Frustrated as Hell…?

It would be way too easy for us to think our current frustration was related to our temporary if longer than imagined) global circumstances. The new limits we are all experiencing are unavoidable. And, we certainly need to honor them for sure if we are to see them come to a conclusion anytime soon. Today, however, I’d like to look a little deeper at our current sense of frustration in life. The word itself literally means in vain.

How many of us are frustrated with The God we don’t believe in whether we are Christian or some other stripe? The longer I live the more I encounter people (myself included) who have significant frustration with their own efforts, the actions of others, or some other frustration about the way things are or are not. I’m prone to sweeping statements so here may be another one of those moments, let the reader beware. Does not our frustration come from thinking life is measured by our efforts or those of others? Do we not then think God should be like us?

God, why the hell don’t you do something about that? God, what the hell were they thinking? God, that’s crazy as hell? We go on and on in our daily lives constantly evaluating the way things or people are and in so doing find ourselves comparing ourselves to others. This can land us in a significantly frustrated life. Michael Casey in his wonderful book Grace: On The Journey To God digs a little deeper into our frustration, I think. He conveys the notion that our comparisons imply at some level that we are better than the one we are critiquing in our judgments of them. We resist this idea saying no I’m just stating a fact. Whose fact? How do you know it’s a fact? Whose standard? Is that not the issue? Is that not what got us in this frustration to begin with in The Garden. We ate from that Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil with the temptation we thought was an invitation (evil is slippery) to be like God. What happened? We were in a state of separation from God and others—hell. And, the longer we live in this way the more our frustration grows. Hell is frustration as our living seems in vain. Only God gives life meaning and so relieves our frustrations. But, then we must ask who is God if God is not the calculating, judgmental, standard bearer that we are?

Could our frustration come from a God we don’t believe in as we functionally believe in our day to day in a god of getting what is deserved? The Christian Bible reveals a very different look at God. The God revealed in Jesus says, I did not come to judge the world but to save it? Is our frustration possibly more rooted in our having our own standards apart from The God who makes his sun to rise on the good and the evil, and send his rain on the just and the unjust?

Maybe our frustration is rooted in bearing the burden of our own standards when God’s are much lower and holier than we ever thought about being with ourselves or others? Are we frustrated as hell because we feel powerless to impose our standards on anybody else (as if we should) and the burden of not living up to our own standards most of the time anyway, but we doggedly try, all the while denying the more gracious way of living that God has made available in our flesh (Jesus) and has poured out on all flesh (Holy Spirit)? Are we frustrated as hell, living largely an impersonal life with others that objectifies by taking about, rather than with and acquiesces for an individualistically minded life while we are breathing until we die a death characterized by the sin that God came to save us from, which we didn’t deserve but were certainly worthy of as those made in His Image?

Maybe, in this time of not being able to do as many things, and not earn as much flattery in doing for others, we could remember how we were created by The Father—generously, how we are all saved through The Son—graciously, and how we are inspired to live with others post crucifixion through The Holy Spirit—generatively. God is not as hard on us as we are with ourselves and each other. I certainly can identify with you if you identify with this. Let us turn together from this strenuous way of living and discover the rest God offers us for our weariness of body, soul and spirit.

Heartbreaking Connection...

There are many things in life that will break our heart.  Most of the time these heartbreaks are defined by things we've lost.  We lose lovers.  We lose status.  We lose friends.  We lose our way in the world as society changes rapidly and relentlessly.  Our hearts break.

I'd like to talk to you about a different heartbreak--a heartbreak that brings connection.  

The older among us know more about this heartbreak than the "young lovers." As we grow older and society sidelines us by ceasing to market their products to us (trying to convince us we will never die) we begin to long for the things of life that really matter: connection.

Connection is hard to come by when we are young. We tend to be focused here on things, attributes, common interests, similar socioeconomic strata and more. The irrelevance that comes with aging in a society that worships youth (how many parents do you know that allow their kids to determine their lives) is almost depressing for those above 50. 

There is a freedom that comes with age, however, when you are no longer a part of the rat race.  The freedom?  Being alone.  When we begin to be alone we begin getting to know ourselves. And when we begin to get to know ourselves we discover the gift of having a self to offer to another.  This is the beginning of living connected with others.  Most of us would rather stay in the rat race of things, being a part of the in crowd societally, consuming (so we have a purpose) -- just to have a sense of belonging -- although it does nothing but strip our gears and add to our stress making us age faster without the living that can come with age.

Be encouraged to let go of the things you cling to so that we might be freed up to received the gift of ourselves and so begin to offer our lives to others.  There's nothing to hide behind as we age--may we receive the gift of years (Check out Joan Chittister's book, The Gift of Years) and begin offering ourselves to one another.

Oh yeah, one more thing, the word alone has roots that mean all + one.  The faster we let go of what society seeks to compulsively addict us to while we are younger, the more we will be able to realize we were never alone to begin with--we were all one--connected.

#lossisthewaytolife

"Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39, NIV
 

Humility

I've come to see I can be fairly prideful at times.  This pride comes across a lot of ways to others.  The most detrimental effect is that it causes me not to be able to see others--to miss them--for them to miss the real me that longs for relationship.  Jesus is fond of saying, let those that have eyes see and hears hear.  I get scared when I cannot see others and believe I am alone.

This evening I took a walk around the city.  It was a reasonably cool night for the first official day after summer.  I sat along the river and watched the water.  I read a little.  It was good to take some time to breathe and do some things I enjoy.  I am very grateful for my work and it can sometimes leave me feeling left out--out of touch with my own needs.  Do you also ever feel left out of your own life?  It's time to enjoy our lives again in relationship with others.

So, I decided to take a walk.  Well, I felt one of those holy nudges from above...within...so I got my nose out of the book and took a walk along the river.  I realized close by were a string of art galleries.  Soon I was meandering in and out of some delightful displays of color and life, of course from a new perspective.  That's what artists do.  Thank God for the artists.  Soon, I was engaged by those around me who noticed me.  Sure I went to them but they reached out to me.  Welcomed me in to what they were doing, creating, seeing.  Life became a little fuller, brighter, better?

Toward the end of my evening I took a walk to another section of the city.  Eventually, I landed on a bench.  Lots of people came through at the nearby crosswalk.  A couple different folks sat down.  One played a game.  One appeared to be figuring out how to get somewhere.  The last person that sat down seemed to be homeless.  She took out a bag of chips.  I started to feel anxious.  Sometimes I feel anxious, like I need to create a relationship out of nothing.  

Maybe nothing is ok.  There was nothing in the beginning and God created everything out of nothing.  Hang on to nothing it will be important in the next paragraph.  This lady took out a bag of chips.  She ate them.  She took out another.  She at those.  I thought about asking her which one she liked better.  Strike up some small talk.  It was too forced.  I decided to let my anxious energy be and just be still on the bench.

The word humility simply means lowly or ground.  There came a moment when my head wasn't up in the clouds thinking about what I was reading--as good as it was.  There came a moment when I wasn't concerned about everybody around us that was looking inquisitively--even as I would.  The moment came when I stood up and realized I stood on the same ground as my unknown friend.  I looked at her.  She looked at me.  We smiled at each other.

Humility, my take on it is, let Nothing come between us and we will see each other and new Life-Giving-Life will happen for all included.