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Overcoming Restlessness on Those Long Detours: Learning From Mary

November 30, 2016 by Stephanie Leave a Comment

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Several years ago, my preschool son drew a picture of Mary and Joseph. Not just any picture, mind you. Usually, the manger scene as represented through the eyes of a child wielding a crayon finds its place on a paper canvas.  But Eli’s mind captured a different scene in the narrative. He captured what he believed to be Mary’s perspective on a long journey.

“Are we there yet?”

Long journeys arouse restlessness in my youngest. He tends to be very organized and finds comfort in checking off lists. Oh, he loves adventure and even surprises but he’d prefer them to unfold in a brief, orderly process. His eye is fixed on a goal and arriving there according to his timeline and expectations of the journey. Imagining Mary on a long trek to anywhere brought empathy from him.

Little did he realize that traveling to Bethlehem signified a very small milestone on the road leading to God’s purposes for her.
Only nine months earlier, this teen found herself ordained to a new purpose. Unexpected, Holy. Scandalous. Sometimes new paths entice us with a sense of exciting adventure.  Although Mary offered praise to God for this new calling (Luke 1:46-55), I’m not sure even she fully understood the earthly ramifications of such a journey.

How do we respond to those seasons in our own lives when we suddenly find that the familiar path we are accustomed to trodding is closed off?

A detour sign emerges-signaling that the better route is the new, unfamiliar one. Reluctantly we begin; not knowing where it will take us. Unaware of what we may encounter along the way. Often, it seems, the detour takes way longer to arrive at the destination than had we taken the shorter, familiar one. At least that’s what we believe. But….the detour sign was there for a reason.

Are we there yet?

As the detour continues longer than anticipated, we grow weary. Surrendering ourselves to the One who plots our course can take us to places we’d rather not visit. The physical, emotional and spiritual compressing takes its toll on our earthly selves. Haven’t I walked far enough? Is there something else of which I need to let go? 

 Nearly nine months into her pregnancy, she and Joseph were required to register for the census in their hometown. Not convenient for this couple. Three grueling days is the estimated time span of traveling by foot from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Ninety miles were spent navigating a rugged terrain and daunting hills. In addition, the chilly weather, dense forests of the Jordan Valley, and hidden predators made the trip particularly dangerous.

However, it was not as dangerous as the place that exists outside of the will of God. Mary, in her praises to God, acknowledges the accounts of God’s character displayed through His people. Merciful. Liberator. Provider. Creator. Sustainer. Holy.  With those narratives alive in her mind, she kept walking.

Are we there yet?

The detour continued. Did Mary wonder if her detour culminated with Jesus’ birth? Is that “there?” As she feels the baby wiggling, does she ponder where along this road, the promised King living inside her would make his debut?  “There” may have appeared as a foggy destination.

Henri Nouwen writes, “To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life. So is trust that something will happen to us that is far beyond our own imaginings. So, too, is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life, trusting that God molds us according to God’s love and not according to our fear. The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, trusting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our imagination, fantasy, or prediction.” (The Spirituality of Waiting)

Mary trusted that God was weaving a narrative far beyond her own imagining. And that is why she kept walking. To “There.”

As I ponder Mary’s journey, I am reminded of my own detours. Some I have embraced. Others have been met with protest. The new journeys took me into unfamiliar territory. Some treks I would prefer not to take again. Yet, God walked with me. And molded me. And loved me. And assured me that I had nothing to fear.

Because no matter my destination, or where I think it may be, God is with me. Always.
When I question the unexpected turns, God is with me.
When I stagger because my body is worn from fighting evil forces preying on my soul along the way, God is with me.

God is with us. Immanuel.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
Because of Him we have hope. We have no need to fear wherever life takes us. Like Mary, we can keep moving forward.

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Filed Under: Advent/Christmas Tagged With: arriving, Bethlehem, danger, destination, detour, fear, God, Immanuel, Jesus, Mary, milestone, newimage, restlessness, road.path, surrender, trust, waiting, walk, weary

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When my first child was born 20 plus years ago, I envisioned taking just a few years off from my role as Pastor of Youth and Family. While that didn’t exactly unfold as expected, God used my gifts and skills in other ways. Read More…

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Jesus’ invitation is enticing yet puzzling. “ Jesus’ invitation is enticing yet puzzling.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

What to make of his offer? Jesus just completed an emotionally filled rebuke of the towns which dismissed both his and John the Baptist’s words. Interestingly, he names whole towns. Were their individuals who were transformed in their thoughts and behaviors by the divine miracles they witnessed? We can only speculate. However, by naming whole towns, he indicates that individual actions contribute to corporate systems. Corrupt powers become familiar habits and the appetite for feeding them becomes insatiable. John and Jesus came to both convict and point them back to desiring the “very good” God provides for them. But turning back demands surrender to earthly gratification, human driven agendas and reasoning.

So the very towns which had witnessed the very signs of Immanuel (God with us) refused to repent of their human ideologies. In order to emphasize his point, Jesus compares them to towns whose names were already scandalously attached to sin. Whoa.

His invitation uses an analogy the crowd understood. Oxen are yoked together so that the more experienced one teaches and takes the burden of the other one as they navigate their course. God has come into their midst. There are no hierarchy obstacles or cultural/racial/gender barriers to being “yoked” with him. No religious bucket lists to follow. But rather, a relationship.

