Now

I’m a Christ-follower. I’m a Millennial. I’m married. And I’m a parent. If you asked me what concerned me the most today as a Millennial parent, it would be this:

The discipleship journey of my son and his generation.

Our inability to address the issues raised by Millennials and their relationship with the rest of the church has now found its way into how Millennials now parent. We have great hopes for our kids, but precious few examples today of what authentic discipleship is. It seems the connection is yet to be made between the fact that the current state of Millennial’s and their relationship to the church  (which got a lot of buzz a few years back with the release of the Barna Group’s book, You Lost Me) are the results of the past 20 years of church family dynamics, children’s ministry, youth ministry, and parenting. If one follows the history of the past 20 years, and listens to what research is telling us, it’s apparent we have lessons to learn… but more importantly, for those who are brave enough, a future to change.

If we keep doing what we are doing, we won’t get more of the same- we’ll get worse.

Of Millennials  who grew up in the church, 59% have dropped out. (You Lost Me, David Kinnaman).

This is a problem, right? What does this mean for our sons and our daughters?

Discipleship has to be talked about in a new way because it is a new day.

Prioritizing programs over presence and relationships has not worked. Knowing a child’s name and what is stirring in their souls is more important than acing the system. What if their boredom  or need for entertainment is because we are bored, too? This generation has far more in them that God wants to do through them than we could ever imagine. But they need to see us embrace this first.

Millennials, it is time for us to dig deep for ourselves. It’s time for us to prioritize our own discipleship journey. Our own God-closess is the best chance our kids will have to see what it looks like to be His.

We’ve craved authentic community, and for the church to be a place we are at home. What if we asked the real questions? What if we moved in and made it home? What if we had the humility to ask for guidance, but also the courage to cast vision for what we hope for our kids? To require the future of discipleship in the life of the church be talked about, thought about, and acted out differently.

It’s time for us to fumble and try and fail and try again at developing the real, God-focused relationships we perhaps caught glimpses of growing up. It’s time for us to find those people we need to sharpen us, and to speak to our kids the truth we ourselves would speak over them. Our kids will need their voices desperately. It’s time to seek out what we crave- we are made to be one body, but the body we grew up experiencing felt segmented, divided, generational, and programmed. Let’s do the work of cultivating community.

It’s time for us to ask better questions, tell greater stories, and to invite each other and our kids into the wonder of God at work … in us, and in the greater story we are all a part of. To go to the broken places, and say, “Me too. But God…” To go to the least of these, and say, “So am I. But God…” To let our kids go beyond the screen to places where all their senses are engaged, and their hearts are gripped by what is possible… by all God has dreamed up for them.

It’s time for us to embrace our identity as disciples so that we might speak over our kids the truth of who they are, and what we whole-heartedly believe they CAN do now. We have the honor of inviting them to go farther, higher, and deeper than we ever will. What if it looked like multiple generations learning from each other, loving each other, praying for each other, knowing each other, serving each other, and listening to each other?

It is time we fall in love with His Word for ourselves. We have to seek His voice and be so rooted in His presence that the natural overflow of our time in His presence spills out over on to our families and this generation. They would see a community who wrestles with the hard questions of culture, science, and sexuality. They would see a church deeply anchored in the hope our souls have been given.

Resistance to new conversations about what discipleship could look like in our churches is more about fear than “holding ground.” Millennials, let’s be humble, but let’s be brave, too.

What I’m not saying is that everything about the past 20 years in the life of the church has been for nothing or that it was all wrong. The Lord is on the throne, and He is leading His people and NOTHING will stop His church. There a countless men and women who have shown us more of what Jesus looks like, and have poured their lives out on behalf of us and their love for Jesus.  Yet, we also learn from the past and the present as we seek His guidance for the future, don’t we?

I had the opportunity to sit down with a legend a week ago… A man who has faithfully served the church, families and children for decades. I asked him what he was most hopeful for for the future of children’s ministry and the next generation.

