Across the country, early November is soon upon us. The time to vote. The time to participate 'community' like at no other time of the year.
I'm sure where you live is similar to what we face here in the Toledo region; a tough economy, mortgage failure, foreclosure increases, families in trouble like never before ... and the list goes on.
All of this, mind you, on top of what has been a steady disintegration of hope and trust within our community emotion regarding most sectors including church and government.
And so, during this time of year as early November approaches and the voting booths fire up, all manner of men and women clamor for our attention; 'elect me' 'I'm the answer' 'I'm the leader you're looking for' ... most of us are tired before we get tired. A particular fatigue comes on us in the daily grind and exposure to the cry for our vote from someone we've never heard of.
Everyone knows, whether we use the exact language or not, that most towns, cities and regions are experiencing on various levels a leadership vacuum. The pull of that vacuum is intense. So intense that it can, and will, pull anyone into it - and I mean anyone.
At no other time in our history is there more impetus and opportunity for a people who live in a country where the statement 'for the people, by the people' can be capitalized on. We seem to have distilled that statement to participation in government ... which it certainly is. But what about the behavior of 'for the people, by the people'?
There is, at least in our town, a serious leadership vacuum at many levels of government. So, you may certainly view yourself as someone who may participate in filling that vacuum with yourself as a candidate or as a voter of a candidate.
But what about you, the behavioral citizen in your neighborhood, community, workplace and family? Where does the behavior of for the people, by the people behave in your spheres of influence apart from government? Is there a tangible responsibility you've discovered for yourself in filling the leadership vacuum around you?
While a belief in being governed by proper leadership from people we respect and honor is critical, a for the people by the people mindset stimulates a certain behavior of ownership.
Here's today's question; Are you the leader that fills the leadership vacuum around you?
Early November will come and go. Perhaps the citizenry will establish in government through this round of elections the kind of leaders we can be proud of and serve. Perhaps the citizenry will elect leaders that will continue taking our communities down the wrong path.
Either way, you and I living in a for the people by the people and as a behavioral citizen will continue to stand ... and filling the vacuum establish for ourselves and on behalf of others the healthy and whole of God
Dan
A Runner
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Time
My last entry entitled 'Speed' ended with this statement:
Whatever you're facing today that can be under the heading of crisis - slow down. There is something in the landscape of your crisis that God sees as vastly more interesting and important than the crisis itself.
Hopefully you're thinking more dynamically about the trouble you may be in or the crisis you may be facing. Hopefully you've not contacted the prayer line to get you out of the crisis, but for God to show Himself strong in the crisis. By now hopefully you've contacted your pastor as an FYI to what God is revealing, rather than sending an SOS signaling to him or her they had better get involved quickly.
Congratulations ... you've begun to 'think God'!
Recently our family took a vacation which included a major theme park. It's one of those places where the park has come up with a convenience called 'fast pass'. When the park is really full, fast pass works very well. With fast pass you basically reserve your place in line for a later time which is usually 60 to 90 minutes later.
This allows you two things; time to go see other attractions and upon your return an immediate jump to the front of the line. Of course fast pass is dependent on two unspoken rules; your familiarity with the park and fairly decent planning on your part. So if you're not that familiar or not a good planner, potentially you could miss your reserved place in line and if you miss it well ... you've missed it.
However, and this is a big however, when the park is not full or busy, as on the day we were there, I overheard interesting revelations. People taking the fast pass option realized after awhile, they didn't really need it. With the average wait time being only 15 minutes, you could actually see more attractions by consistently waiting in line rather than bouncing back and forth from one reservation to the next.
Here's today's point: Time is a fluid concept.
Time behaves like its creator. Not that God is a concept but God is indeed fluid. Like an ever changing river God is constant in that He's always there, but He is never there the same way ... He's never there the same way ... never.
As a matter of note, because we seem to have an endless penchant for the static we end up being the only one in the picture not moving. Too many times we end up looking like the boulder in the middle of God's flow, unmoving and marking time. Like the boulder in the river, the flow of God moves all around us, steadily eroding the outer edges and making us so smooth He seems to flow around us effortlessly.
Here's today's question: 'When you received Jesus as the way to God, did you see your self ending up like the boulder?'
