Taking Inventory of Wonder

When I hear or read the name "Wendell Berry," I stop and take note.  I have read many of his novels, poems, and essays that reflect his commitment to the land and the agrarian lifestyle.  I have never been disappointed by a writing which bears his name.  Today I heard a quote attributed to him which I wish I could put in context, but, unfortunately, it has not been possible to find.  Actually, it is just a phrase, but it speaks volumes.  "Taking inventory of wonder" is a phrase attributed to a discipline practiced by Berry at the end of the day.  

To "take inventory of wonder" each day would create a time for us to remember each day's blessing, the events that have blessed, and the people within those events who have brought blessing to us as well.  It is a discipline which has within it the way to gratitude.  What is true is that we often end our day with an exhaustion that says, "I made it through one more day.  Maybe I can do it tomorrow."  We need no one to tell us there must be a better way to live.  In our better days we know that even in the worst of things there are things which call for gratitude.  No amount of darkness can take the wonder out of our day.  The wonder in our life is about grace.  

We live in a world where we are loved. We live in a world where the creation all around us continues to astound us.  We have a measure of success and prosperity which is not just about our efforts, but about the gifts of God which have filled our lives.  Anyone who cannot end the day without knowing that the day has been filled with things of wonder is blind to the goodness of God and the way grace comes to us for no reason except it is grace.  Today is another day for "taking inventory of wonder."

Carrying the Word

It is a good thing to carry some Scripture with us every day.  This is not to say, we should carry our Bibles with us everywhere we go though it is not a bad idea.  A few minutes here and there reading the Word would surely be more beneficial to us than looking at social media sites on our hand held devices.  Of course, as soon as such is mentioned, there will be someone to suggest that the Scripture can be carried with us and read on those devices.  True enough, but not likely.  It sounds a little fishy to me, like the story some folks always told about the river being a sanctuary on Sunday morning!   

Actually, one of the best places to carry the Scripture is in our heart.  I confess to being sporadic when it comes to memorizing Scripture.  I wish I had done more of it.  There are times when a written copy of the Word is not available, or there are times when life seems so overwhelming that reading is too big a chore and in those times what we carry with us in our heart can prove to be invaluable.  Even those who have made no efforts in the discipline of Scripture memorization will be surprised at the amount of Scripture which is on file simply through the process of hearing it read again and again, or in singing some of the great hymns of the church.  

The Holy Spirit has a way of bringing God's truths into our conscious mind in those moments when we need an encouraging word from Him, or when we once again need to be reminded of one of His unchanging promises.  I am grateful my mother got me started memorizing Scripture verses early and regret that I did not keep at it as faithfully as I should have.

Feelings and Faith

There are surely those times when we have heard it said by some struggling soul, "I cannot feel the presence of God.  It feels as if He is absent."  Perhaps, it is also true that such words have not just been heard in the laments of others, but have been heard coming from our own mouth.  One thing which must always be remembered when we are walking through those dark nights, when search as we may, our world seems empty of His presence, is that feelings are not trustworthy.  

What is trustworthy are God's promises.  How many times in the Word do we hear His voice whispering, or even shouting "I am with you...?"  Of course, there is no condition of time or place on that promise for it concludes with the word, "always." (Matthew 28:20).  Our feelings have nothing to do with His presence.  The means by which we live with confidence is our faith.  Our faith calls us to trust Him when our feelings would tell us He is gone.  What our faith tells us is that He never gone.  He does not come to abide or dwell in us for a moment, but for eternity.  

The darkness in which we sometimes walk is very real and it can be extremely dark, but there is a Word from the One who brought us into being that tells us, "The light (the essence of Jesus) shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."  (John 1:5)  The darkness has no power to separate us from Christ (Romans 8:38-39). Christ has come to be with us, not for a season, but for every day of our journey Home . No matter how we feel, it is His promise.  His promises can be trusted!

The Edge of Here and There

 The place where water touches sand,

    rolls upon it and then away,

    is a holy place where worlds collide

    and visions see the sunrise of day.

 

The wavering moving trail down the way

   beckons first the wandering feet,

   but more the wondering soul 

   on a journey filled with unending end.

 

First the step in the cool blue water,

  the next in the white burning sand, 

  both equally a part of the journey

  beginning here, ending in know not where. 

 

Is it the unseen One who beckons 

 to walk the pleasant and perilous shore?

 Or, is the heart which once again

 moves toward the place it knows as home? 

A Core Hindrance to Generosity

One thing not always recognized in the moment is the way the financial decisions of the moment impact our ability to practice the spiritual discipline of generosity. I remember conversations with church members over the years who wanted to be more involved in some missions of the church, but found themselves locked into financial commitments that affected those decisions.  It may seem naive to some, but it is true that an attitude, or spirit of giving can be quenched so easily by some of those decisions.  

Life style choices that we make now impact later.  Keeping up with the Jones', spending above our means, and living with an ever demanding debt leaves many with a boatload of stress and an inability to see how it is possible to be involved in any significant sharing in what God is doing in the world.  Thoreau's word to "Simplify, simplify" is a hard word to embrace in a culture which calls us to clamor for more than we need and more than we can actually afford.  

One thing to remember is that what we have is not our own, but God's.  He is the Giver.  What we have is something entrusted to us for awhile.  It is ours to use, but not hoard, nor use carelessly.  We may not be able to change the rippling affect of past decisions, but we can begin the practice of living more simply.  We may be surprised at where it takes us and how it is a window to seeing what it is that is really important for us and our families. 

Surplus Giving

The story known as the widow's mite is worth pondering.  There are things about it which scream out, "Slow down and take another look!" but most of us have heard or read the story so many times, it's a word we ignore.  We know all the particulars.  We know Jesus is going to be pleased with the giving of the widow and that we are likely to feel a little guilt at our own.  With all this in mind, we read and run.  

One of the places which calls for slow pondering is found in that section of the story where Jesus speaks of the affluent "contributing out of their abundance."  (Luke 21:4)  The word "abundance" is an important word and one that is often misunderstood.  While few of us are Greek scholars, if we could go back and read this passage in the original language it was written, we would find ourselves looking at a word that carried a different meaning that we give it today.  According to our contemporary understanding, the word creates the image of bulging bank accounts.  The original meaning is more synonymous with our understanding of the word "surplus."  In other words, as Jesus pointed out the giving of the affluent, He was pointing out gifts that were from the surplus.    

The surplus is that which speaks of more than is needed.  It speaks of what is left after all the bills have been paid, the credit card debt has been knocked down a bit, and all the wants and wishes of our extravagant life style have been satisfied.  Out of what is left, the surplus gifts are given.  Surplus giving may or may not be a boatload of money, but it is giving that is not risky.  It does not have within it the component of faith.  Surplus gifts are given after everything else is handled.  Surplus giving does not speak of depending on God to provide which is what the widow's gift illustrated.  It is all about hedging our bets just in case God is not able to provide for us according to what we think is necessary.  

The Working World

The taste of mortality

   gathers on the brow

     with the dust and dirt

       forming a salty stream

        that burns the eyes

         and teases the tongue

with its wet bitterness.

 

The wear and tear of life

   is etched on hands

    bruised and battered

     showing open scars

      made not in a day

       but over hard years

of unrelenting toil.

 

What cannot be seen

   is the broken dreams,

    the beaten down spirit

     that no longer can rise

      to work another day

       yet knows it must

though the will is no more.

 

It is a life unknown

  to the soft handed,

    the white shirted ones

     who sit and earn,

      making what is not seen

       nor touched but only

exists between nine and five.