“First, let me share what I’m afraid of. We are drifting as a church. Scripture is no longer the source of our breath and our foundation for life. We prefer books by people we know the names of. I fear we might fail to grasp what God has offered to us. But therein also lies the hope- that a generation would be marked by God-closeness… to be so close to Him they embody a love for Him, His Word, His presence, His voice. If we could be willing to embrace the adventure of discipleship for this generation, well, that would change everything.”

One look at my son and my soul is undeniably stirred.

It’s time to change everything.

Today

She looked really embarrassed. Her sweet little baby girl appeared to be not even two months old, and was crying loudly. This beautiful momma apologized to her friend having lunch with her as she stood up to bounce her little girl and “shh” in her ear.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that she kept glancing over at me as I was busily working at my corner of Panera that day- my headphones in, making calls, and answering emails.

After about ten minutes, baby girl had settled and was peacefully resting in her mother’s arms. The incredible mom was scarfing down the remainder of her lunch- from experience, I’m sure she was trying to eat as fast as she could to leave before the next crying spell hit.

As she was packing up, she looked over at me and said with a wince, “I’m so sorry!”

I smiled, pulled out my headphones and said, “Oh, please don’t say that. I was actually just thinking about what a great mother you are.”

Her expression let me know she didn’t feel like it in the moment.

“You know, my son used to do the same thing. I know the moments and sometimes the days can feel really long, but it is only a phase… and it goes fast. She’s an amazing and beautiful little girl. She’s doing great. And so are you!”

She smiled, “How old is your son?”

“Almost two.” I said, starting to tear up.

“And it’s been fast?” she wondered out loud.

“Yes. Very. And he’s the greatest gift we have ever been given.”

She looked down at her little one and smiled. Then her eyes met mine again.

“Thank you.” she sighed like she was letting out a breath she had been holding for a while.

As she walked out the door with her friend and her little one, I reflected on how fast the days really do go by. Our days are unique- each one an opportunity for our roots to go deeper in to His presence and all He has dreamed up for us. Each one an opportunity for our lives to help the ones (especially the littles!) around us to get to know Jesus a little bit better. And they matter. They matter because we have eternal vision.

Friends, mothers, fathers… I don’t know the pace or rhythm you’re sustaining right now, but let’s soak up those smiles, those giggles, those drawings, and the messes on the floor (because they mean something fun happened…usually 🙂 )…and let’s make sure that in the crying or fits, we breath and let mercy drown our own frustrations and impatience. Let’s be gentle with our own hearts as we seek to guide theirs to the Father. And in our plans and goals and lists, let’s make sure we linger long enough in today to savor the whimsy and the wonder it holds.

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” Psalm 65:8

Hugs!

Michayla

Dirty Knees

If you ever went to Sunday School, you likely remember the flannel graph (can I get a witness?) of the story of the man born blind from John 9. The one where Jesus mixed some dirt with his spit and made mud (the boys loved this part), and then put it on the man’s eyes.

When I dig into John 9 now (sans flannel graph), after wandering a little bit further down the path of my discipleship journey since sitting in Sunday School, I’m enraptured by this encounter.

This man has been treated and told from the beginning of his life that there must be something horribly flawed in him that he would be born blind. Imagine growing up in the dark, not only physically, but also emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

He passed his days begging near the temple. He knew the Scripture. He had been listening. My guess is he probably also asked- maybe not out loud, but certainly in the quiet of his own heart- “Why?”. A lot.

Now imagine a hot, dusty day. A day like the one before. Another day of sitting and begging. And then he hears something. Jesus’ disciples ask Him about the man’s blindness… was it his fault or his parents fault? To which Jesus answers a glorious, “Neither.”

Imagine the blind man’s heart pounding as he hears Jesus kneel down- His knees causing the gravelly dirt to crunch as He moves in even closer. “This happened,” Jesus speaks, “so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ”

Imagine the way the blind man holds his breath as Jesus spits on the dirt in front of Him and listens as Jesus is moving the dirt around. Then imagine the way he startles as Jesus gently holds his face with one hand, and rubs his eyes with mud with His other hand. I bet he didn’t know what to feel in this moment. Would you?

