What You Get by Achieving your Goals is Not as Important as WHAT YOU BECOME by Achieving Your Goals # 2
I woke this morning with these thoughts going through my head. (Please note here that as a follower of Jesus my faith and spirituality is very much based in who He is and His teachings. I do not apologise for this. Neither do I wish to offend others who believe differently)
My ponderings….. As I shared yesterday, I have a very real concern - even fear - that we will move on from this Convid-19 experience too fast and, while we talk of all of the wonderful learnings we’ve had during this time of lockdown, they will not impact who we become because we will not action what needs to be actioned.
What if …… As Churches we moved our focus from our “temple” model of meeting in rows looking at the backs of peoples head, to the “table” way of being where we are in smaller groups gathered around buidling authentic relationships. What if, like Jesus modelled, our focus was on gathering around food and meals - picnics on the hillside, bbq’s on the beach, sharing meals in each other’s homes, sitting around the table yakking - building authentic relationships. What if????
What if…. we took seriously the care of this beautiful creation we have been gifted and instructed to care for by building on the reduction in emissions that has occurred globally during this time? How can we use our cars less? Buy less “stuff” that will eventually end up in the tip? Become more aware of “things” that damage our environment and cannot be recycled or decomposed? What action will each one of us take?
What if…. we take on the call of our Prime Minister - Jacinda Arden - to Be Kind. We are created to be kind. We feel so much better in ourselves when we are kind. But there is always that sabotaging voice within each one of us that calls us toward our own self-centredness / our own “rights”? What would kindness look like in your world today? What is one practise of kindness you can instigate into your life - your becoming? I want to build on intentionally making more time for people.
What if…. we take ‘the Sabbath’ more seriously. And by this I mean adhering to the spiritual principle of taking a day off per week. I mean a true day off. Not a day away from work just to rush around and doing other work. Our bodies are designed to need to stop at time. We all need regular times of silence, stillness and solitude. Only in this way - and as we connect with our Creator - can we be re-created so we can fully function the way we were created to be. How can we take back the control of our lives and what we fill it with to reduce the rushing syndrome we have come to think is an important way of being? We are so blessed to live in New Zealand where we can take time for stillness, solitude and silence in our beautiful environment. Nothing is as healing and restoring as the beauty of our creation. I hope in our becoming we can connect more deeply with it and its / our Creator.
What if….. I will let you ponder further. Let us know what you are thinking at this time of “re-entry” back into the world of being…..