BACK TO THE BASICS

O

Okay, our refrigerator "bulletin board"
 is messy, with notes and lists
and more--but it works for our busy lives.

Our family calendar, attached to the side of the refrigerator with monster magnetic clips, has been anticipating 2023 since I bought next year’s calendar at a Dollar Store the end of the summer. (Okay, Dollar-and-a-Quarter Store.) At that time, I mark important birthdays, anniversaries and known medical appointments for the next year. Then I take a deep breath, tuck the new calendar under the current one, tidy up other "must-keep" papers and lists, and wonder what 2023 will bring.

For the most part, I’m fairly organized (like thinking ahead with the family calendar), but life doesn’t always send neatly-tied packages. That’s especially true of a folder on my desk I’ve randomly filled with “good stuff” to reconsider “later.”  Then “later” gets later and later. Recently, in cleaning it out, I found decades-old notes that cited principles expressed by the late Dallas Willard, author of The Spirit of the Disciplines (1988). And I thought, Yes!

In this past decade the world has welcomed the pare-down/simplify messages of folks like organizer guru Marie Kondo. In a sense, Willard did that in choosing significant spiritual goals. In my notes, he emphasized these practices;

1.       Identification—Know who you are. Jesus knew His calling as “the Bread of Life” and “The Way, the Truth and the Life.”  As “Bread,” He offered spiritual nurture, as “the Way,” spiritual direction.

2.       Dedication—Know Who you should please. Jesus said He came to give the Father glory (John 17:4). Alas, we’re prone to focus instead on others’ approval and self-glory.

3.       Prioritization—Know what you should accomplish in life. Our culture pressures us into certain “success” categories. And while we should develop and use our God-given abilities, the ultimate priority is to worship and serve God. Jesus did just that in commencing His ministry by claiming the calling of Isaiah 61:1-2: to tend to the practical and spiritual healing of the world.

4.       Concentration—Aim for the “best” instead of mediocre “good enough.” Luke 9:51 says Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

5.       Meditation—Make a habit of prayer. Remember: Jesus spent nights in prayer. [In recent years, when troubled by insomnia, I’ve learned to “go through the alphabet” in recalling the worship-worthy names and attributes of God.]

6.       Relaxation—Take time to enjoy life. Balance work/ministry and play. Aim for even 10-20-minutes daily, doing something off the to-do list. Withdraw weekly (the “Sabbath”) and annually (“vacation”).

7.       Delegation—Let others help you. Remember, Jesus drew disciples around Himself. Don’t wait for the “perfect” friend or helper. Let God gather burden-bearers and task-helpers to you.

My husband practices #6 (“relaxation”) with televised sports. When I sit down to watch and keep him company, besides noting the score, I endure the “good life” commercials. You know the ones: shiny trucks zipping up rough mountain roads, parties where alcohol flows, or young “hip” adults snapping selfies of each other on their $1,000+ smart phones. He mutes the sounds on those; we both know they aren’t God’s “good life.”

In my very ordinary home and life, I’ll continue trying to organize life’s essentials by culling paper piles and remembering commitments via that $1.25 calendar. But I also know I sometimes need to step back and ask the essentials of Willard’s principles:

*Is my life spiritually balanced?

*Am I purposeful in seeking God through this action?

*Will people, in interacting with me, be able to see past my humanity and get a glimpse of Him?