Jesus tells him to go and wash, so he finds his way to a pool and washes. And imagine… seeing light for the first time! Trees. People. Everything. 

The healing of his blindness was a miracle. Unheard of. It was a gift. However, I think the greatest gift this man received was the truth of his identity. This Jesus- the One Who found this man and proclaimed that he was set apart from the very beginning to be used to display the glory of God- is the same Jesus with the same GREAT news for you, too!

There is a God who knew you before the light was separated from darkness… a God Who dreamed up a beautiful purpose for your story here on this earth, and friend? He is the kind of God who doesn’t walk past you. He is the kind of God who stops and lovingly gazes down at you sitting in the dust. He SEES you. He is the kind of God who kneels down, and lets the dirt and rocks dig into His knees as He inches closer to where you are huddled. He is the kind of God who whispers truth over you as He touches your face with great tenderness.

He is able to heal and bring to life what has faded and seemingly turned to ash around us. Oh friend, I don’t know where you are tonight or what the state of your soul is… I sure hope that you’re thriving as you live out of the abundance of your identity as a disciple of Jesus, but, if you’re not, may I speak over you the words Jesus spoke over this man? Would you take them as your own?

That ache deep down in your soul, the questions that feel like waves slapping up against your face as you struggle to stay above water, the words that you are using to define yourself by that are not meant for you… nothing about this is actually what you think it is.

You are here so that you might be a magnificent display of the glory of our Resurrected King!

This place you find yourself in was never meant to be your ending. This place is an opportunity you’ve been given to look into the face of the One kneeling in the dirt right there with you, and let Him wash over your soul. This place is where we embrace that every facet of our life as an occasion for the manifestation of God’s glory and His purposes- even in our suffering. This place is where we realized that it is not in spite of our weaknesses and brokenness, but because of our weakness and brokenness that He is up to something marvelous (something the world can look at and be dumbfounded!).

So, what’s the most beautiful part of the story of the man born blind?

After he was miraculously healed, and after the Pharisees grilled him repeatedly for information about Jesus, this beautifully mysterious Savior sought him out again. (The blind man never got to see Jesus after he was healed- he had only heard Him.)

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” Jesus asks.

Fervently, the man begs for the answer to the question. Instead of telling him simply, “It is I.” Jesus responds in a way that acknowledges what is now a miraculous gift this man possesses- his sight. “You have seen Him. It is He who is speaking to you.”

And the man’s response is one I invite you, dear friend, to declare as your own confession: Lord, I believe!

Fellow disciple, we have been given purpose from before the beginning. The God who gave us this purpose knows us, seeks us out, and is infinitely worthy of our worship! Whether it’s with Him kneeling down in the dirt with us, or standing and gazing afresh into His face for what feels like the first time, your soul can rest there in His presence. Tonight, may our hearts be filled with wonder as we draw closer to Him- the One who makes the blind see.

Hugs!

Michayla

Make It Sing

I had that feeling in the pit of my 11 year old stomach that you get when you know your teacher knows you didn’t really master what she asked you to… anyone else remember that feeling?

After finishing a feeble attempt at a song I still can’t remember, I sat still- looking ahead the sheet of music in front of me. The silence was deafening. Because I couldn’t take it anymore, I turned and looked at my teacher. She was just sitting there grinning back at me.

“You didn’t like this song, did you?” she quietly asked.

“Not really.” I mumbled, shifting awkwardly on my piano bench.

“Michayla, great musicians can take ordinary sheet music and make it sing. I think you can make this sing.”

The look on my face must have given away that I wasn’t picking up what she was laying down. So she tried a different approach.

“You are in choir, right? What makes a song incredible to listen to? A vocalist captivating?”

“They make people love it, too.” I answered, thinking of Mrs. Falbo from my children’s choir not only drilling excellence into us, but love for the music itself. She made sure we loved it enough that we could bring the audience along with us.

