The Blog of Blah

The fall is upon us and in talking with a lot of people this past month I’ve clearly seen the trend that very few people are excited about the prospects of moving into the fall season. There is a general malaise about school starting, the normal hype for fall sports is nearly nonexistent, we are tired of wearing masks, we literally do not know who to believe, or who’s “science" is accurate, and there is worry about a potential spike and resulting shutdowns. We have the political circus and the painful ads that are in front of us for the next 60 days or so. There is heartbreaking social and racial unrest. In all, very few people have an optimistic outlook heading into these fall months.

As if that weren’t bad enough, Wawa had the audacity to introduce pumpkin spice coffee in mid-August! Not sure what their thinking was. And I still can’t walk into a Chic-Fil-A to order and sit down... gut wrenching.

After writing that last paragraph, I think I need a hug.

In the midst of our malaise we need some truths to hang our hats on. I offer a few, in no particular order.

1. God is good. That’s true… all the time! He is still on the throne, there is no sweat on his upper lip, and he is not surprised by any of this. He works all things together for good. Don’t ever let Romans 8:28 become trite, it is a truth that we need to refer to often.

2. I am not the center of the universe. Our default mode is to think that it’s all about us, it’s not. Personally, I desperately want my normal back. But, the bigger picture is that it’s always about God‘s purpose and design which is often a mysterious, confusing, but beautiful tapestry that he’s weaving. He keeps reminding me “get over thyself.”

3. Laughter is good for the soul. I think of the Proverbs 31 woman who can “laugh at the days to come.” She can do so only when her eyes are fixed on the Lord. The same is true for you and me. But I believe with all my heart he does want us laughing! Find the funny in the everyday, do things that bless you and others, go for walks, play with the dog, banish the cat, turn off the news feed, do what it takes to find joy! We have had months of serious and somber, too much of that will overwhelm us. Lighten up. Please call me with any good jokes.

4. Be thankful... Josh mentions that in his last blog. A grateful heart is indeed a sort of medicine for the soul. We have much to be thankful for, learn to dwell on those things. Apart from being pleasing to God, it truly does bless us! An additional bonus is that it makes us enjoyable to be around. It’s a win, win, win.

5. Exercise your heart and soul. I didn’t want to say read your Bible or pray... but there it is :) Spiritual discipline always helps us out of the blah, we discover new nuances of ancient truths, we are refreshed in unexpected and unexplainable ways. God’s word is amazing.

6. Social distance. I’m using that term because I’m woke. I’m also learning to despise that term. It’s sort of the polar opposite of the body life we find in scripture. I’m hugging a lot. I love seeing people and talking and laughing. I’m advocating you social distance from fear and perpetual blah. Don’t accept it. Live above it. Love like our Master would, unafraid to touch the leper or sit with the dirty and downtrodden. Life is simply too short.

7. Be patient with everyone. Some people will disagree with point #6. That’s ok. I will do my part to love you whether you agree with me or not and be patient. At least I’ll try!

8. Send treats to the church office. You will be blessed for doing so.