Waiting vs. Discovering

This is not your season of waiting, 
this is your season of discovering who you truly are. 

I came across this line a few days back, while reading 'Nurture' by Lisa Bevere.
My heart said: Write it down. Remember. Snap out of waiting. Go discover.
Because the tendency that I have and hear from others is that waiting is more of an excuse to be unproductive and bored. An pointless phase when you just hit 'cruise' and hope to get through it as fast as possible. But the even bigger problem is that sometimes, the longer we wait, the more we want to stay there, despite the empty drone. Unfortunately, the rut gets comfortable. The wait undoubtedly wins when all we think about is passing the time - and the slower and more defeating it becomes.

But whether we choose it or not, waiting is a fact of life. From test results to due dates, red lights to long lines. I could go on, but I think Dr. Suess says it best (from 'Oh The Places You'll Go!).

The Waiting Place…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or a No or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for
Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO! That’s not for you! Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.

I have a confession. Although it's embarrassing to admit, this is often me.
Leave it to Dr. Suess to expose the true silliness of my human nature. Waiting, waiting, waiting. I just want to reach into that cartoon illustration and shake people from their trance... Wake up!

But going back to Lisa's quote, I realize how often I gravitate to becoming stagnant in times of waiting rather than seizing opportunities in the present. The devil tries really hard into tricking us into the idea that the 'waiting times' are a chance to shift into neutral. Because when he does it, he wins. I think one of the devil's greatest feats is convincing us that we can't be productive while we wait. Therefore, he keeps us locked in this helpless standstill, allowing the days to pass while we 'wait' for change that might never come.

In Ephesians, Paul calls this a cop out:
Make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). If it's alright with you, I am going to go ahead and add on that we need to make the most of no opportunities too. Because, although it may be harder to see at first, no opportunities could offer more possibilities than that one door we wish would just open.

Here's how this all relates to me: it's in my season of singleness. Honestly, it would be much easier to sit around and sulk (and believe me, I've done it). Standing along the sidelines, watching the couples gather two by two, and wonder why my knight in shining armour hasn't shown up yet.
In doing this, however, I am unknowingly turning the wait into a far more gruelling time than it is. It also hinders my confidence with the Lord's plans and interferes with my trust in Him (another win for Satan). If I could just get off the bench and take part in the action of the game - seizing opportunities, stretching my boundaries, and experiencing so many wondrous new opportunities that come my way, I would no longer have time to feel sorry for myself. I may even feel, dare I say, fortunate to grow in these unique ways while I can... Imagine that!
And by the grace of God, I'm beginning to open myself up to this idea. Gradually peeling off the layers of remorse and pity, and scanning the horizon for new delights that my heart didn't even know I had. Truly, these single days are a gift and a joy. How many opportunities I've missed over the years while I 'waited'. With the Lord's redemption, I hope to compensate for some of those lost years while I still have the chance!

So whether we're single, or married, or have a little one on the way, or have a full minivan of family, may we all break out of the trap of the wait. May we find the 'bright places' and 'boom bands' that Dr. Suess writes about. They may not have the shimmer that we expect at first, but oh may we stay confident that the discoveries we make in our waiting are far more glorious than another hour of watching the clock.
Yes! Let's discover! And while we're at it, stumble upon a little bit more of who He is, renewing our hope and faith in the Creator of time, who is working all things to work together for our good.

All that glitters.

We live in a shimmery, sparkly world.
Every time I come back to North America, I am always enthralled with the new. Flashy screens and glossy magazine pages all around advertise the most current technologies, car models, fashions, music, hot spots and food. It never ceases to turn my head.
12 days ago I arrived back in Canada, and every since I've been captivated by the latest and greatest. Coconut mocha frappucinos, magnetic nail polish (?!?!), luxurious lotions and perfumes, glowing city skylines, racks full of purses, shoes and sunglasses, chrome wheels, rainbow-coloured flowers blooming in cashier lines, touch screens, and the list just keeps on going.

As if that wasn't enough, I went to Texas. Chelsea, my dear friend and neighbour from Haiti invited me to visit, and thus began another blur of bigger and better. We rode around in her sweet SUV with the country twang cranked, and all the while I snapped pictures of glassy skyscrapers, perfectly iced cupcakes, rooftop music parties, and neon light signs, not to mention all of the cowboy hats and boots.

