Someday Syndrome

I've been reading a blog called "Someday Syndrome" that deals with procrastination. Sure enough, someday I will ... what? Write my novel? Finish my fish pond? Grow up? Ummm, no, that may be pushing it a bit.

Alex Fayle asks a series of questions to get you started. Here are his questions.

1. What is my "Someday"?
2. When do I want to complete it?
3. What are the big steps to get there?
4. What am I doing right now to move things forward?
5. How much progress have I made since starting?
6. Anything missing?

I thought these were very good questions, and might actually be able to help me get started.

What is my "Someday"?

I've started writing three short stories, and each one grew out of control, only to be abandoned as I started another one. NaNoWriMo is coming again in November, and I'd like to be prepared for it. Meaning, having these other stories out of the way. I've want to finish Raider, Green Land, and Shadowsmith by October 31st.

When do I want to complete it?

Well, I want to finish them by October 31st, but ... I've got lots of excuses why I can't, or won't. Perhaps I need to set time limits on each of them. I have six and a half months to go. That gives me two months each, plus 2 weeks leeway. So, finish Raider by June 15th, Shadowsmith by August 15th, and Green Land by October 15th. Give or take a few days. Raider and Shadowsmith are nearly finished anyway. At least, in my head. Green Land keeps getting longer, so I put it last. If I don't finish it, it won't keep me from having done the other two.

What are the big steps to get there?

First, I need to find the notebooks I have the stories written in. I do most of my work long hand, then type it up. That is where I usually have problems. If I have it written down, the story is finished enough for me to enjoy, so why go through the effort of typing it? It's like doubling my work. I also have to work out the details of the endings. I've got the general idea in mind, just not the details. So, find the notebooks, type what I have, and work out the ending.

What am I doing right now to get there?

I've found almost all my written material for Raider already. Unfortunately, a few pages are missing from one of my notepads, so I had to go back and reconstruct the missing material. Its been nearly 3 years since I wrote those pages, and I'm a bit fuzzy on what was there to begin with, but I think I did okay stitching my seams together. I haven't looked for the rest of Green Land or Shadowsmith yet. If I find them now, I'd just lose them again anyway.

How much progress have I made since starting?

I found all my printed material from Raider, and re-read it, so I knew where I'd been, and my characters names. Then I forged on through my hand-written material, filled in that one gap, and wrote a few more pages.

Anything missing?

Yeah, I haven't typed anything up yet. I need to start typing what I have while I have a chance. Faith's laptop broke a while back, so she needs the desktop on occasion. I can write while she's on here, but I need to type while I have it available to me.

This is my "someday." What's yours, and what are you doing about it?

"Stop selling what you have ...

"Stop selling what you have, and start selling what they need. -- IBM"

I found this quote on Twitter, posted by Adrian Warnock.  Okay, honestly, I assume he's quoting something IBM said at one point, although I couldn't find it.  I googled it a bit, and found someone else quoting it a while back, saying its from an ad he saw by IBM.  Even knowing that, I couldn't track it down.  Nevertheless, it got me thinking, (which is something I do when people aren't talking to me).

The church needs to hear this, too.  We have been selling what we have, instead of what the world needs.  And what is it we have?  I guess it depends on where you live.  In America, we have an awful lot.  (Stress on the awful part.)  When I was in college, one of the "big things" circulating was the "Faith Movement," or Hyperfaith, or the name-it-and-claim-it people.  Basically, they said, God loves us and doesn't want to deny us anything.  So, if we pray with faith, God has to answer us, because of His nature and his promises.  "They say I need a shopping mall" mocked Steve Taylor.  I need a bigger house, or a Porsche.

But the world has these things.  It has all these things and more.  More than I can state here.  More than I can even imagine.  Things out of science fiction are popping up today.  The world has "gained the world", but it doesn't need them.

The world also doesn't need another testimony of what "God has done in my life."  Rock stars and movie actors saved from selfish and destructive lifestyles are powerful testimonies.  Then there are stories of kids raised in the midst of gang warfare and drugs, and come through it like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.  God was able to preserve them from falling into that lifestyle, and they don't even smell like smoke.

These are stories from the Church, about the Church.  They are interesting and amusing, sometimes relevant and heart-rending.  But they aren't powerful.  We need to be witnesses to the life of Christ.  His life is the One that can change us.  These others are "effects" to His "cause."  He is the source of power and change.  

Jesus Christ is the exact image of God (Hebrews 1).  If we have seen Jesus, we have seen God (John 1).  His love, His power, His message, His words.  Jesus Christ is, in every aspect of His life, God.  The story of His life demands people make a choice:  believe and be saved, or reject Him and remain in their damnation.

