I love spring in Texas. However, if it weren't for the fact that each Texas spring didn't somehow make me feel we were getting preferential treatment compared to our northern friends, I'd be dreading the quick approach of those really hot Texas summers. But for now, I, like my flowers, begin to unfold in the gentle warmth of the sun.
Spring is not only a time for new growth, new possibilities, new potential, but also a time for serious spring cleaning. I get the "urge to purge" my clutter, my junk, and sometimes my ways of thinking. This is what I think about while making my way from one plant to the other; dead-heading as I go. I enjoy this process; cleaning out the blossoms that are faded, or shriveled, or cripsy-brown and obviously dead. I think what I love most is anticipating the beauty of the plant when it regenerates itself into more blossoms, replacing what didn't flourish with what does.
So, all of this reminds me of a conversation I had with my teenage son recently. Although I am thinking flowers, he was talking relationships; and yet on this these two topics meet. We have a lot of clutter in our lives. Much of this clutter is actions things; things we should have done and didn't, or shouldn't do, and did. But some of this clutter resembles relationships in our lives. Not to reduce people to clutter, that is the farthest from my point, but let's be honest, sometimes it's relationships and personalities that aren't healthy for us, nor us for them, and these less-than-flourishing relationships could use a good deadheading so other relationships can flourish. We have a finite amount of time and space in our lives. It is unrealistic to entertain an idea that we can be friends with everyone in such a way that we help eachother grow. It take time and effort to grow anything, including relationships. If we think we can devote our time and attention to everyone equally in our lives, we need to remove those rose-tinted glasses and see life in the bright contrast of reality. Some relationships are not healthy, especially when, despite the one person trying to help, the other refuses to see the light. I see frustration played out in the lives of teenagers as well as in grown women. Sometimes we've got to know when it is time to part ways. That doesn't mean we don't care, it just means room must be made for other relationships to flourish. Sometimes a different gardner is needed to continue the pruning, and our job is to accept we are not Him.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
MORE
more = adj. greater; further; additional. adv. To a greater extent or degree; further.
While the world is touting "less is more", or implying that life is good, "more or less", I begin to say....well, I want more. But I'm not talking reality-tv-I-want-more (money, fame, power, success...), I'm talking more life in my life. And I'm not the only woman who feels this way (read: there's many more of you out there nodding your heads in agreement!)
Unfortunately, "more" has become synonymous with greedy. If I'm greedy for wanting a life of more, so be it; I'm greedy. But I'll venture that in my greed for more, my husband, my kids, and those whom I care about will benefit from my "more", because how much easier it is to share when there's plenty! The world of "more" is opening my eyes, and maybe it will yours, too. Before you go thinking limits on "more", realize it is a much larger subject than confined by how our society displays it. "More" expands the possibilities of people individually and globally. It can redefine outcomes of situations that are dire to situations celebratory; it defines a life lived full, and a life like that touches more benefits others in ways we could never tally.
If you are nodding with agreement, all the while looking guiltily at your feet, let me expound a bit on this concept of more. In the book of John 10:10, in the Bible (close to the back for all of you who are where I used to be--clueless on these things), Jesus says this: "A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy, I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance." (HCSB translation) Some other translations say, "...to have life, and have it to the full". (NIV) The word abundance (and concept of "to the full") at first blush in our English transcription may not send a thrill, necessarily. But let the original Greek context be entertained: perissos (per-is-sos'), as described in The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, describes perissos "in the sense of beyond; superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality); by impl. excessive;" and in the case of John 10:10, particularly, is meant as "more abundantly”. Can you imagine that? As if all the descriptions of perissos isn't incredible in its own right, a "more" is added. That, my friends, is how we are to have life. So don't apologetically mumble that you want "more" in your life. With head held high shout it out! Let's try it together, "I want "MORE" life!" There. Now we are fellow sojourners on discovering a life of more. Welcome.
So, while my feet still touch this earth, I'd like to take Jesus up on His offer of providing me a more abundant life. With God's help,
I plan to deliberately live a "greater" life, to push myself "further", to add experiences and joys in "addition" to life currently; and to live my years to a "greater extent or degree" discovering "more".
Until next time!
While the world is touting "less is more", or implying that life is good, "more or less", I begin to say....well, I want more. But I'm not talking reality-tv-I-want-more (money, fame, power, success...), I'm talking more life in my life. And I'm not the only woman who feels this way (read: there's many more of you out there nodding your heads in agreement!)
Unfortunately, "more" has become synonymous with greedy. If I'm greedy for wanting a life of more, so be it; I'm greedy. But I'll venture that in my greed for more, my husband, my kids, and those whom I care about will benefit from my "more", because how much easier it is to share when there's plenty! The world of "more" is opening my eyes, and maybe it will yours, too. Before you go thinking limits on "more", realize it is a much larger subject than confined by how our society displays it. "More" expands the possibilities of people individually and globally. It can redefine outcomes of situations that are dire to situations celebratory; it defines a life lived full, and a life like that touches more benefits others in ways we could never tally.
If you are nodding with agreement, all the while looking guiltily at your feet, let me expound a bit on this concept of more. In the book of John 10:10, in the Bible (close to the back for all of you who are where I used to be--clueless on these things), Jesus says this: "A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy, I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance." (HCSB translation) Some other translations say, "...to have life, and have it to the full". (NIV) The word abundance (and concept of "to the full") at first blush in our English transcription may not send a thrill, necessarily. But let the original Greek context be entertained: perissos (per-is-sos'), as described in The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, describes perissos "in the sense of beyond; superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality); by impl. excessive;" and in the case of John 10:10, particularly, is meant as "more abundantly”. Can you imagine that? As if all the descriptions of perissos isn't incredible in its own right, a "more" is added. That, my friends, is how we are to have life. So don't apologetically mumble that you want "more" in your life. With head held high shout it out! Let's try it together, "I want "MORE" life!" There. Now we are fellow sojourners on discovering a life of more. Welcome.
So, while my feet still touch this earth, I'd like to take Jesus up on His offer of providing me a more abundant life. With God's help,
I plan to deliberately live a "greater" life, to push myself "further", to add experiences and joys in "addition" to life currently; and to live my years to a "greater extent or degree" discovering "more".
Until next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)