“So what would happen if you could take this ordinary piece of music-book sheet music, and loved it?”

I shrugged. It was an ordinary piece of sheet music. Why should I love it?

“If you can make the ordinary sing, imagine what you could do with the extraordinary.”

---

Imagine.

It’s an ordinary Friday. The end of an ordinary week.

Or is it?

I’m interrupted with a question: How do I make today sing? 

And not just doing things better. Not dropping everything and going to do something that seems spectacular.

No. That’s too easy. Too obvious.

Today would be extraordinary if I… if you… if we could shower people with the love of the One we love. So right now, I’m looking at a young woman who is cleaning tables like a rock star here at Dunkin. I’m going to smile, tell her thank you, and on my way out, I’m going to put a tip in their tip jar. I’m going to notice people today, and be mindful of what their spirits need.

And what about you, friend? How will you make today sing?

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

And friend? You are loved. Hugs!

Michayla

 

 

The Trees vs. The Forest

We were on a mission. If we didn’t accomplish this mission, the world around us would surely fall apart. There would be crying and gnashing of teeth. Literally.

• The target: Teething tablets
• The location: Target (not to be confused with the target mentioned above)
• The agents: Mommy and Daddy
• The variable: A tired, teething almost-2-year-old

I am fully aware of the drama riddling the first few lines of this blog post, but if you have ever been there, you know that this is legit. 🙂

We were almost home free. We had only experienced two break-downs on our way to the aisle with the tablets-of-awesomeness. On our way to the check-out, we ran into one of our dearest friends.

“Are you sick? You look tired.”

Shocked, I looked at my husband and then down at my two year old. For the first time that day, I noticed their exhausted faces. Realizing I must look just like them, if not worse, I smiled weakly.

“It’s been a rough couple of days.”

We parted ways after a short conversation, and we checked out. Mission accomplished. As we were walking out, I looked at my husband, and said,

“You’re a great dad. And he’s a great kid. And I’m a great mom. It’s just been a rough couple days.”

It may have seemed like I said that for my husband’s benefit, but the truth is… I was speaking it out loud to remind myself to not get caught up so much in the trees that I forget what it feels like to look at the whole forest.

A few teething tablets and a walk to the park later, our little man turned from a raging, teething toddler into a ray of sunshine as he giggled running across the playground. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. It was a message from my friend who saw us in a moment of real-life parenting:

“Hang in there. You’re doing great.”

I smiled as I gazed at my son working up the nerve to go down the slide. Yeah, we are.

Mothers of little ones- you’re doing a beautiful work. Even on rough days. Even when you’re tired. Even when you’re not sure… Maybe even embarrassed. Be gentle with your hearts, dear friends- we so often speak words to ourselves that are simply not true. As the sun goes down tonight, let’s embrace the beauty of this day, and simply rest in His presence.

He knows. And He is delighted with you.

Can I, as a friend, just let you know to hang in there? You’re doing great.

Hugs!

Michayla

The One Thing I Hope My Child’s Kidmin Leader Does

As a parent from the Millennial generation, there are a lot of things I hope for my son when it comes to his faith journey.

I hope he comes to know Jesus – that as a young boy he will love Him deeply, and serve Him joyfully.

I hope he gets to know Jesus so well through his own time with Him, and through seeing Him in others, that his presence in the world changes it because he is becoming more like his Savior.

I hope he has a community that he loves and that loves him well.

I hope this strong-will and fiery passion that I’m encountering right now in the form of toddler-tantrums 🙂 will somehow transform into a leader who is courageous, dauntless, and sold out to what he has been called to.

But, when it comes to the incredible leaders who give week-in and week-out to our church family… the ones who make sure everything is just-so every Sunday and mid-week. The ones who run summer camps, and the ones who volunteer to fill up water balloons or fill up Dixie Cups with Goldfish for events…. Any leader who will have a part in my son’s spiritual journey, I hope they do one thing:

Thrive in their own discipleship journey.  

