There are times in our lives when we go through trying, stressful periods. Often, while we’re in the midst of what’s going on, we look forward to when the stress of what’s happening will be merely a memory. But when those times of relative peace come, it’s crucial that we don’t rest in that peace.

While it is good to be able to catch our breath and recover, we can’t stay in that state of relaxation. Just as an athlete needs to train during the off-season, we too need to press forward even when things are easier again. Because they won’t stay that way forever.

If we get stuck in the “relax” mode when our storm passes, when things start to get intense again down the road, we’ll discover that we’ve gotten out of shape during our extended period of relaxation. And instead of weathering the storm with a new-found vigor and strength from the growth we experienced during our period of calm, we’ll find ourselves trying to make up for lost ground at the same time as we’re walking through our new situation. In other words, an extended period of rest can make our time of stormy weather more difficult than it should be.

And so, if you’re going through a period of relative calm, enjoy it and thank God for it! But at the same time, be sure to continue to grow and learn. You’ll be glad you did when the next stormy day arrives.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30]

Most of us associate a yoke with the thing that's placed around the neck of an ox in order to pull a load behind it. At the same time, a Jewish yoke was the set of rules that were to be followed as you lived out your faith. Either way, the mental picture is pretty clear - it can be a burden to carry.

We can struggle with yokes of our own as well - the expectations of others. Whether employers, friends, family, neighbors, or whomever, many people place yokes on us, and after a while, we can really be dragged down by their expectations of us.

This is where Christ's words are so comforting - I love you for who you are. Don't worry about trying to make everyone happy; love me, and let my love flow through you to others.

When we are able to stop trying to meet everyone's expectations, it's like a breath of fresh air for our soul, a tremendous burden lifted off - we are able to rest in His love. The thing to remember is that, while we rest in Christ, the expectations that others place on us probably won't change. But the effect they have on us will.

I've been spending much of this morning doing housework. Washing dishes, doing laundry, vacuuming, that sort of thing. As I was standing at the kitchen sink a few minutes ago, I was very aware of the Presence of God. I'd been deliberately wanting to spend time with Him today, and cleaning gave me a good opportunity to do so.

I realized something though. Neither of us were really saying anything. I knew He was there with me, but yet, I wasn't specifically praying for anything, and He wasn't stirring my heart in any particular way. I was just enjoying being there with Him.

The one thing that He did speak to my heart was to think about my relationship with my dad, and for a specific reason.

When my dad and I spend time together, we usually don't talk about much. It's mostly just us being there together, working alongside each other on projects, enjoying each other's company. When we need to talk, we do, but for most of the rest of the time, we're just there together.

That got me thinking about our relationships with God. So many times when we spend time with Him, we either spend the time talking to Him, or expect Him to be saying something to us. It seems like it's pretty rare for us to want to just be there with God. But in reality, in any relationship, there will be times where words aren't necessary, and those can often be some of the closest, most intimate times you can experience. There is an inherent joy in just being with someone that you love dearly.

Why should our relationship with God be any different?

Today as I ventured out into the park over my lunch hour, I realized that I'd been looking down at the ground most of the time as I walked. I'd been thinking about a number of different things, and at the same time, was trying to avoid tripping on a stick, stepping in a hole, or whatever. But then I realized how much I was missing by doing that. When I looked up, I was left in awe at the beauty of fall surrounding me.

It can be that way in our lives too. Sometimes we can become so cautious about the decisions we're making, we miss opportunities to see the beauty of the world around us. I'm not saying that we should be reckless about what we do. If we spend all our time scrutinizing our actions, it is true that we might stumble a few less times, but how much will we miss by doing that?

Besides, for those of us who belong to Christ, we have a Helper who walks with us to let us know when we're about to take the wrong step. And for the times when we do trip, He covers us with His Grace.

Today I've had the chance to sit back and relax a little bit, and as I've done that, I've kind of just let my mind wander. One of the things I've thought about is the idea that everything we see around us in the world evolved from some sort of primordial soup. You know, if you take a moment to really think about the idea, it's pretty absurd. I mean seriously - with as perfectly as the world around us is connected together and the complexity of those connections (and even the complexity of the the organisms themselves,) it's pretty ridiculous to think that it just sort of happened by chance, even over the course of millions of years. That's not to say that species can't adapt to changes in their environment, because they do, but the idea that things moved from gloppy goop to trees, birds, animals, fish, humans, etc. really doesn't make any logical sense.

