As many Friday mornings as possible, I find myself looking down the greenbelt trail (see picture above). It’s a common country scene, but, for me, it’s different.
You see, life has not always been what I thought, nor has is been easy. This statement, once again, isn’t seeking sympathy, nor is it seeking recognition. Triumphs and tragedies often define life. There are certainly seasons of gentleness and calm, but there are other seasons of disruptions and disappointments…as I alluded to in the last post HERE. In any case, if you’re living, spending time with others, then you’re going to face situations that are outside of your control and not within your reach nor authority to change or alter. This could be relationships at work, relationships at home, with your friends…even while driving to and from places. Anyone still find yourself getting annoyed by a red light :)?
And so, if we’re not careful, life can make us bitter, apathetic/indifferent, or accommodating.
- Bitter…we resent the station we find ourselves in, and become toxic first in thought, then speech, and then actions. This is the person that you can’t talk to without hearing something negative, cutting, or condescending.
- They are just mad at life.
- The person characterized by this disposition may be missed for the moment, but is soon forgotten and his life needs an explanation.
- Apathetic/indifferent…we stop caring about things and even people. This is the person that has faced life’s hurts by dismissing them. They don’t go deep with people, because they might hurt them, and so they drift and dodge.
- They are dodgers and drifters to avoid pain and to maintain control.
- The person characterized by this disposition is often missed, but there’s not much to say about them, because they kept their relationships at the surface–weather, family, and news preoccupied their conversations.
- Accommodating…we place too much emphasis on and care too much about ourselves and our own world. This is the person that finds themselves primarily focusing on building a cabinet full of curiosities that they’ve gathered throughout the years that include, but are not limited to sea shells collected by the seashore, fascinating colloquial items found on the impulse racks of the downtown stores in their favorite little quaint towns, and other odds and ends that define their life and the wonderful memories they’ve made.
- They just love life and the material things therein too much.
- The person characterized by this disposition is sorely missed, often discussed, but has not stored up treasures in heaven, because they were too busy enjoying life on earth.
What’s the way forward?
- Find your greenbelt trail. It doesn’t have to be anything special. But, try your best to make it a place where the things around you are God-made not man-made.
- Once you’ve found your greenbelt trail (of sorts), schedule a weekly time there. When I worked in Las Colinas, I would go at lunch times to an area that had more trees than buildings. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked for that season.
- Now that you’ve found your spot, you’re trying your best to get there once a week, invest the time seeking God in prayer. Thank Him for your life, your lot, and your latitudes (spheres of influence). Think about practical things, about family things, about spiritual things, about any things. Bring it all back to God in prayer. Double it up with a run or a walk to engage your body with physical exercise.
- The potential result?
- Your bitterness that has crept in is addressed. What was once a complaint is now a “thank you”.
- Your apathy and indifference are realized. What was once surface-level relationships are now intentional and of substance.
- Your accommodating to life is nipped in the bud. What was once a life built around you is now a life built around building up the kingdom of God and investing in that which neither moth nor rust can destroy.
- If you’re breathing, then there’s hope for a full and God-honoring life!
What happens when we get away to a greenbelt-type trail? The unexpected.
As I was rounding the half-way mark on my greenbelt time this morning, I was blessed with a view of the picture below. It’s not everyday that I see something quite this special. I was blessed. I thought about the many people who have seen a scene like this, and I felt a part of something mysterious–a part of a people who recognize a God who is there and who loves me!
“Now when day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place…”
Luke 4:42a
— October 30, 2020