Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Lessons from Max #1 - DANCE OVER THE LITTLE THINGS


A word about LESSONS FROM MAX:

What are to come in this and the following posts are reflections and applications. They will come randomly. If ever compiled, I will do the work of prioritizing and tying them together with some flow. But for now...


DANCE OVER THE LITTLE THINGS!

Much of my house has tile floors. And one of the first things that comes to mind (and emotion) when I think about Max is the sound of his nails on the tile when he danced.

Max danced when it was time to eat. He danced when someone came to the door. He danced to go out, he danced when he came back in. He danced when he was about to get a treat. Max was a dancer... over the little things.

It is easy to take the common for granted. We march, sometimes drudge, along through our day. String enough drudge days together and they turn into drudge weeks, months and years. A drudge life.

Lesson #1 (from Max): 
DANCE OVER THE LITTLE THINGS!

One of my favorite themes in the movie Evan Almighty is that of "the dance." Evan's children loathe "the dance." They are embarrassed by "the dance." The movie ends with a great scene in which God says to Evan, "It's time." Then God and Evan dance on a hill under a tree.

We should not withhold celebration for the big things only - the major events of life. They are too distant between. Most of life occurs in the interims. Dances should not be reserved for destinations. Dances must be part of the journey.

I return to OKC in a couple of nights after a week of travel. I will miss the white snout looking through the upper glass of the front door at the sound of my car pulling in. And the silence will strike me. I miss the sound of nails on tile. I miss Max's dance. But I'm thankful for the lesson. 

For now...
D


Don't be embarrassed - Own that dance!

MINE...

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.
-- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20



It's one of my favorite scenes in Finding Nemo 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-3e0EkvIEM
Mine...

The seagulls seem to know only one word: MINE. And they repeat it in staccato machine-gun like fashion. Mine... mine... mine... It is a funny scene. We laugh... then get slightly irritated... then realize...
We are seagulls!

What is it that we consider "MINE?"
My house... my car(s)... my career... my kids...?
My life?

There are a couple hard realities within the true Christian life (and the following is certainly not an exhaustive list):

1) Nothing is truly ours. (We might argue that our faith is ours - our relationship with God. And though it is a gift, I'll concede on this point.)
2) Everything - in this life - is temporary. (See #1.)
3) It's not all about us. (Ouch!)

No, not even our lives are our own. A ransom was paid for us. A price - a high price - was offered up. A sacrifice was made. And we were purchased with the price of Christ's blood.

The Apostle Paul was a great example of one who understood that nothing - his stuff, or even his very life - was his own. And he learned this from the one who was the perfect example of sacrifice.

Jesus said:
For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve; and to give his life as a ransom for many.     -- Mark 10:45

No, we are not our own... we are not the owners of self. Mine... mine... mine... is the cry of the selfish, the self-absorbed, or at best, the immature. (And it is often what I exclaim; whether out loud or with an internal scream.)

God created us for a purpose. His purpose. And when we realize and rest in the truth that we are his - completely - we experience joy. Not the temporary happiness of stuff (Mine!), but true joy.

God, I am yours...

For now...
D