Motoring

I park my car in the drive,

It is clean and washed

And the tires are glossed,

I don’t jive

With junk tossed

Behind my seat,

Or dirt ‘neath my feet

My mats are swept

And in my trunk are kept

Only the things I need

To ride.

Writer’s Dilemma

There’s nothing really awfully

That I would rather do terribly

Than sit here pitifully

And type these lines to you.

Day’s Reflections

I know this space is usually reserved for poetry, but not everything in (my) life fits into a poem.  So I felt like chatting today about life.

What ought to be the purpose of life?  Ought we to use it purely for selfless expression, for growing the ardor of the marrow of our beings?  Or ought it to be some how divided, that we can also explore that more vain side of things? 

For the  last decade of my life, I have devoted my time largely to serving others and growing in my faith in God and His son our Savior.  The only problem was, somewhere along the way, the “personal” side of my life atrophied; meaning, it didn’t happen.  I didn’t date, I didn’t romance; I sat idly (if not somewhat satisfiedly) on my laurels and figured one day all those things would just occur.

As would be suggested by my tenor, this was not an entirely-successful arrangement.  So all of a sudden, at thirty, I’m thinking I ought to shift gears a bit and focus more on the personal side of things.  I ask you (rhetorically or otherwise), is that necessarily ‘wrong?’  Is it reasonable—or even plausible—to do both at once, with equal success?  And am I pratalling on about nothing really at all?

So there are my thoughts for a Tuesday.  Cheers.

Revelations

So, now that my job search is nearly a year old, I’ve begun to think maybe a normal career path isn’t for me.   Perhaps I am meant to be one of those people who float from job to job as the mood strikes—and the opportunity presents itself.  (That certainly would explain my less-than-fixed job history.)  I do, after all, like to imagine myself a dreamer, a poet, an aesthetic; someone who enjoys believing he is something more than, or different from, the average joe who puts in his thirty years and moves to Florida.  The only problem with this self-portrait is maturity; the increasing realization that the world, and one’s age, demand a certain degree of commitment and responsibility.

Regardless, as I still find myself in want of a clear directive for my life, I’ll continue the hunt.  For now.

M B H

January

Happy New Year.  I’m taking a bit of a hiatus from blogging right now, seeing as how I haven’t felt terribly inspired to write.  In fact, it took me several tries to put that first sentence together.  So, I’ll just sign off by saying I’ll be back.

MH 

Recitative

I have a love affair with Asheville.  I admit it.  There is just something magical about that fair mountain city, with its distinct architecture, historic charm, and rich natural splendor.  I escape to it and rely on it to relieve my burdens.

*     *     *

At the turn of the twentieth century, with the new tourism boom in full swing, Asheville became known as “Land of Sky.”  My banner picture (snapped from Mt. Pisgah), and one visit there, leaves little doubt as to why. 

M. B. H.

Love

“Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.”

—Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)

God’s Call on Our Lives

The longer I live, the more convinced I am that we are unavoidably and irresistably drawn to God’s will for our lives.  How can we not answer the call our Creator has placed on us?  How can we not desire the contentment of our hearts and the true joy of our souls?  The more I try to do things ‘my way,’ the more perfectly clear it is that I am really just short-changing myself.

Taking a Break

All right, so I quit the choir last Wednesday night.  And let me tell you, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long while.

It all started a few weeks ago, when I had a headcold and decided to sit in the pews on Sunday morning with the rest of the congregation.  Like a bolt of lightning, I was blessed beyond words.  By (unintentionally) taking myself out of the service, I was returned to the heart of true worship.  As God so powerfully, and mercifully, reminded me, worship isn’t remotely about us:  it’s entirely about glorifying Him. 

Making the break was (surprisingly?) easy.  It was perfectly clear to me that I was doing exactly what God desired for me.  And it more strongly convinced me that any thing we do—any commitment we make (everywhere, but especially to church)—should only serve as our worship to God.  We should never do anything out of a sense of obligation.  This realization is both freeing and humbling:  God only desires for us to glorify (worship) Him, and there are plenty of other people with our “irreplacable” talent or dedication.

Well, now that I’ve made my own bed, I’ll have to lie in it— especially as my youth leadership enters its final phases.  May the freeing and humbling Lord continue in His faithfulness and grace to prepare all of our hearts for the changes we will face.

Furman or Bust

This week I have been preoccupied by trying to help a youth at my church get into my alma mater, Furman University.  It has been an uphill, but rewarding, experience.  As I said to the individual, anything that I can do on their behalf is an honor and a privilege. 

The entire experience, however, has left me wondering about how God’s will intersects with human decision—which inevitably (for me, anyhow) leads to the thorny issue of predetermination versus free will.  All at once I am comforted by a Creator who has our lives already figured out and conflicted by a God who would endow us with a mind He didn’t intend for us to use.  While I am not ready to say the two ideas are disjunct, I am very curious to see how God will work this one out.  On the one hand, I have every confidence that the Father will work His will to His glory—including the life of the youth at my church.  So, in that regard, it could well be reasoned that God already knows where God will send this person.  But on the other hand, I firmly believe that God gave us our intellect so that we can use it—i.e., freely (but prayerfully) make the decisions we feel are what God desires.

In the end (eternity), perhaps the two are one in the same.  Perhaps He gave us our minds so that we can make the decision to love and serve Him…and perhaps He knew that we would make that decision before He gave us life.  Baffles me.

I’ll let you know where my young friend ends up going to school.