Carrying Baggage

matterofprayer blog post for Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Carrying Baggage

My memories are powerful. When I experience life today, I can’t help but think of today through the lens of my memories.

Emotions get involved, too. For example, I can talk to a family member and at the same time remember past interactions I’ve had with them. Happy, sad, angry, or frightened. These memories might color the present conversation I’m having today.

Sound, sight, hearing, understanding, aspects of my body—all of this affects my memories, too. I was particularly struck by Tilden Edwards’ comments on Re-membering from his book Living in the Presence. Instead of positive memories coloring my understanding of today’s happenings and conversations, our memories can be haunting. Running the old tapes over and over reinforces negative thinking. It might affect my perception of today and cause it to become unhelpful, unfruitful, even painful.

As Edwards suggests, God wants us to come closer. To draw near. To “participate in making all things new (Rev. 21:5).” God offers fresh moments to each of us, each day. I don’t have to carry all kinds of baggage with me—whether physical, spiritual, mental or emotional. I am urged to put down those old bags, those raggedy, tattered bags, those stinky, rancid bags. God can make all things new. God can make me new, each day. Can free me from carrying a heavy pack  on my back. God can make you new and fresh and free, too.

A clean slate, new every morning. Thank You, God!

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for Your promises, new every morning. Thank You for your faithfulness to each one of us, every day. Forgive me for fleeing from You, for staying in my own head, and running those negative tapes over and over. You want to free me from all that! Thank You for urging me to put down all the unnecessary bags I’m carting around. Thank You for making all things new. Including me. Amen.

@chaplaineliza

Internal Life? Or External Walk?

matterofprayer blog post for Monday, December 30, 2013

For the past few years, I’ve been concerning myself with—myself. I have been striving to maintain some kind of spiritual balance, working on my internal, spiritual component. I pray regularly (or at least, try to). I visit my therapist and spiritual director regularly, work out on a weekly basis at the local YMCA gym, and I even practiced relaxation and meditation in an intensive way for several months. In all of this, I have been working on the inner “me.”

I have also been intentional with my prayer life. Not only have I been praying on an increasingly regular basis, but I’ve also started a prayer chain and prayer blog, so we all can be encouraged in our personal prayer lives. This helps my inner relationship with God prosper, too.

But, what about my relationship with others? How about my family? Friends? What about those at church, or at the gym? What about my co-workers, or strangers I meet on the street? Have I been as studious and diligent at developing my relationship with them?

Yes, I am called by God to be in relationship with God—the vertical relationship.  But I am also called to be in community, as well—the horizontal relationship, one with another. One of my spiritual gifts is helping people. And by nature, I am kind and compassionate in my relations with others. It’s my relationship with others and with my local community (as well as their relationship with me) that I want to work on in 2014.

That’s why 2014 is my year to be kind. To help. To be of service. Intentionally.

(I will explore my thoughts and experiences of my year of service throughout 2014. I’ll do this at a new blog— www.ayearofbeingkind.net, starting on January 1, 2014. I’m excited! Visit me there, too.)

Let’s pray. Dear God, as the old year ends and the new year begins, I see new hopes ahead. New opportunities. New experiences. God, be with me as I begin a year of intentional service. I pray that this service be God-honoring. I ask You to lead me into places and experiences that You intend. Even challenging and difficult things. Protect me, guard me, guide me. I know You will be there, holding my hand. Thank You for my friends and prayer partners, who will be right by my side (in prayer!). God, in Your mercy, hear our prayers.