Being Defined By The Things You Hate (aka: How To Live A Miserable Life)

It’s election season, and we are snowed under with emails, mailers, tv and radio ads all trying to sway you to their candidate. Despite the avalanche of information, it’s getting harder and harder each year to get a clear picture of what each candidate stands for. It seems they are less interested in convincing to you to vote for them as they are in having you not vote for the other guy.  

As much as we hate to admit it, our politicians are often just a reflection of the population as a whole. As a culture, we love to hate things. "It didn’t come quickly enough in the mail", "the lines were too long", "the service was poor", and a thousand other things define our lives. We rabidly air our grievances on Facebook and Instagram. Our lives can quickly become defined by what we don’t like and by who we don’t want to be. This way of living is toxic and exhausting. In her prayer journal, Flannery O’Connor wrote, 

“I don’t want it to be fear that keeps me in church. I don’t want to be a coward, staying with You because I fear hell…I don’t want to fear to be out, I want to love to be in.”

So many times we live our lives running from things instead of running to things. The difference is very real. Running away from things I fear or dislike leads to a chaotic life with little or no direction. Conversely, running to something, the way O’Connor wants to run toward God, gives direction and purpose to life. Live your life moving forward with open eyes and an open heart, don’t live in reaction to everything around you. You were made to embrace great and beautiful things.

Quotation from A Prayer Journal by Flannery O'Connor

Photo Courtesy of Death To Stock Photo

Praying With Flannery

Prayer is less a skill and more of an art. You don’t learn to pray by reading a manual on prayer any more than you learn to ride a bike by reading an instruction manual that might have come with it when you purchased it. We learn to pray by being around those who pray. We hear their words and feel their emotion. When we are very young or new to the faith we often parrot the words of other prayers until we can find words of our own. That’s why I was so excited when I stumbled across a recently released prayer journal kept by Flannery O’Connor. Journals like this one allow us to pray alongside people that were seeking God before many of us were even born. I have decided to document my journey through this process in case you also want to pray with Flannery.

                Please help me to get down under things and find where You are.

This short phrase from the opening entry we have in O’Connor’s journal is beautiful and a good reminder that God is all around us in the people and the things He has created. Sometimes our hectic pace of life hides beauty from our eyes. Behind each person, regardless of their behavior, is a glimpse of the God who created them. Each gust of wind, drop of rain, and lazy cloud are ours to enjoy. I pray with Flannery that I will indeed be able to get down under things and find where God is today.

Excerpt from A Prayer Journal by Flannery O'Connor

Friday Finds - August 1

In his letter to early Jewish followers of Jesus, Paul encouraged the people to remember other followers who were suffering as a result of their faith. (Hebrews 13:3) The following article and many others on the web concerning the suffering of Christians in Iraq reminds us that Paul’s words are as applicable today as they were 2000 years ago. I encourage you to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering as you read this.....

Christian's Persecuted in Iraq

If you haven’t been spending hours watching various Ted Talks, then I apologize for introducing you to what will no doubt become a new addiction for you. If you are in need of a bit of inspiration this weekend, watch Benjamin Zander’s (pictured above) wonderful talk about his passion for classical music.

Benjamin Zander: On Music and Passion

You may not be up to date on all of the conversations flying around the Christian blog community about Mark Driscoll as of late. I have thoughts about Driscoll and all that is going on, but this is not the time, nor is this blog the space for it. You don’t have to know anything about Driscoll, however to appreciate Matthew Paul Turner’s timely reminder about the true nature of grace. Read and then re-read Turner's post!

Matthew Paul Turner On Grace

I am so proud of this new blogger! I was proud of her when she was a student in a youth group I worked with, and she continues to amaze! Follow DeAnna and Jonathan’s journey into adoption here:

Truths From a Joy Filled Very Tired Mama

 Photo courtesy of poptech.org