As Eugene Peterson translates in the Message:

 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30.

#Redbudwriter #stephaniejthompson #Jesusliberates #yolkofJesus
Recently, I experienced several “Moses moments.” As I went about my daily tasks, I encountered a “burning bush".: And then two more. They appeared in different forms than a bush. Actually digital communication. Nonetheless, they caught me by surprise and drew my attention.

God’s voice spoke through others to offer me opportunities to expand my writing voice. I was beckoned to venture into new territories. As my brain processed the implications, my body felt a wave of fear wash over me. I immediately secured myself in Moses's footprints.

My words echoed his, “But why me? (Exodus 3:11)

When one makes themselves available to being agents through whom God’s purposes unfold, we shouldn’t be surprised when we encounter burning bushes. But we are. Because in our humanity, we fear things that place us in positions outside our comfort zones. And even when God’s voice interrupts us to announce that our dreams are being realized, it can feel like too much. Did we really think God saw us? Heard us? Knows us?

But just like Moses heard, so did I. “I’ll be with you,” God said.

So with a bit of trembling in my voice, I said yes. But that wasn’t the end of it. Because just like in Moses’s narrative, his purpose was to show others the “I-AM-WHO-I-AM.” (Exodus 11:14). That audience includes both the direct participants of my calling but those with whom I share my vulnerable story. Of hopes. Divine interruptions. Trembling bodies. Trust in God.

I shared my story with my young adult kids and nieces. All of it. Nervous banter included. Because they are watching and discerning how we all fit into God’s big story. They are encountering their own Moses moments. Our lives flesh out the Biblical narratives for them and anchor them to the “I-AM-WHO-I-AM” who has been interrupting and empowering his people since the beginning of creation. We can all use the reminder that God calls us and uses us despite our insecurities, It is a beautiful truth.

#Redbudwriter #stephaniejthompson #Moses #parentingyoungadults #Godhearsyou
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s2thomp

#burningbushes #holyground #moses #godseesme "#div #burningbushes #holyground #moses #godseesme "#divinepurpose #redbudwriters
#rahab #godusespeopletohelppeople #womenofthebible #rahab #godusespeopletohelppeople #womenofthebible #redbudwriters
Jesus’ invitation is enticing yet puzzling. “ Jesus’ invitation is enticing yet puzzling.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

What to make of his offer? Jesus just completed an emotionally filled rebuke of the towns which dismissed both his and John the Baptist’s words. Interestingly, he names whole towns. Were their individuals who were transformed in their thoughts and behaviors by the divine miracles they witnessed? We can only speculate. However, by naming whole towns, he indicates that individual actions contribute to corporate systems. Corrupt powers become familiar habits and the appetite for feeding them becomes insatiable. John and Jesus came to both convict and point them back to desiring the “very good” God provides for them. But turning back demands surrender to earthly gratification, human driven agendas and reasoning.

So the very towns which had witnessed the very signs of Immanuel (God with us) refused to repent of their human ideologies. In order to emphasize his point, Jesus compares them to towns whose names were already scandalously attached to sin. Whoa.

His invitation uses an analogy the crowd understood. Oxen are yoked together so that the more experienced one teaches and takes the burden of the other one as they navigate their course. God has come into their midst. There are no hierarchy obstacles or cultural/racial/gender barriers to being “yoked” with him. No religious bucket lists to follow. But rather, a relationship.

As Eugene Peterson translates in the Message:

 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30.

#Redbudwriter #stephaniejthompson #Jesusliberates #yolkofJesus
Recently, I experienced several “Moses moments.” As I went about my daily tasks, I encountered a “burning bush".: And then two more. They appeared in different forms than a bush. Actually digital communication. Nonetheless, they caught me by surprise and drew my attention.

God’s voice spoke through others to offer me opportunities to expand my writing voice. I was beckoned to venture into new territories. As my brain processed the implications, my body felt a wave of fear wash over me. I immediately secured myself in Moses's footprints.

My words echoed his, “But why me? (Exodus 3:11)

When one makes themselves available to being agents through whom God’s purposes unfold, we shouldn’t be surprised when we encounter burning bushes. But we are. Because in our humanity, we fear things that place us in positions outside our comfort zones. And even when God’s voice interrupts us to announce that our dreams are being realized, it can feel like too much. Did we really think God saw us? Heard us? Knows us?

But just like Moses heard, so did I. “I’ll be with you,” God said.

So with a bit of trembling in my voice, I said yes. But that wasn’t the end of it. Because just like in Moses’s narrative, his purpose was to show others the “I-AM-WHO-I-AM.” (Exodus 11:14). That audience includes both the direct participants of my calling but those with whom I share my vulnerable story. Of hopes. Divine interruptions. Trembling bodies. Trust in God.

I shared my story with my young adult kids and nieces. All of it. Nervous banter included. Because they are watching and discerning how we all fit into God’s big story. They are encountering their own Moses moments. Our lives flesh out the Biblical narratives for them and anchor them to the “I-AM-WHO-I-AM” who has been interrupting and empowering his people since the beginning of creation. We can all use the reminder that God calls us and uses us despite our insecurities, It is a beautiful truth.

#Redbudwriter #stephaniejthompson #Moses #parentingyoungadults #Godhearsyou
Load More... Follow on Instagram

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  • Advent/Christmas
  • Easter
  • five minute friday
  • Help! This was not in the book!
  • Sacred Connections

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