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Around the Network: This might hurt a little
Blood. Sweat. Tears. I really wish I could say it would be easier, but losing weight, deepening my spiritual walk and improving my relationships are all going to require some sacrifice. And sacrifice generally means a little personal discomfort. That’s the nature of discipline. It hurts for a while, but the long-term benefits outweigh the temporal discomfort.
Larry Hehn’s delightful blog, Christians in the Rough, is a continuous dose of good medicine, but it doesn’t always go down easily. In a recent post, Larry acknowledges the struggle to live a better, more disciplined life by comparing it to a certain brand of effective, but wretched-tasting brand of cough medicine.
“We’ve all made some worthy resolutions over the years,” he said. “But how often have we backed away from reaching them once we get a taste of the discipline it takes to get there?”
Read It Tastes Awful. And It Works.
While we all could use more discipline in our lives so we can get more things done, there’s a discipline in letting go as well. Just ask Karen Eck, who is a friend, a writer, a daughter, a wife and more. But she admits, none of those hats “fit very well.” I suspect that many of us struggle with doing everything right. We try harder, only to fail, and then resort to frustration. Or we can just give up.
That’s what Karen did. In The Moment of Exchange, she writes, “Today, I’m giving up. I'm no longer going to try to be good. I'm no longer going to think I can love. I'm no longer going to attempt to dream of goodness.”
But this abandon isn’t a return to immorality. Rather, it’s surrender to God’s strength. Read her great conclusion here.
Although Christmas is over, for many the reminders of brokenness remain. Erin Kilmer writes that “The season serves as a magnifying glass for the hurts and insecurities and griefs and shames and inequities in our lives.” She asks, “Where is my peace on earth?
Kirsten Michelle Petermann, one of the High Calling’s featured photographers chronicled her difficult pregnancy online and prayers were uttered around the globe. When Kirsten lost the baby, we all shared her pain. She writes about the ebb and tide of her pain at Reality and Everything Else. “Someone else’s grief is always easier than your own,” she writes. “I am no expert at grieving, but I am an expert on mine.”
Jesus suffered on the cross, but by his side grieving, was his mother, Mary. Linda Chontos wonders what Mary thought as she what was in her heart as she watched Jesus’ hands throughout His life -- the tiny digits of a newborn baby, the wood-calloused palms of a carpenter, and finally the pierced hands of a Savior. Read His Hands.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed with worthy causes and needs. Since we can’t fix everything, the tendency is to do nothing. Bill Grandi has the answer: “Do something.” He says, “Christians seem to have the amazing ability to say the most wonderful things without actually believing them.” His solution is to “do something about it.”
Ryan Dueck’s Rumblings blog is a great place for readers to think about how they are living their lives. His post on a man named “Pockets” that his family met at the local homeless shelter is no exception.
When Michele Corbett posted about making mistakes on the job, we all could relate to her words. But the reaction of her boss helped smooth the situation and improve her future performance. Read Grace Gone Wild at Work.
That’s it for this edition of Around the Network. Keep writing and keep reading as we pursue the High Calling.
December Featured Blogs
Larry Hehn — It Tastes Awful. And It Works
Karen Eck — The Moment of Exchange
Erin Kilmer — This Broken Christmas
Kirsten Petermann — Reality and Everything Else
Linda Chontos — His Hands
Bill Grandi — Do Something
Ryan Dueck— Pockets
Michele Corbett — Grace Gone Wild at Work
Photo by Claire Brocato, used by permission via Flickr. Post by David Rupert.
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