Don’t get me wrong- I sure do appreciate the programs they’ve developed. I know a lot of thought, effort, and money went into the curriculum that was chosen. I know the time it takes for them to schedule volunteers, make sure check-in is safe and secure, keep the cabinets stocked, make sure paper and crafts are ready… I know the hours they’ve poured into making the events happen. To make nursery clean and inviting. To make the environments feel like they’ve thought about things from a  kid’s perspective.

I also know the hours they’ve lost sleep over wondering if it makes a difference. And it does.

But as a parent… I  just want them to know that there is one thing I really hope for them.

I hope they are thriving. I hope they have spent so much time with Jesus that my son can’t wait to get to know Him better because he sees Him in them. I hope that there is a rhythm in their week that allows them to be rooted in His presence so my son can see man or woman whose soul is at rest. I hope they are getting filled back up as they empty themselves out each week. I hope their own kids are getting the best of their energies. I hope they are serving out of the abundance of their relationship with Jesus, and not a lack.

The best thing any person (including myself) can do for a child’s spiritual journey is to be so rooted, so deeply invested in their own relationship with Him… what radiates off of people who spend time with Jesus is attractive and contagious. They look like grace. They look like love. They look like joy. They look like freedom.

They look like Him. 

And that’s what my son needs to see.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Hugs!

Michayla

Where Guilt Is

It kind of felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest this morning.

There’s nothing that makes my descent into guilt feel more like Six Flags’ Giant Drop instead of a gradual decline than when my son is battling separation anxiety as I head off to work. That cry. Those arms around my neck. All the emotions going through his little body.

In these moments, it’s almost impossible to feel like good – even mediocre- mom. And these moments… well, they’re just  the right-sized cracks in my heart that lies and shame need to crawl in and wreak havoc on my soul.

My soul sister and I were sharing the depths of our lives with each other not long ago, and we were reflecting on how we allow shame and guilt into our lives even though we KNOW truth. We have the verses, we’ve memorized passages, we’ve read the books and devotionals… we know. But allowing truth to penetrate our souls, to seal up those cracks … that’s another matter. Knowledge is not equal to embodiment. 

It’s the movement of this knowledge into the transformation of our souls that requires supernatural work.

He freely offers peace, grace, truth, light, water, and rest for our battered souls. Knowing this is not enough. I have to claim it. Run to it. Hands open in expectation for what He promises to give. This is only found in His presence.

“…and in Christ you have been brought to FULLNESS. He is the head over every power and authority. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:10, 13-14)

The failures, guilt, shame, and short-comings = nailed to the cross. The more we spend time in His presence, the more we get to know His grace, the more we can throw kindness and grace around like confetti. (Even toward our own hearts when we’re our worst source of condemnation.)  

The next time we feel guilt moving in, we need to remind it where it really is- nailed to that cross. 

Sisters (and brothers), whatever is finding its way into the cracks in your heart today, can I speak some truth and grace over you?

You’re loved. You don’t have to try so hard. He’s already pleased with you.

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

You’re seen. He knows what happened this morning, and what will happen as your day goes on.  He’s offering peace for your soul. Put your hope in Him, and find rest at His feet.

“For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps” Job 34:21

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

You’re His ambassador. Do you claim this today? That you’re the representation of His Son to those you encounter? I hope you receive this, and that your sense of purpose and calling inflates beyond what you can imagine as you walk forward today.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:20a

As I drove in to work, I claimed the wonder of these truths and prayed peace over my son’s heart, and my own. I prayed for a day where he could see beauty, and that his little heart would find wonder and delight in the simple things as it so often does.

Friends, I hope you sense His presence, that you become more aware of the wonder and delight of His glory around you today, and that you’re overcome by these truths.

Hugs!

Michayla

Soul Symptoms

My grandpa was an incredible doctor. He gave his patients as much time as they wanted, and he never settled for “good enough” solutions for them. His heart was for healing. 

One of his patients came to him after she had quite literally exhausted every option. The last specialist she visited essentially told her to “get her things in order.” Her symptoms were being treated with myriad medications, but the root… whatever the root was… was still lurking. Still responsible for chipping away at her quality of life.

