Off to a good start

How do you start each and every day? Do you crawl out of bed and head to the shower? Do you throw some clothes on and run to class? Do you look for the nearest source of caffeine? Do you check your email, grab your cell phone, or plug in the Ipod?

I'm not a morning person. My clock radio goes off and I hear the news, and then I drag myself out of bed and go through the motions of getting ready for the day (and getting my kids ready as well). Lots of people fall into this same category. If someone is cranky, then we might ask if they got up on the wrong side of the bed. And that led me to thinking, what is the best way to start our day?

I know that most college students are not morning people either. There is actual physiological evidence that shows bodies of that age range do not function as well as a little later in the morning. It is important how we begin our days - especially on those days we dread.

We know as Christians that we are called to be a thankful people. In all things, we are to give thanks. Not only should we give thanks, we should also ask for blessings for others - especially those with whom we do not get along, who might even be our enemy. If we begin our days with a thankful heart, and by asking for blessings for other - that will set the tone for the rest of the day. It might be even a little easier to roll out of the bed and face the day.

For the next week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes when you first awake and think about thanks and blessings. Find 5 things for which you are thankful, and thank God for them. Then find 5 people who need a blessing (whether you personally know them or not), and ask God to bless them. This won't take very long each morning, but it will help ensure that we get up on the right side of the bed and that our first footsteps are in the path Jesus set before us.

Loving the Stranger

This morning I attended the District UM ministers' meeting. We always worship at these meetings with a service and communion (also called eucharist). One of our local pastors always preaches. Our preacher this morning was a woman I have known for many years - she is a very dynamic black woman who moved here the same time I did for her new church. Shirley is a great leader, and a person of great vision. She grew up in South Carolina, on a farm with 10 brothers and sisters. She witnessed poverty and injustice from an early age. Justice and compassion have been at the heart of who she is as a person and as a minister.

Shirley spent many years of her adult life living in New York City. Strangers are everywhere in new lands - whether it is NYC or Greensboro. She always knew that no matter where God called her, she was called to love the stranger. She was called to fight for justice for the stranger and to offer compassion.

When we make those life changes, whether it's a physical move or a new phase in life, it's easy to feel alone at times. Loneliness and isolation can surround us, even in the midst of a crowd. Yet, Jesus has given a specific command to us - love the stranger, love the enemy. For in Christ, there really is no stranger - we are all children of God and sisters and brothers.

I encourage you in this coming week to take time to get to know someone who is a "stranger." Pray for that person. If they are in need of justice or compassion, find some way to be active in that regard. It is when we befriend the stranger, that we are no longer a stranger ourselves.

Finally - Winter!

Some of you have heard my bemoaning of the unseasonably warm temperatures we have experienced this winter thus far. I am quite hopeful that tomorrow will end my 2 year snow drought. We didn't get a lot of snow in Asheville (where I lived most my life), but it was enough to go sledding several times a year and have some good snow ball fights. It was enough that we were ready for the crocus blooms and warmer temperatures when they came.

I have found that when we have all four seasons - when we truly delve into the best and worst of the weather elements - I am more ready for the next season. I can appreciate spring flowers, warmer temperatures, and more time spent outdoors after a lot of cold wind, snow showers and many layers of clothing.

It's the same way with the Christian walk. Before we can experience the true joy of Easter, we journey the path of suffering and crucifixion. The scripture tells us that whatever happens to us can be turned to good for those who love God. We all go through really difficult times in our lives, but we have the assurance that God will walk with us and even carry us through those times. No matter what happens - God can turn it to good. And after we have been through the difficult, cold and cloudy times, we can better appreciate the springtime that always comes.

January 10, 2007 Devotion

I've been having a hard time getting my brain back in working gear this week. I suspect that many of you are dealing with the same thing - it seems like we should still be on holiday, whereas we have quickly found ourselves back in the thick of things with school, work, and social lives.

Taking a holiday for the busy-ness of our lives is important, but there is also a real value in getting back into a good routine. That's true not only for the main business of our lives - school, job, etc. - but also true for our Christian walk. It's good to get back into a good routine.

And so what is the good routine for our Christian life? Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster write in The Godbearing Life that there is a cycle of the Christian life. This cycle is -

Communion (being with other Christians)
Compassion (reaching out to others)
Teaching & Nurture (learning about God)
Witness (sharing God's love)
Dehabituation (taking retreats from the everyday)
Worship

Too often we think the Christian walk is linear - that we put one foot in front of the other and then end up at a final destination. In truth, the Way is not linear, but cyclical. We are part of a circle of life (picture The Lion King!) I encourage you this week to become part of that circle - print out or write down these 6 cycles of our walk. Each day, think of one way you can let these areas impact your life. Each thing can only take a few minutes, or you might take longer, depending upon your schedule. Getting back into a good routine will help each one of us grow and enjoy the journey so much more!