The other day I did a reading of my book for a dynamic group of men and women (I will share more about that at a later time). At the reading someone asked me if I was single, I paused answered yes...it's my Achilles heal question, because I asked myself everyday in the process of writing my book, "who the hell am I to write a book on love?" -but in powerful moments of faith I kept trudging along...and through the completion of the book, and feedback/reception from others, I have come to see being single as less of a lack of experience and more a testament to a truth of life, love and prayer.
Today, I was watching a Facebook post of a friend. -she had posted a video of a man sharing about a recent experience at a restaurant. He placed his order, all the people at his table were brought their food, even a table next to his with a group who came in after him, were all served before him. In a space of frustration he asked the server why he had still not been served, the server replied, your order was complex and took longer for the cook to prepare.
In that moment he had an epiphany, he realized that the greatest prayers of life are answered at a rate that is in direct correlation to the complexity of the request.
In a tangible illustration, take a young Barack Obama, let's say he prays for an Ivy League educated woman, who loves hip-hop, is strong in her core beliefs, oh and in the future, when she is 48, she will be on the Ellen Show doing push-ups like its a piece of cake....you see in metaphorical terms his prayer is a "complicated order" thus, not surprising they were well into their 30s when they married.
So whether, it's marital status, job status, physical status, or whatever the prayer, know that often times the time required for response is in direct proportion to the complexity of the request.
Now, more often than not, I sit in a place of contentment, in faith (not conceit) that the prayers upon my heart have not falling on deaf ears, but on the ears of a Cook who needs a little more time to fulfill the order of my request.
June
We have had one of the most peculiar starts to summer here in Chicago I have ever seen. Many days have felt more like San Francisco, than a great city in the Midwest. Temperatures in the mid-to-low sixties have made jackets a friend, and a sweater an ally. Beyond making me grateful for warmer days of yesteryear, what this unseasonably mild weather has also done is reminded me of the power of faith.
I was sharing with my small group at church about how the weather, while milder than what I would like it to be has not discouraged me from my hopes and plans for the summer, because I have experienced June before, and I know that these blimps of cold weather will soon be followed by warmer, more seasonable temps.
How do I know? -Because I have seen the promise of Mother Nature in the past. This is not my first time experiencing colder temperatures in the summer, or having to put on a jacket in June because of unseasonably cold weather. I know that this is just a passing state, and the promise of better weather is sure to follow.
Similarly, my faith in all situations can be learn much from my faith in the weather. Like this past June, we all experience “blimps” in our own metaphorical weather patterns, but just as sure as warmer days are promised to come, so too are better days yet to come if we use the promises kept of the past to sustain us in the present.
I recently read that, “victory is won through patience.” I love that, just because it is sixty degrees one day in June does not mean I need to pack my bags because days of relaxing at the beach are not to come. No, rather, I sit patiently prepare myself (and my calendar) for time and space for when the opportunity arise where the temperature is closer to eighty and shorts, sunglasses, and warmth by the beach presents itself.
I pray all that read this consider their own “June season” knowing that on the other side of this unseasonably cold weather, is the promise of warmer days if we have the spirit to endure, and the faith to sustain us in the meantime.
The Season of Summer
This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love this season where the daylight last longer, the days are warm, and nights greet us in ways that can only be experienced in the summer. For me, this time is a mark in a change of seasons (literally and metaphorically speaking). In my book, I spoke about how I spent my first summer in Chicago working, and working, and working. I said yes to everything and in doing so, relinquished the power of my no.
A friend of mine who just finished up his Masters degree called the time he was studying in school as a “season of sacrifice.” I agree, I have been in that season before. The season of sacrifice is that time where we work; knowing that the deeds we are planting will yield strong fruit in the future. Well if I may take some liberties I would offer there are some other seasons beyond sacrifice…there are two other seasons that come to mind for me, there is the season of harvest and the season of play.
I have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time on earth, and while I am proud of what I have done, it has not come without its cost. Days playing at the beach, catching up on trivial pieces of pop culture, and spending days filled with unplanned activities are long-lost friends that I need to reintroduce myself to. Some call this mix of work and play balance; I like to refer to it as the conscious exercise of making sure I stay on target with my purpose, by engaging in play when necessary to maintain my passion.
We all are invited to see what season we are entering into. As I write this blog, there is someone else who has spent long days of play, and feels restless knowing that the power of their potential has not been met. For that individual the season is different, it might be time to put down that US Weekly, or that margarita by the beach and pick up a book, a job application, or a pair of running shoes to make a lifestyle change. For me, I have found the perfect indicator of when it is time for my season to change, its called jealousy.
Whenever I am jealous of the circumstances of someone else, I know my season needs to change. I would go on social media and see friends having such fun, or strangers running along the beach as I drove home from work, both sights would make me enraged, I would ask myself, “ how do they get to have so much fun when I am having to sit and do this, or do that” - at the time I was agitated, now I am grateful. That jealousy was life giving me the greatest indicator that I was living in a season I no longer should be in. I was complaining not because of mandated responsibilities of my job, but because of volunteer experiences that I had signed myself up for. We all have seasons, and if you find yourself like me, and jealous of the position of someone else, don’t sit and stew in that energy, allow it to be the necessary fuel to find the courage to do something new.
I am pretty confident there are no gold stars coming my way in the months ahead. I work in a field where there are numerous leadership opportunities, and I have served in several, but this is not the season for that. I recognize as time goes on, I will not be the key figure at the table of many different areas that I hold interest in, and that’s ok. – its not my season.
Just as winter comes after fall, spring after winter, so too will come another season where sacrifice and work will be part of my life’s call, but for now, I sit…I take in my own season of summer, I begin the daunting process of untangling my worth from a laundry list of accomplishments. I sit. I grab a book, a margarita (perhaps two) and allow myself to bask in the season that is before me now.