John and Kathy Deisher

One Call, One Harvest, 50 Teams

life

Enjoy the Moment

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Every man must render an account before God of all the good things he beheld in life and did not enjoy.”

— a saying from the Jerusalem Talmud (Kiddushin)
Every man must render an account before God of all the good things he beheld in life and did not enjoy.” — a saying from the Jerusalem Talmud (Kiddushin)
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

I was at a theme park one time waiting in line for the newest, latest and greatest ride. The line for people getting off passed my line at one point, and I heard someone ask one those getting off the ride how they liked it.

The person replied, “I had the time of my life, and I didn’t enjoy a minute of it.”

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes wrote that there was nothing better for a person than to enjoy what they were doing because that was their reward.

The reward is enjoying what you are doing. The reward is not something that comes after you finish doing something. It is what you are doing that moment.

Each moment gives us a chance to enjoy the good things in front of us. It is a shame if we miss them because we are waiting for something else.

Don’t seize the day. Enjoy the moment.

Live the Situation

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“A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us.”

— Henri J.M. Nouwen
"A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us."

I was reading yesterday and came across two quotes I didn’t care for.

“Embrace the fear.”

“Love the pain.”

They go against everything that is within me. I want to reject the fear and avoid the pain. It is not easier to do that, but it is a preferable price to pay.

Maybe that is why I am not always a patient person. I don’t want to embrace the fear and love the pain enough to see if there is something hidden in the moment where I find myself.

So I must learn to believe. I must stay put and live out my situation fully. I must be patient.

Embracing the pain. Loving the fear.

Finding what is hidden.

Have a Discussion

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The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion.”

— G.K. Chesterton
"The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion."

We have all experienced it.

What seemed like a simple disagreement in our conversation boils over into an argument. We didn’t mean for it to happen.

But the emotion of defending our position takes over and soon we are no longer addressing ideas. We are attacking people.

Chesterton once said that he would never agree to disagree. He valued the relationship with someone so much that he would disagree to agree. He would continue to engage in discussions with someone until each had come to points of agreement with the other.

We will probably never agree with someone on everything. But we can find things where we do agree. And we can have continuing discussions addressing areas of disagreement instead of attacking the person. Our relationships are that important.

So, build relationships. Have a discussion.

Just Start

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It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.”

— J.R.R. Tolkien

Photo by Manasvita S on Unsplash

I have a Word document where I write down ideas for projects I would like to do someday.

It is called “Undated Projects.”

The problem with this list is that I rarely do the things on it. It is not that I really don’t want to do them.

There is a book I want to write. There is some research I want to do. There is a project I would like to build.

But I never seem to get around to doing them.

The reason is fairly simple. They are “Undated Projects.” They have no deadline, no sense of urgency in a day filled with things that have to be finished today.

So, they are never started.

And, unless something changes, they will never be finished.

Look at your list of what you want to accomplish in your life. Put a date on it.

Start it. Finish it.

Companions

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It is easier to find guides, someone to tell you what to do, than someone to be with you in a discerning, prayerful companionship as you work it out yourself. This is what spiritual direction is.”

— Eugene Peterson
Photo by Andrea Tummons on Unsplash

I have said it. So have you.

“I wish someone would just tell me what to do!”

What should I study in college? Should I marry this person? Do I take this job or that job? How do I handle this situation?

Just tell me what to do!

So we look for a book, a speaker, a conference, someone, anyone who can give us an answer.

A guide who knows all, sees all, tells all.

But we should be looking for a friend, a companion. One who will walk with us, listen to us, pray for us. They will ask the hard questions that help us discover that God speaks to us and we can find answers through him.

Life is more frustrating if you keep looking for a guide.

Life is more fulfilling if you find a companion.

Clasp Hands

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To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.”

— Karl Barth
Photo by Igor Rodrigues on Unsplash

In the Theological Roundtable class for our interns, we talked this week about how we think theologically. Part of our time was spent looking at what we do as Christians that comes from tradition, from reason, and from experience.

Why do we pray?

It should be more than just something we do because we are “Christian.”

Or because the Bible talks about prayer.

Or because we know God answers our prayers.

We pray because it is our time to join with God in declaring that the things of this world do not define us. The chaos, the clatter, the distractions, and disruptions do not dictate our actions.

It is a rebellion against the systems of the world.

We stop the noise.

And we pray.

We join together with God as we pour out our heart and find direction in the disorder. 

Join the revelation. Clasp hands. Pray.

Missing the Point

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The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” 

― G.K. Chesterton, What’s Wrong with the World

Photo by Jukan Tateisi on Unsplash

Thomas Jefferson had a Bible. It was a very private book

The reason it was so private was that Jefferson had created a Bible suited for himself. He had taken all of the miracles out of the Gospels and was left with a document showing Jesus as a man of morals.

This leaves you with an easier Christian life. No Virgin Birth to explain. No miracles to deal with. No death and resurrection to mess with your idea of the afterlife.

Just a book of moral teachings offering an easy Christian checklist on what you should do.

Except we don’t do it.

Christ was never meant to be easy. It was never about checklists. It was about things that stretch us, challenge us, frustrate us, capture us, change us, shape us.

It was about “Greater things than this you will do.”  It was meant to be difficult apart from Christ.

So, you cut out what you don’t want.

And miss the point entirely.

Ambitions

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Are you following Christ’s ambitions for your life or expecting Him to help you reach yours?”

― Stephen Davey
Following Christ

Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash

A guy walks up to Jesus on the road.

Sounds like the start of a joke, doesn’t it? But it turned out to be anything but that.

He wanted to follow Jesus. I mean, REALLY follow Jesus. Great credentials. Great background.

We would have signed him up right then to be a deacon or a teacher or small group leader.

Instead, Jesus said he was only lacking one thing.

That’s not bad, right? Only lacking one thing?

Except the one thing was everything. The one thing was everything the young man had sought—money, security, comfort. They were the things that made up his ambition

And when the young man’s ambitions for his life encountered Christ’s ambitions for his life, he couldn’t do it. Achieving his ambitions were more important than following Christ.

Whose ambitions are you following?