.

And for the record, you did look great then. But you should really know that you look even better RIGHT now.

--

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25)

"Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:2-5)

Acting and Reacting

It’s easy to not care about offending people when you don’t put faces to them.

When you can’t imagine their reactions to your canceling plans with them, when you can’t observe their countenance as they don’t get a response from you and keep checking their phones to make sure you didn’t say something further. We don’t allow our minds to take the full course of how our actions impact the lives of others. How one ill word could lead to an offense or wound that might lead to a series of choices made or behaviors acted on in the lives of other people that could lead to some pretty detrimental things, unfortunate outcomes that may contribute to a bitter worldview for that person.

Conversely, if we don’t recognize our impact negatively, it remains possible that we don’t understand how important it can be to be kind. Smiling at a baby creates impressions in their newly developing brain. I'd imagine that the more positive reinforcement they receive, the better the lasting imprint on them. The better off the human being they grow into.

“God bless you.” If someone sneezes, and you are a stranger next to them on the subway, you made the other person feel important enough to acknowledge. It’s not being sentimental to think so, even if that person doesn’t think anything of your polite words. These things are noticed subconsciously, they are retained.

Texting is bonkers. I, for one, am an expressive type. My texts are generally descriptive, occasionally long. Most people are not like this. Most people say “thanks” and mean it sincerely, whereas I am from the species that receives that response and thinks the person is mad at me and swiftly gets upset for twenty five days.

But just like I wish I was receiving something more personal from that person, they don’t deserve a judgment made by me on their character based on a simple text message. Not everyone has to write in the same way I write, and I can’t get mad at others for not having the same human impulses as me, either. That’s what makes us all different.

And unless you are marrying that person or in a committed friendship or relationship where it might lead to major extended periods of hurt, it isn’t that big of a deal. Even if you are marrying that person or doing life together - after you talk about the problem, chances are a compromise might be made or something, but that doesn’t mean you’ll just get your way and start receiving too many adjectives and exclamation points in the future. You’ll get their best efforts. 

And then if you’re not satisfied after that, you’ll still have to get over it.

So what I am saying or not saying well enough is, the only one with the last word and standard of perfect is God. Love others well, use your perception and insight and consideration that is in your ability, but after that, get over it. Chances are it just isn’t that personal.

And if it is, they’ll let you know in some other way, trust me.

But also, when in doubt, be overly kind. This is what I try to do. Because if someone reacts poorly to that, it’s kind of weird, because that is not something the world needs less of. I’m not saying be insincere. That is not truly kind. But if you have a kind word, share it. If you see someone suffering, offer of yourself, even if it’s “God bless you.” Little things are big things. It’s nothing new, and somewhere we all know this, but it is seldom practiced.

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"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)