My life makes no such demands.  These are stories about me.  I hope you laugh with me, and have fun with me.  But you don't need me.  The world doesn't need me.  I can offer myself as a friend, or a co-worker, or an anonymous voice online.  But my life has no inherent power in it.

Christ's life is the Gospel.  It is "good news" for all people.  It is powerful.

We have stories, and they need power.

It is the Gospel of Christ Jesus that changes lives, not our anecdotes.

Wake the Dead

If its too loud, well, then you must be too old.

Doesn't this just sound like some young punk making excuses to play his music as loud as he wants?  He's laying the blame on those he's offending, instead of taking the blame for being the offender.  After all, this is America, the land of the free ... free to do whatever I want.  Even if it means inconviencing someone else.  "I can listen to what I want, as loud as I want.  If you don't want your kids hearing these lyrics, take them somewhere else.  If you don't want them to see me dressed this why, go somewhere else.  If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk."

But, hey, wait a second.  Don't some of these words sound a lot like what Jesus said?  Jesus came to "Wake the Dead" and the apostle Paul said "Wake up you sleepy heads".  They sound pretty close to biblical quotations to me.  (Of course, if you've read my blog, you'll know that most everything I see or hear has a biblical lesson in it somewhere.  This one comes closer than many others though.)

I don't think anyone would call Jesus and Paul 'young punks' making excuses for their behaviour.  However, they do lay blame on those they offend.  "If you don't like my message ... If you don't like my lifestyle ... "  Well, the truth is, if the Truth offends you, you must prefer lies.  You must be "old and dead" and set in your ways.

Jesus spoke very harsh words to the Pharisees.  He called them golden cups filled with filth, and beautiful, white-washed sarcophagi filled with dead-mens bones and cobwebs.   Yes, his words were offensive.  His lifestyle condemned their own, because his was righteous, and their's wasn't.  In effect, Jesus said "If my message is too loud, then you must be too old."

So, to all my fellow Christians  --  Turn It Up!

Walking with Ryan

My son and I went for a walk the other day to the corner market, to get a couple drinks.  He talked as we walked through a parking lot, heading for a narrow gap in a chain link fence.  At one point I had to grab his shoulder to point him in the right direction, because he kept drifting into me.  It was a bit annoying, since there was only one obvious exit.  But, he's only 10, and was talking at the same time.  I can't really expect him to walk in a straight line while his mouth is open.

I find the same thing happens in life, in general.  I found myself walking beside other people, metaphorically speaking.  We may or may not be headed to the same place, but we are beside each other for a few days, weeks, or even years.  (Its hard to believe my wife and I have been walking side by side for close to two decades.  I'm just not old enough to have been married that long.)

Some of the people I walk with wobble back and forth, getting in my way.  I'm heading for a specific place in life, and they're steppng in front of me, veering into my path, or forcing me off the sidewalk altogether.  Most of the time, this is unintentional.  For example, I want to be a writer, a real writer who spends his days at home ... um ... writing.  However, my boss won't pay me if I don't show up for work.  See, this is what I'm talking about.  How can I follow my dreams if I'm expected to spend so much time at work?  Of course, there are other drains on my time, energy, and money.  All of these 'things' force me off my elected path.

The same can be said of my spiritual life.  I want to spend more time with God, to truly grow in righteousness and grace and knowledge of God.  All those things the apostle Paul prayed for all Christians to experience.  However, I have a family, so I can't just hare off and become a monk, forsaking all the world in pursuit of spiritual perfection.  Nor can I honestly expect my family to leave me alone to just "leave me alone" while I have a quiet time spent with God.  Our house is too small for me to hide in.

Then there are 'friends' outside of my family and my church.  These are the ones who distract me, showing me other ways of spending my time and my money and my energy.  They aren't specifically targeting me and trying to draw me off the path to God.  They are more like my son, just going their own way, wobbling around, bumping into me, and subtly nudging me off the sidewalk.

Ryan and I finally made it to the corner market and got our drinks.  I knew where I was going, and guided him along the way, too.  I suppose there's a lesson in that, too.

Active Context

In The Way of Aikido, by George Leonard, he writes of waking up listening to an orchestra outside his window, surrounding him.  Beautiful music all around.  Why was there an orchestra outside?  Especially at this time of night?  Then he reached up and touched headphones.  He'd fallen asleep listening to a CD, and woken to a musical interlude.  Instead of an orchestra, it was a CD.  Big difference.

What made the difference?  Context.  His understanding of what was really  happening at the time.  As his understanding changed, so did the whole event.

