Russellings of the Spirit

Has this conversation ever happened in your home?

HONEY #1: “Honey? Have you seen the ______? I could have sworn I saw it here in this cabinet the last time I used it.”

HONEY #2: “Oh! Yes! I moved it over to that other cabinet last week. It seemed like a better place for it.”

HONEY #1: (… forcefully biting back a snarky comment). “Ah! That explains it! Thanks.”

This exact dialogue happens fairly frequently here at Chez Brown with yours truly playing the part of Honey #1. And since we have only been in this particular house just shy of 17 months now, we are still truly in the experimental phase of “where stuff goes.” 

When this event happens, I almost always start to register a complaint about the thing getting moved. But I always stop short, because darn it, she’s RIGHT! That new place IS a better place to keep the thing. When I really stop and think about it, it was kind of silly that we had it in Place #1 at all. 

And then, if I stop and think about it a moment longer, I realize I have a problem. 

My problem is: I LOVE pattern and predictability. In truth, I am absolutely head-over-heels enamored with the status quo… to the point that I am regularly on the verge of penning sonnets of desire to “the way things have always been.” The other day, in fact, Joan had to forcibly stop me from taking out my pocketknife and carving “RB + HOMEOSTASIS” on the trunk of the big pine tree in our yard.

I know I am not alone in my infatuation with solid, predictable unchangingness. Every day I meet scores of fellow travelers who spend sizable portions of their day standing and impotently shaking their fists at flexibility, flux, and fluidity. 

But just because there are legions of us lovable Luddites, it doesn’t mean we are right. I call this not-at-all-thinly disguised love affair a problem because it is absolutely at odds with the nature of the God of the Universe. 

I like to think of myself as a follower of Creator YAWEH. To ensure that is actually true though, I have to figure out a way to get on board with the fact that this God is a moving, shaking, dynamic God, constantly in the business of building up, breaking down, renewing, and reforming. 

Always has been… always will be.

The world this God created was designed to be a moving, tumbling, shifting salad of variety. I am pretty sure, in fact, human beings endowed with free will would not have made it off the drawing board if God were not a big fan of unexpected curve balls. 

God spoke about this exact thing when he spoke through the prophet Isaiah and said, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19, NRSV). Later on, the apostle Paul reminded his Corinthian church members that Jesus also embodies the same dynamic qualities when he tells them, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV).

When we look around at our community, our country, and the world and notice that nothing seems to be nailed down, we understandably become a little queasy. Our hearts long to find a little corner of calm and stability. We want to know that we can indeed control SOMETHING… even if it is just the location of the Crock Pot. 

God regularly reminds us – sometimes the hard way – that we won’t ever find security in STUFF. 

We will only find security in our connection with the One Who Created It All. He speaks to the seekers of stability and says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NRSV). 

THAT is the anchor that will never let us down…

… or move to a different cabinet.

Abundant blessings;