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It’s All About Perspective

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To the spectator’s eye, I’m living the dream. I’m living in what I’m told is the most beautiful part of Germany for half a year, and with living in Europe, comes easy travel to so many other amazing counties. The history is rich, the bread surpasses anything you could ever buy in Canada, the architecture is stunning and delicate, and the cafes are on point.

So why, as I roam through beautiful Vienna, do I ask myself why I feel miserable?

“You’re walking the streets of Vienna, Madi. Get yourself together. Stop grumbling, and remember how spoiled you are right now. Go experience all the world has to offer!”

This shouldn’t have to be a thought of any traveller – at least, that’s what social media fools the everyday person to believe.

(Now, I do wholeheartedly believe that travel can be exciting and life giving, and a fresh perspective of the world can be gained, so this all might just be a personal state of being and irrelevant to the rest of the world).

I don’t ‘tourist’ well, or so I’m learning about myself currently. What’s the point, I ask myself. I walk the streets feeling lonely and homesick for ‘my people’ (travelling with ‘your people’ would drastically alter this narrative). I feel empty and purposeless, even though I get to be in some of the most beautiful cities in Europe over my holiday break. I look at the picture portrayed of each city and wonder what secrets it’s hiding in the darkest corners. There’s so much to learn about history in museums, and I’m grateful to be able to gain a deeper understanding of our past, but I desire to live in today and press into the issues that face our world in the here and now.

Being a tourist in this world, in a metaphorical sense, is not the life we are called to live – it’s not how we’re designed to live. Being a tourist focuses on your own wants and desires, and forgets about the topics that Jesus’ heart was most passionate about. Jesus modelled a life of service, a life of love, a life beyond Himself. He did life with people – and together they had purpose. Our world tells us that fame, fortune, travel, etc. is what will bring happiness, but, based on my own current experience, when I think of the life of Jesus, I really see what He was getting at.

When I reflect on my life and consider when I feel closest to God and connected to this world, it’s hanging out with my family in the kitchen; it’s when I’m with the kids at the weekly after school program; it’s spending time with someone who has reached rock bottom; it’s going out to a favourite local pub and chat about how to solve all the world’s problems; it’s simply journeying through life with my small group girls for the last seven years. And it’s when my heart utterly rips to shreds for the things that break God’s heart – that is when I feel closest to Him.

It’s the day to day. It’s real world living. It’s a life beyond the self.

Maybe all this rambling comes from feeling homesick over the holidays, or maybe it’s just my personality. Or maybe this has been an accumulation of thoughts over the last three months that has some truth behind if. If that’s the case, as 2018 begins, can I challenge you to not be a tourist in this world? Resist the envy that comes from seeing people’s extravagant lives, because so often there’s a story they aren’t telling. Embrace the mess that comes from truly living in this world – that’s often where you’ll experience the most joy.

It’s a matter of doors

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During a recent conversation with a couple of long-time discipleship friends, we asked each other what we have learned along the way and how we have changed what we do with respect to coming alongside another person in guiding them on their journey of faith. It was a great conversation that allowed us to encourage each other, knowing that we all may have many more decades of engaging with others should God give us the strength and health.

With all that we talked about, we agreed on one main theme – we all have recognized in deeper ways the uniqueness of each person’s journey of faith and we have all allowed much more leeway in those we come alongside.

This might seem like an obvious statement, and yet how often do we infer what we are learning and how we learn to other people. We are growing in a certain area and so we assume that others should also be growing in that area. God is prompting us to read the bible in larger chunks so we believe that this is what someone we are meeting with should do.

And yet, God sees us all uniquely. God prompts each of us uniquely. God has an assignment for one person to take on and as such he is moving in their life differently than someone else.

After 30 years of regularly meeting with guys, I am much more likely to be watching for how God is speaking to them personally and doing what I can to pray for and fan into flame the specifics of their life instead of trying to get them to come along with what God is prompting in me.

I am glad to share where God is guiding me and allowing them insight into what I am wrestling with on my own personal journey, trusting that I am modeling for them what this looks like. Yet I need to be in tune with how the Spirit is touching their life and providing whatever guidance and prayer I can for them. It is a lot more fun having a front row seat to someone’s life change than trying to force them into my life change.

Lately, I’ve been using the analogy of a home with many rooms. When we choose to follow Jesus it is an invitation to enter into our home, and he gladly comes in through the front door and is now present. However, our home also has many rooms in it – the finances room, the marriage room, the parenting room, the loving your crazy neighbour room, the sexuality room, etc. Jesus walks around our home and asks for access to these rooms, one by one. He wants to enter each room, rearrange it, move some things out and move some things in.

I believe that God knows the best order in which to enter the rooms, and it looks different for each one of us. The important thing is that I am eagerly listening to his promptings and opening up the door to room as he asks. And, as I come alongside others, to help them discern what rooms God is wanting access to in their life and being there with them as they allow God access into the messiness or barrenness of a specific area of life.

It is my desire that as we come alongside others, we will be listening intently with them for what God is calling them into and then being a friend, guide, mentor, contributor and prayer support for them.

For the kingdom.