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The Pink
Room: Thoughts About Intentional Living
Chapter 9/
God’s Throne.
Part 3
(Previous post contain the previous chapters.)
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When we
worship the right person (Jesus,) and stay connected, it changes everything. We
see the world through His lens and feel more compassion and care for those
around us. We are put in positions where we can see things differently or be
healed of past hurts. Then life happens and it is all difficult to remember to
stop and plug in to the Great Power Source.
I had an
auto correct error a few days ago, the phone changed “busy-ness” to “busy-mess”
and I paused—it was more accurate in the context of what I was sending, that
rarely happens. My phone tends to correct as it sends so I often send crazy
sounding texts.
We get so
busy that we have a hard time keeping life orderly. Meaning, all the priorities
in the right order…God, family, the body of Christ, caring for others, work,
etc. It seems so simple until life gets busy, and we take our eyes off the
target for a split second. Then the to-do lists are out of control, the
calendar is full and people are flying in and out of frame at mock speeds.
While I
worked as an Art Director, full-time, I kept my Environmental Design job,
part-time--I loved it so much I didn’t want to give it up; it was at a local
college. I would work forty-plus hours at one and fifteen at the other. IF the
Art Director job didn’t require extra time, it would be a fifty-five hour week.
Many weeks It would require at least a few and at worst more than ten. I’m not
sure how it all worked out, if I look back, because I also did some ministry
volunteering, art shows and other things at the same time. I didn’t want to
give those up. I will say that it was not a healthy way to live. There were
days that where planned out to the minute, where everything needed to be done
in a certain order or it would not get done when I promised it.
I loved it
at the college. The Norbertines’ core values are community/hospitality/fellowship
(communio,) action (actio,) service (servio,) and to pray/contemplation/meditation
(contemplatio)—and it was in education. Working for the college, and the
priests, was the first time I had the experience of all of my core values being
represented in the community of workers. I found it fascinating and I felt so
comfortable in that setting, something just clicked in my spirit. The
Norbertines’ summarized it all to this: Docere
Verbo et Exemplo--To Teach by Word and Example. Love. Love. Love.
(The Norbertine tradition calls them to: Pray and reflect communally and
individually, welcoming all to participate; seek peace and reconciliation; and
respond to the needs of our global and local communities.)
Their
values mirror the Great Commission (Mt. 28: 19-20,): make
Jesus-people of all, baptizing them, and teaching them to follow Jesus; and
Jesus also says that He is with us always when we do that.
It
is interesting seeing that ending note: I will be with you always. We glaze
over things like that in the Bible, often acting like they are unrelated
thoughts. But really, when we do coach those toward Him, baptize in His name,
and teach about Him--it makes sense He will be with us and more, ALWAYS with
us.
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If God is
on the throne of my heart, humility is the innate reaction. That's the thing
about a grace-doling savior...when we get the order right it covers up all our
shortcomings. Just like that verse that says love will cover a multitude of sins or shortcomings, or where we miss the mark.
Andy
Stanley says a prayer that goes something like this: Lord, help me see things
the way you do so all of this makes sense. I like that and since I heard it, often
pray it as well.