I've had Matthew 25:35-40 rolling around in the back of my mind for a little while now, and as I've thought about what Jesus said, the thing that has stuck out to me over and over is what He said that His Faithful did - they gave food and drink and clothing and shelter and compassion. And then I think about our culture and what we give - money. Don't get me wrong, it's not necessarily a bad thing to give money to help others. But we need to make sure that we're mindful of the reason we're doing so.

When we give money, it's quick and easy. Five minutes writing the check and it's over, and we go back to our lives. What's more important is what we're not giving when we do that - ourselves. When we write the check, when we put the change in the cup, we're isolating ourselves from others, depriving them of that they need most.

If you look at scripture, at the early church, the thing we're called to isn't charitable donations, it's community - interacting with each other, loving each other, caring for one another. We need that, and God knows that we do - after all, we are created in His image. He is a God of community, and He knows that we need it as well. It's the big thing that was so attractive to people about the early Church - the unity, compassion, sharing - community.

I've never experienced this more tangibly than when I was in Chicago several years ago. As I got off of the bus to walk to my friends' apartment, a homeless man was sitting nearby. As we walked past him, he yelled after us, "Hey! It doesn't cost anything to talk!" Those words have echoed through my mind ever since. It doesn't cost anything to talk. What he was basically saying was - I don't care about your money. What I really need is someone to talk to, someone to validate my existence, someone to sit down next to me and let me know that I'm alive. I'm a human being just like you.

In reality though, it does cost something to talk. It costs ourselves - the most precious thing we can give to someone else.

This morning as I was eating breakfast, I came across Haggai 1:2-11. In this passage, God is talking to the prophet Haggai about why his people are going through difficult times - basically, because they have been letting God take a back seat in their lives, as evidenced by the priorities they were setting.

We can often be guilty of the same thing - just look at our schedules! It's really easy for us to let our worship of God, our study of His Word, times of prayer, etc. fall by the wayside simply as a result of our poor prioritization and over-booked lives.

By keeping things in their proper order - with God first and at the center - we are able to stay focused on Him. When we do that, everything else will fall in its proper place - we'll keep first things first.

Small talk is rampant in the world in which we live. Walk down the halls of any public place, and the most frequently heard conversations are little more than the exchange of surface-level pleasantries. And for good reason. Surface level is safe, comfortable. Besides, we would rather give a speech, climb a mountain, or jump out of a plane than reveal what's truly going on deep inside of us to another person. There are few things in life that evoke more fear and apprehension than being completely transparent with someone else.

And yet, there are few things in life that are more critical.

It's hard to accept that we're broken.  That we're incomplete, wounded, struggling, worried, or hurt. That we've failed, messed up, or blown it. Our culture demands perfection. Admitting the contrary is not only difficult, but it's also risky. And so, we play it safe. We bury it. We hide it. We put on the shell, the facade, the false smile. And we fool people. We're really good at convincing people that everything is ok, even when we're dying inside.

Just like a cancer, our struggles sit deep inside of us. And like with cancer, we have two options when we come face-to-face with them: we can deal with them, or we can pretend that they don't exist.

Confessing what we're dealing with can be the most uncomfortable, counterintuitive thing. But in reality, the worst thing we can do with our struggles is nothing. I know. I did that for a long time. And after a young lifetime of stuffing, burying, ignoring, and not dealing, it brought me to the breaking point. When we feel like we can't talk about what we're going through and allow that shame or embarrassment to constrain us, it only results in isolation.

Dealing with our struggles can be very difficult, very humbling. It requires us to admit that something's wrong, and that our world isn't perfect. Living in denial as to their existence may seem easier initially, but that ease is generally short-lived. Like an ignored tumor, buried struggles will grow. Over time, they occupy more of our lives, our energy, our thoughts, until they consume us.

And our enemy loves it.

I think some of his favorite tools are shame, embarrassment, guilt, remorse, worry, pride, self-sufficiency, and fear. He tries to convince us that we're the only ones that have gone through this, and that if we were to ever tell anyone about it, the humiliation would be unbearable.

And so, instead, we become trapped, paralyzed by the fear that someone should find out. I mean, what would they think of us? How would they react at our brokenness, at our failure, our struggle? We convince ourselves that at best they would walk away from us. At worst, broadcast our humiliation to others.

Despite that risk, it is a very good thing to talk to someone about what we're going through. But that doesn't mean that we need to trust everyone, to be an uncensored book for all to read. Those I'm close to know that I tend to be very open and honest with others about my life, because I know that it can be very beneficial to others so that they can know they're not the only ones struggling with something. Even still, there are precious few people who know most of my story. And only one who knows it all.

It is a rare, precious thing to be able to entrust all of who you are, who you were, and who you hope to be, to the knowledge of another human being. Trust of that depth isn't built overnight. It's built one moment at a time. One conversation at a time.

