The first question is this: Is it better to live everyday with a steady normal pace or to live bouncing between highs and lows? At first it seems obvious that a steady pace is better, but then you miss the emotional and spiritual highs. In my own life these highs can propel me for a long time. But then you get the lows too, so you can understand my dilemma.
The second question is a little more complex: When trying to make a difficult change, is it better to take little steps toward the goal or to just go straight for it. For example, if someone has a goal of running 10 miles every day, is it better to run 1 mile daily for a week then 2 miles and so on, or to just run 10 miles daily? This one also has a deep impact on daily decisions and spiritual matters.
There you have it. I'd love to hear some ideas on these. And for a quick update on the ship - The portion of the crew that was away has moved back aboard now. The generators are on and the AC is struggling to stay on. We will sail to Sierra Leone soon...
Cyle-
ReplyDeleteSorry that this is my first response to your blog, but I just wanted to thank you for your words. I love hearing about how this experience is changing you and challenging you. My students and I had a huge talk the other day about how they spend their time online. I shared a bit of the beef I have with how Facebook is used, and we had a great conversation. Thank you for showing that a person can use blogs etc to truly add richness to others' lives and not just perpetuate shallow conversation. Take care and thank you for your openness as well as your willingness to go where God has called you.
Question One:
ReplyDeleteA steady pace doesn't appeal to me at all. I prefer the highs and lows. Makes life seem more lively. Constantly pushing the limits to whatever is at hand. Yep, that's what I like.
Question Two:
I can't think of a good answer for this one, so why not just go for the whole thing, eh?
question 2 depends on the person. the running 10 miles from day 1 could actually hurt some people, so it might not be a good idea. but if you're on drugs and need to get off, then obviously just get off.
ReplyDeletequestion 1 - i think it might be a bit of both. i think it is good to have certain convictions and vision that is constant and stable that get us through emotional highs and lows which will come no matter what. the key is not to be the guy who abandons his/her convictions/calling/God-given vision when things go badly. if someone doesnt have any emotional highs and lows at all, they are probably not really alive. at the same time, if someone allows an emotional low to derail them, they are immature.
Funny that you ask this question now, since it's been rolling around in my head as we have been going through the house-mortgaging process. So here are my not-quite-complete thoughts.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: God definitely gave us emotions and we enjoy life through them. I think that he gave them to us on purpose as part of our image-bearing natures. And I do think we are supposed to reflect God to others, as his disciples. Off the top of my head I can think of a few examples where Jesus was utterly saddened to the point of deep sobbing by sin and death and where he was infuriated and violent. I can't remember anything that sounded like he was on a "high." I do know that he was ALWAYS doing our Father's will; Jesus says that. It would be good to look over the story of his life and see what I could find out there.
I think that the emotion part is sort of a by-product of what is going on internally. If your life currently has the evidence, the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindess, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control), then you're probably on track to becoming the full, whole, God-glorifying individual you were meant to be. Can you experience the highs without the self-absorbed lows? King David certainly seemed to go through a lot of highs and lows.
I have an analogy: If it were marital love we were talking about, I would rather be side-by-side, peacefully and joyously moving on in my journey with my husband, rather than seeing him every six months in a passionate blaze only be to be separated and sad for months at a time just so I could experience that fire every now and then. And because I believe that God is so good, and wants to bless us, I think that he would give us highs without us necessarily having to have reciprocal lows. It makes me wonder if we can actually experience highs more purely if we aren't shackled to the ground by "the lows."
Anyway, that's a smattering of thoughts. And I don't have a definitive answer. Though I don't think that was really helpful I hope this will be:
Question 2: As a runner, do not even try to start running 10 miles everyday. General rule of training: start small and increase mileage only 10% a week. That would mean, you start by doing a mile every other day for a month, and when you've got that base, then you bump up to 1.1 miles for a week, then 1.21 miles the next week, then 1.33 miles the next week, and so on and so forth. You do this so you don't injure your body and render it incapable of running tomorrow or for two weeks or for three-six months or the rest of your life, depending on what kind of injury you sustain. This is especially imprtant for adults who haven't maintained that level of strength and fitness that would allow them to run 10 miles a day at the drop of a hat. Your muscles could probably do it if someone were behind you with a gun, but you risk stress fractures, pulled and torn ligaments, muscles, heart attack etc.
In my opinion, what actually matters in this kind of thing is the consistent discipline to actually run any amount for a prolonged period of time. If you actually consistently run three times a week for a month, then you've accomplished WAY more than running ten miles once. It certainly makes that second month of weekly runs that much more normal, acheivable and enjoyable.
When you say "difficult changes" it probably matters what kind of change you're talking about. I don't think you can just apply running analogies to everything, though there are a lot of things...anyway. If you're talking about sin, the bible tells us to FLEE from it. RUNAWAY! If you're talking about being a disciplined disciple I'd lean toward "slow and steady wins the race."
If God is specifically telling you something trust and obey!
I agree mostly with Tommy, but I guess it would depend on your own personality. There is no right or wrong answer, but how are you wired. A thinker, feeler or doer? A doer will just muscle his way through it. A thinker will calculate the loads on their body and create a schedule while a feeler will wonder who am I going to meet on my 5 mile run today. As a feeler, I like the highs and lows.
ReplyDeleteFirst off: Tommy..WRONG!! Not even close man, way off! Dude I don't know if you knew this, but this wasn't a standardized test question, there was no time limit for the response. Next time, maybe put a little thought into your answer, or better yet, you have my email, shoot me a quick note and I can give you some pointers..awww, just awful man, real bad.
ReplyDeleteCaleb, I expected more from you. Your brother, your own flesh and blood opens himself up in a move of stunning vulnerability, and this is how you respond. Next time, just hop on a plane, fly to Africa, board the ship, walk up to Cyle and kick him squarely in the balls, because that is what your response essentially is. Not cool man, not cool.
And then there's Ralph. Finally, a wise man whose sage words have comforted and inspired many hungry souls literally spanning generations. I loved reading your response...Right up until the first line where it started to completely suck. Touchers, doers, feelers, sniffers? I just could not follow the logic if there even was any. Cyle next time you have deep musing just email me directly so you won't have to sort through all this mindless drivel...Elaina and Mr C, apologies, I don't know you guys so I can't joke with you.
Cyle man, I typed up a thoughtful response to your questions that spanned at least a page. most of it corroborated what was already said but with some vintage Harr perspective (Hearty, full-bodied, robust blah blah). I went to post and something happened and it all went up in smoke, lost in cyberspace somewhere for only Al Gore to retrieve..Rather than try to replicate I just took the opportunity to make fun of Tommy (standard) and from there launched a full offensive...Sorry dude, but bear in mind I've been cooped up with a bunch of utterly lost, restless, under sexed alpha males for the past five months. Your blogs are water for my soul, and I promise I didn't take your musings lightly. You're in my thoughts and prayers man. Take care and hope you and the crew are underway soon. Peace! - Bryan
Brian, your response was hilarious! You gave me a high there for a few minutes. Is highs and highers an option? I think its very important what we are setting our affections on.. Are we making good things an ultimate thing as Mr. Angel Silva has preached about recently. Are are highs an lows based only on good things and not on the ultimate thing, or are we setting our affections on "things above, not on things on the earth. For we are dead and our life is hidden with Christ in God." Good question...
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