Perhaps the single most schizophrenic part of following God, for me personally, has been in regards to time. I believe in and receive the timeless [the fluid] nature of God and behave in return like the boulder, marking time and looking at my watch.
I know God doesn't wear a watch - I know this. And yet my behavior would suggest otherwise; constantly marking time and looking for a 'fast pass' solution in an effort to reserve my place in line while trotting off to other attractions.
There are bright days for all of us. The best day in my followership of Him is when I'm consumed by Him rather than consuming Him with the marking of time. When instead of flowing around me we flow together. Seamless and invisible is our flow like when a glass of water is poured into a river ... still there but seen no more.
This requires taking the watch off though.
Here may be some things for you to ponder:
Do I believe and receive the timeless [fluid] nature of God?
Do I freely and habitually give to others timeless relationship?
When was the last time I cut myself a break as big as the one God cut for me?
Am I the boulder?
What would happen if I flowed, truly flowed with God?
Now that you're learning to slow down, learn how to take time out of the conversation you're having with God, yourself and with others. We'll be amazed together what the combination of slow and timeless will accomplish.
Dan
A Runner
Whatever you're facing today that can be under the heading of crisis - slow down. There is something in the landscape of your crisis that God sees as vastly more interesting and important than the crisis itself.
Hopefully you're thinking more dynamically about the trouble you may be in or the crisis you may be facing. Hopefully you've not contacted the prayer line to get you out of the crisis, but for God to show Himself strong in the crisis. By now hopefully you've contacted your pastor as an FYI to what God is revealing, rather than sending an SOS signaling to him or her they had better get involved quickly.
Congratulations ... you've begun to 'think God'!
Recently our family took a vacation which included a major theme park. It's one of those places where the park has come up with a convenience called 'fast pass'. When the park is really full, fast pass works very well. With fast pass you basically reserve your place in line for a later time which is usually 60 to 90 minutes later.
This allows you two things; time to go see other attractions and upon your return an immediate jump to the front of the line. Of course fast pass is dependent on two unspoken rules; your familiarity with the park and fairly decent planning on your part. So if you're not that familiar or not a good planner, potentially you could miss your reserved place in line and if you miss it well ... you've missed it.
However, and this is a big however, when the park is not full or busy, as on the day we were there, I overheard interesting revelations. People taking the fast pass option realized after awhile, they didn't really need it. With the average wait time being only 15 minutes, you could actually see more attractions by consistently waiting in line rather than bouncing back and forth from one reservation to the next.
Here's today's point: Time is a fluid concept.
Time behaves like its creator. Not that God is a concept but God is indeed fluid. Like an ever changing river God is constant in that He's always there, but He is never there the same way ... He's never there the same way ... never.
As a matter of note, because we seem to have an endless penchant for the static we end up being the only one in the picture not moving. Too many times we end up looking like the boulder in the middle of God's flow, unmoving and marking time. Like the boulder in the river, the flow of God moves all around us, steadily eroding the outer edges and making us so smooth He seems to flow around us effortlessly.
Here's today's question: 'When you received Jesus as the way to God, did you see your self ending up like the boulder?'
Perhaps the single most schizophrenic part of following God, for me personally, has been in regards to time. I believe in and receive the timeless [the fluid] nature of God and behave in return like the boulder, marking time and looking at my watch.
I know God doesn't wear a watch - I know this. And yet my behavior would suggest otherwise; constantly marking time and looking for a 'fast pass' solution in an effort to reserve my place in line while trotting off to other attractions.
There are bright days for all of us. The best day in my followership of Him is when I'm consumed by Him rather than consuming Him with the marking of time. When instead of flowing around me we flow together. Seamless and invisible is our flow like when a glass of water is poured into a river ... still there but seen no more.
This requires taking the watch off though.
Here may be some things for you to ponder:
Do I believe and receive the timeless [fluid] nature of God?
Do I freely and habitually give to others timeless relationship?
When was the last time I cut myself a break as big as the one God cut for me?
Am I the boulder?
What would happen if I flowed, truly flowed with God?
Now that you're learning to slow down, learn how to take time out of the conversation you're having with God, yourself and with others. We'll be amazed together what the combination of slow and timeless will accomplish.
Dan
A Runner
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