The Shift in our Midst

One day we decided to get a dog collar for our new little Schnauzer, Ariba.  We went to D& B to quickly pick up this little item but … on the way in we saw that they had two racks of little golden Arbor Vitas in pots … 50% off!  We looked at them and thought … humm, we wanted to put an attractive row of something similar along our fence in the back yard.  So, we got ‘em … 20, as I recall.

We brought them home and at first I thought, I’ll just cut holes in the lawn and put them in.  But it became obvious that as the little bushes grew they would block the sprinklers which were also placed along the fence line.  Humm … so we decided to move the sprinkler line.  But to do that we needed to dig it up.  Might as well take out a row of sod while doing so.  Then my dear wife said, “If we’re going to get a sod cutter let’s continue around the side so that I can put in a rose garden at the same time.”  So we dug up the sod, got a trailer to haul it away.  That was a lot of work.  But then we needed to dig up the sprinkler lines and put in an additional drip system for the trees and new flower bed. Of course, we had to get edging bricks and then a load of bark.  In short, that little dog collar turned into a summer project.
 
That was about 7 years ago.  Now we decided to get new countertops in our current home.  Then new tile in the kitchen to match … and carpet …well, that should match, too.  And now, as I write this we have the garage full of stuff, clothing, and furniture outside on the deck all the way to the gazebo.  It’s like moving everything twice (or more) to get everything out of the way of the carpet layers.  Oh, and since the carpet is out, let’s take out the shelves in the closets and do some re-arranging … and let’s paint all the trim boards.  One thing means another … and another.  And it will be nice.  Those 20 Arbor Vitas and flower bed look great in their new setting (we drive by and peak at them from time to time).  And I’m sure the clean, new carpet and re-arranged closets will be nice, too.   

Make a decision … especially a good one … and get ready to make some more.  Does a story of your own come to mind … a little change that brought many more … like a small rudder shift that turned the whole ship?  You can tell me.  I’ll be listening with empathetic nods and grins.  Yet these things are on the whole positive kinds of decisions and their consequences.  There is another genre.

The other night Beryl and I were watching a Without A Trace episode that depicted a psychiatrist whose personal life was in shambles because she felt powerless to keep herself from the control of a selfish, violent and domineering person.  In one part of the show she expressed her grief over not understanding herself and why she would let such a person destroy her life.  At the same time one of the detectives was secretly nurturing an addiction to a pain-killer.  Throughout the show, I’m sure that those who felt powerless over any kind of addiction could certainly nod in empathetic agreement.  Any addiction sure does bring on a slough of consequences.    

The Bible makes it clear that this is nothing new.  Those caught in the web of life-destructive behaviors (sin: missing the mark of God’s intent for us to be healthy and whole) fill the Bible from beginning to end.  Yet in the Bible there is always a hopeful “shift”: God seeking us out. When Biblical folk let themselves be “found” by God they experienced many healing and helpful “shifts.”  They were freed by God’s love from slavery, guilt, fear, vengeance, prejudice, hopelessness and foolish behaviors of all kinds. No, it wasn’t a smooth process … but God was faithful!  

In the New Testament we see the “shift” expressed in numerous life-transforming metaphors: being “born again”, getting the “loving embrace” of a father for a prodigal child, becoming “Spirit filled,” living by “Faith” or experiencing God in Jesus as Good Shepherd or the Living Water or Living Word.  Whatever the metaphor, the inner shift says that God cares about us! Receiving God’s love in our heart makes the shift happen.    

That spiritual inner shift shapes decisions and their consequences. Arbor Vitas may yet become summer projects, countertops may turn into larger renovations and addictive choices will very likely continue to spin their weave … but with God in the midst of whatever our situation may be, how everything gets done, gets GOOD and exciting!   

Our shift is to humbly move over … make room and enjoy!

Pr. Dan