Upon my arrival in Dallas on Tuesday night, I had the privilege to attend 'The Porch', which is a thriving young adult ministry at Watermark Community Church. Standing among the hundreds of others in attendance in the massive sanctuary we were led in worship by the band, singing...
'Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades, 
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame'


Such a familiar song, but oh how the words struck me. I realized in that moment how nothing has, can, or ever will compare with the majesty and glory of our King. Ever since I left Haiti, I've been in a constant state of awe and excitement. Wide-eyed and heart beating fast for what I get to experience in these days. It's all so good, but reflecting on those lyrics, I realize how easy it is for me to get wrapped up in relationships, new products, or travels that seek to claim to fulfillment of my life here on earth. I fall for those empty promises daily. And yet the truth still remains that our God is far beyond anything that may try to distract us. As the lyrics state, His light keeps on shining higher and brighter, and His glory reaches far beyond the glitter and glamour of our 21st century.

With more weeks ahead of me, I embrace all that this summer has to offer. Aisle by aisle, road by road, destination by destination. I feel blessed to experience the sights and sounds of this beautiful nation. But I also pray to be reminded of the expiration of all these things tangible. How nothing can truly satisfy my soul but the love and goodness of my Saviour. Above all, may I live to make His glory known.

'And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise,

From the inside out, Lord my soul cries out'

Graduation.

All over facebook this week, I've scrolled through pictures of diplomas, prom dresses, caps and gowns. As the boys and I finished up our last days together with concerts, pool time, and a piñata smack down with the Johnson kids, vacation time is clearly in the air!
Among the celebrations this week, my precious cousin, Julia graduated from grade 8 along with her peers - many of whom were in the same kindergarten class where I had the privilege to do my grade 12 coop placement. Seeing photos of the class all grown up, and Julia as such a beautiful young lady, how I yearned to be there to cheer her and all the others on.

... It's funny how the Lord ordains moments across our paths even when we doubt His timing. They may not always be what we hope for at first, but His joy is unmistakable.

And so it was this morning, when I got to watch 102 high school graduates cross the stage at the School of Hope's commencement ceremony. It was just another picture of the Lord's handiwork bringing hope and promise into the lives of our Haitian community as many of the audience's sons, daughters, sisters and brothers graduated for the first time in their family. The joy on the faces of the young men and women, all decked out in their caps and gowns was priceless. You couldn't have fit any more pride and potential in that open-air sanctuary if you tried!

It may not have been a sentimental, small-town, Winger school graduation, but sitting alongside my dear friends on the front-row bench and celebrating the hope of education in Haiti was a pretty good trade off.

Thank you Lord for never ceasing to shine joy in the most marvellous of ways.

PS - To all of the graduates of 2012... Congratulations! In the words of Met Soufrann, the School of Hope principal, may the Lord take you farther and higher!

Brave.

I admit, I have no idea what movie or character this article is referring to. I also admit that this is probably not the best preface for what I've included below. I'm sharing it anyways though, because after giving it a read myself, I felt so wonderfully compelled and challenged. I hope it inspires and taps into something new in you like it did for me. To change and be changed - that's our choice every day, but sometimes I forget, and this was my reminder tonight.




Don’t Settle for Being Brave

BY LINDSAY KERNS
JUNE 22, 2012

Lindsay Kerns lives in Los Angeles and works at Funny or Die. She likes horses, movies, and especially movies with horses in them.

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Life lessons from Pixar's first leading lady.

Full disclosure: I want to be Brave. I don’t want to be brave, but I want to be Brave—I want to be that Scottish girl with the crazy red hair, the black horse, the sweet archery trick shots. Google tells me her name is Merida. I prefer to call her Brave.

And I don’t think I’m alone in this. I live in Los Angeles, where billboards for Brave tower over me everywhere I go, and I have yet to hear a single friend say they’re not excited about this movie. And when they say they’re excited, what they really mean is, “Let’s get serious and just bring the whole Kleenex box, because you know this is gonna be a claaassssssic Pixar cry-fest.” A cry-fest in the best sense. All of us—from average “I love The Expendables” dudes to highbrow “Wes Anderson is just too mainstream now” film snobs—all of us recognize there’s something special about this movie, even if we don’t yet know exactly what it is.