We all need someone like that in our lives, and it is my prayer that God blesses you with that someone, just as He has me. It is also my prayer that God would enable you to be that person to someone else.

There is a tremendous freedom in being able to be transparent with someone else.

I realized something as I was getting ready this morning.  A lot has been going on in my life lately, and God has been calling me to take steps (and sometimes leaps) of faith in different areas of my life, many times without me being able to see the reason behind His leading or timing.  But as I've done so, He has been blessing me with a deeper trust for Him, deeper faith, and greater willingness and ability to follow His lead without trying to analyze things to death or figure out what He's going to do ahead of time.

This morning I was thinking about some of the things He's led me to do, how He's worked through those things, how I'm able to see His hand at work looking back, and it hit me.  For a moment, I was able to see a much bigger picture, and it left me awestruck, energized, and excited at what God is doing, and at the same time, really humbled.

As I've been taking steps of faith, following His lead, and seeing Him move in really really amazing ways, I've been getting really excited.  Granted, it hasn't always been easy, and in fact, some things have been incredibly difficult.  But seeing Him work through those areas has just been really cool.  At first it was kind of like, "well, ok God, I guess if you want me to do this, I'll trust you" and then reluctantly and fearfully inching up to the line and then stepping off into the pool.  As He has grown my faith, it's gone from stepping off of the side of the pool, to hopping off the low-dive, to jumping off the high-dive, and sometimes, to pole-vaulting off of the side of a cliff.

But every time that I've followed His lead in faith, He has proved Himself faithful, wise, trustworthy, a good Father, gentle, kind, patient, and a whole lot of other things.

"Well duuuuh," you say.  Yeah, I know.  I'm there with you.  But sometimes just because you know something doesn't mean that you know it.  God shouldn't have to prove Himself to us, because He is God and He is all of those things I mentioned and so many more.  But we live in a fallen world, and as a result, things don't always work the way they should.

So anyhow, as I step out in faith, and He blesses that, it's really cool.  It's kinda like when you're a kid and your daddy shows you how to do something, and you try it a few times and mess up a few times, and then you get it right and get so excited about it.  Kinda like that.  God has been showing me how to step out in faith, and I'm finally starting to get it (more often anyhow, I know I don't always get it right :P) and I'm just really loving it.

And then this morning I realize something.  For a moment, I catch a glimpse of something much bigger.  It reminds me of the ending of Miracle on 34th street, where Fred Gailey is all psyched about how he convinced the world that Chris was actually Santa Claus, then walks into the house, sees the cane propped up in the corner, and realizes, "maybe I didn't do such a[n amazing] thing after all."

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad thing to step out in faith when God leads.  In fact, it's critical, and a very good thing, and it's pleasing to God when we do so, because it shows our trust and faith in Him, despite our understanding of the situation (or lack thereof.)  It's not even a bad thing to get excited when God works through our steps, leaps, and pole vaults of faith, and I know that God rejoices with us in those.

The thing that I saw, that I realized, is that, while all of that is true, we need to remember that our faith and obedience don't cause it to happen.  It allows God to work through us to see His Will done.  We are the tools that He uses to do work in His Kingdom.  And while we're able to rejoice at what He does, we need to remember Who it is that's doing the work - while a chisel cuts, it does not plan, create, design, or decide the details about the cut.  All it's supposed to do is to follow the Craftsman's nudges, gestures, and movements so that His masterpiece can be created according to His plans and purposes.  So, we're able to act on faith and trust in the One Who is doing the cutting, able to be left in awe at what He does, but being humble about the fact that while we're being used according to His plans and purposes, we aren't the ones making it happen.

Besides, it takes a whole lot of pressure off knowing that we're not the ones who have to have all this stuff figured out, you know? ;)

And so, with that, I leave you with this.  It is a good thing to rejoice along with God as His plans come to fruition in and through our lives, as we follow His lead, stepping out in faith.  But just as a young Darth Vader learned when facing his Pasaat: we need to remember that when we step out in faith, we aren't the ones that make things happen - Someone else is still holding the keys :)

glimpses,
memories,
thoughts throughout the day,
indelibly etched onto my soul.

where once was fear,
where uncertainty before reigned,
now bravery,
confidence,
hope.

without fully knowing,
without clearly seeing,
but trusting.

trust that fast waters,
or swift winds,
or looming storms,
cannot sweep away.

trust forged,
strengthened,
refined,
in the fires of life -
purified by the stress and strain,
strong,
steady,
true.

Christ our strength,
our rock,
our hope,
our life.