When we read the Bible, we need to be aware of the context.  Who wrote the passage, to whom, when, under what circumstances.  Read the verses, paragraphs, and chapters before and after.  Getting the whole picture will allow us to understanding the text.  (There is a story of a frontier preacher who taught that Elisha wandered around carrying Elijah's fireplace mantle, because he didn't know a mantle was also an article of clothing.  Just had to throw that in.  *grin*)

But, as Leonard points out, context isn't just a "passive container for our experience," it is an "active process dealing with how we weave our experience together to give it meaning."  Context isn't just for interpreting the Bible.  Its how we look at all of life.  Context "impels and directs our thoughts, emotions, and actions."  So, the way I see things will directly affect the way I interact with them.

If I see a problem, and focus on the problem, I'm giving my energy to it.  I need to focus on those things that made me successful, and direct my energy that way. In the words of Leonard, I need to make sure I don't lose sight of what made me successful in the first place.

And, just what is that?  It is God.  Daily time with God.  Imbibing his Word.  Resting at his feet.  Practicing his presence daily.

Notice in the quote by Leonard, he uses the singular "experience" and not the plural "experiences."  Life is all one piece.  We break it up into days, weeks, years, morning, noon, and night.  But, it is one.  One big experience.  I can't separate my Sundays from my Mondays just because the hour hand slips past the twelve in the depth of the night.  God isn't trapped by the hands on my watch.

When I go to work, or go shopping, to family reunions, or sit down to pay bills (not that I pay bills, my wife does, but you get the picture), what situation am I walking into?  Am I an interloper?  A pariah?  Low man on the totem pole?  Or, am I an ambassador of Christ walking in the power of the his Spirit?

Context.  Is this a problem, or an opportunity for God to show his power amongst those who need to witness his power in action?

I wanna be ...

My daughter announced two days ago she's decided what she wants to be for Halloween:  a pirate.  A splendid, romantic idea, except for the fact that pirates are foul thieves and murderers.  Historically speaking, they terrorized the Caribbean and coastal waters of the southern United States.  Go a bit further back in history, and you'll see they were employed by the English, French, and Spanish in warfare against each other.  Today, the problem is arising again off the east coast of Africa.  I don't think I want my daughter even pretending to be a Somali warlord.



She also said she'd like to be a "Bratz."  Okay, a cool little doll, like a modern Barbie.  But, Bratz appear to be spoiled little girls who dress like tramps.  My opinion only.  I don't play with them, or watch them on tv.  But, the dolls I see ... well, that's too grown up for an eight year old.  I don't think I want to see her dressing like a Brat either.

Her third choice:  She like to dress up like a bride ........

Suddenly, a pirate doesn't sound so bad.

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Speaking their Language

There's a cartoon about a man going door to door, witnessing, but he's having problems with his language.

Christian: Are you lost?

Homeowner: No, I'm standing on my front door step.

Christian: No, I mean, are you blind?

Homeowner: No, I can see just fine.

Christian: No, I mean, do you need to be saved?

Homeowner: I don't think so. I feel just fine.

It would be funny if it weren't so true. We speak our Chrstianese inside the church, which is somewhat okay, if there are no visitors (which is a pretty sad commentary on your church, if you don't have any.) But, we can't really take it outside the church to the streets. Even Jesus had this same problem. "Eat my flesh and drink my blood" sounds an awful lot like cannibalism. And "I came down from heaven" sounds like a "Chariot of the Gods" thing. People who don't speak our language don't understand us.

Missionaries run into this, too. Ever hear the story of the missionary explaining "white as snow" to a group that has never seen snow? Your sins shall be as white as the inside of the coconut sounds weird, but it gets the point across just the same. Or the one who couldn't explain being nailed to a cross, because they didn't have hammers or nails? (God sent him a nail in a can of mandarin orangers, by the way.)

We had a missionary speaking at our church a few weeks ago. She was in northern Cambodia, and explained they can't say "God loves you." And why is that? Because they believe in millions of little gods, demons, spirits, and ancestors, all of whom need appeased.

Love? Love is desire. Desire is of the flesh. Flesh is evil. (Buddhist/Hindu/Animist beliefs, remember).

So, then, "God loves you" really means some little spirit of some kind or other wants to make your life miserable. Just great. That is exactly what they want to hear.

And what about those around me? The nurses I work with, old friends from high school I recently found on Facebook, my mafioso buddies on Myspace? What language do I need to speak to them? Many of my digital friends will never meet me, never get to see "Jesus in my life" and so see the difference he makes.

There is no resolution, no solution, no fix. Not for me. Not now. This is a question that I cannot answer.

Yet.