Part of the appeal may be the girl hero. At least, it is for me—and not just because I’m a grown-up girl myself. Many film critics and culture watchdogs have already written at length about the number of Pixar firsts in this movie—first female protagonist, first princess, first fairy tale—so rather than blather on about the socio-political importance of a proactive princess in the Hollywoodland of passive Bella Swanns and Anastasia Steeles, I’d rather just focus on the appeal of Brave—okay, okay, Merida—as a character, just a person on a journey. Granted, her femininity is significant, since—according to the trailer, at least—her journey has something to do with her spirited defiance of traditional gender roles.

But her age may be a more crucial element in her characterization. She stands at the threshold of adulthood and, with it, all the expectations of domesticity and “settling down.” She doesn’t want to be married; there doesn’t seem to be a romantic interest. (Quite the opposite of Disney’s princesses past, and perhaps quite different than what many of us young evangelical women have been taught in Sunday school.) She represents a true hero, something to aspire to—not just for young girls, but for grown men and women.

SHE ENDURES ORDEALS AND TESTS, IS PURIFIED BY SACRIFICE AND RETURNS HOME WITH THE POWER TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD JUST AS SHE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED.

The word “hero” gets tossed around frequently. People in Hollywood, and likely the Pixar folks up in Emeryville, Calif., tend to define it in mythologist Joseph Campbell’s terms: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” (For those of us who did not study the classics or literature in college, we may be familiar with Campbell as “that one guy who is constantly referenced in the DVD extras of Star Wars.”) Campbell analyzed world myths and broke down their key beats into something popularly known as “the hero’s journey,” outlined in his famous book Hero With a Thousand Faces. As a Christian, there are many aspects of Campbell’s universalist philosophy with which I disagree, yet in it there are as many brilliant insights that ring true. In Campbellian terms, a hero is not defined by her state of being. A hero is defined by what she does. She hears a call to adventure. She resists the call at first but then meets someone or is put into a situation that changes her mind. She crosses a threshold into a new world full of terror, excitement, allies, enemies and tricksters. She endures ordeals and tests, is purified by sacrifice and returns home with the power to transform the world just as she has been transformed.

The trailer for Brave succinctly summarizes the Campbellian call to adventure: “If you had the power to change your fate—would you?” It’s an intriguing question, and rather than engaging in an esoteric debate about predestination versus free will, for which I am hardly qualified and for which this is hardly the forum, I’d rather focus on its idea of change. According to Campbell, a hero is not defined by her state of being but rather by the change in her state of being. And the hero’s journey is not about character growth. It is not about being a better person. It is about complete and total transformation. You see, no one goes to the movies to watch someone undergo a few stressful situations and change a little bit as a result. We go to witness revolution. Rebirth. Resurrection.

Thus, a good story—and arguably a good life—isn’t about being brave. It is about doing brave. Living brave. Making a choice. Crossing the threshold. It’s not about waiting in a tower for your prince to come and whisk you off to a Cinderella castle. It’s about going on a journey, facing your deepest fears and surrendering yourself to the possibility that in attempting to change your fate, you will inevitably be changed. And perhaps also discovering, along the way, that sometimes coming home can be as brave a quest as going out into the world.

So let’s not settle for being brave. Let us instead aspire to do brave things. Let us live boldly. Let us transform the world as we have been transformed. Heady words, but grounded aspiration for young girls as much as it is for old men. While I have not yet seen Brave, I suspect this idea is the spine on which its story bends.

As for so-called fate, well, I don’t know. But if “fate” should decide to bestow me with a fast horse, curly red hair and mad archery skills ... I’ll take it
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Zumba!

Ever since the Zumba fad started, I've been dying to try it out. Many of my Canadian friends attend regularly, and I've made an effort to join them on occasion, but it never seemed to work with my summer schedule.
Tonight though, Zumba came to me.
This week, there just so happens to be an instructor here, who made it his personal mission to offer Zumba sessions after dinner. So tonight, on the cement loading deck of the new warehouse, I got to break it down with 67 other staff, interns, hope house kids, and guests. It was by far the largest, hippest and most hilarious workout I've ever had. After the cool-down song ended, the entire crowd cried out an encore. And dance we did.
So with the sun setting over the mountains to my left, and Bailey, Katie, Elizabeth, Kelci, Kelly, Georgie, and KaraLynn, among the many others grooving to my right, my heart did more than just speed its beats per minute, it swelled with sheer joy.