He tirelessly researched, ran tests, researched more, contacted colleagues, ran more tests… until he discovered the root of her problem.

Celiac. It was way, way back when celiac wasn’t even on the radar, but this discovery changed this woman’s life. It gave her back to her family.

I got to hug her at my grandpa’s funeral. She loved him because he saved her life. She was alive, and LIVING life, because he didn’t settle for just taking care of her symptoms.

Symptom by definition means subjective, observable evidence of a disturbance. They help us know when something needs our attention. Symptoms can be treated, but curing what is causing the disturbance is truly the goal.

Just as physical symptoms are a cue to address sickness, and emotional symptoms are a cue to address potential psychological disturbances, it’s vital that when we see pain points rising up in our families, communities, or ministries that we pray for wisdom to know what is at their root. 

Here are three pain-filled symptoms that let us know we may need to address a soul issue:

• Fatigued spirit- I don’t mean just physically tired, but also emotionally and spiritually drained. You just have fumes left, but what’s being asked of you is more than you have in your being to offer. It’s like a car being expected to successfully drive from Boston to LA on one tank of gas while someone is trying to syphon gas from the tank while it’s in motion. No amount of coffee can help this kind of tired (that’s experience talking 🙂 ). If you’re this kind of tired, it’s time to step away and step into the presence of God. Invite a brother or sister into this with you- you’re never meant to do this alone. 
• Guilt– Fatigue and guilt are fraternal twin sisters. They come together even though they’re different. Guilt is the negative words (lies) that you speak to yourself when you’re not living up to your expectations (which is just part of the deal when your spirit is fatigued). These lies are poison to the soul, and guilt disables with laser-precision your ability to see whimsy (Jesus in unexpected places) and wonder (awe of how the Spirit is at work) around you and the truth of who (and Whose) you are. If guilt is chipping away at your soul and spirit, it’s time to be washed in Words of truth and claim the real promises of God about who you are. Ask a trusted friend to speak truth over you, and to pray against the lies you’re hearing.
• Isolation– You are around people all day, but your self is hidden. You can’t let people see how exhausted you are, and your guilt keeps you from reaching out for support. After all, everyone else needs you, and you need to be “ok” for them. Obviously, this is well-intentioned, but it is outlined with pride. Humility acknowledges the fact that we can’t, and were never meant to, do life on our own. It’s vital we have at least one person who we can connect with on a soul level. A person in whose presence we can rest, and who will invite us to sit with Jesus when we’ve forgotten we’ve always had the immediacy of His presence.

On their own, we could address the symptoms multiple ways. However,  based on His words in 2 Samuel 22 and Hebrews 6, the most important thing we can do is to run to the presence of God where our souls were created to be, and allow our Father to reveal the truth of who we are because of Who He is. When we are feeling these symptoms, the root cause can only be found and healed as we spend time in the presence of the Lover of our soul.

“In my distress I called to the Lord;
    I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came to his ears.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters. 

You, Lord, are my lamp;
    the Lord turns my darkness into light.
 With your help I can advance against a troop;
    with my God I can scale a wall.

 As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.” from 2 Samuel 22 

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”  Hebrew 6:19-20

Hugs!

Michayla

The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Stay Rooted

I was planting flowers in our front yard. My son (who is almost two years old) woke up from his nap as I was wrapping up. I brought my groggy Little Man outside, and gave him some chalk to play with while I attempted to get the last of my flowers planted.

Alas, chalk is not nearly as enthralling as the activity I was doing, so he wanted to get in the mix. Literally… there was potting mix on his hands in no time. To keep him from picking the flowers, I handed him a dandelion flower to hold on to.

He sat observing me digging the dirt, putting the plant in, and patting dirt back around it. He studied me as I went down the row. Next thing I know, he is attempting to stick the dandelion stem into the dirt. He wanted to plant his flower, too. (I’ll leave out the part about his melt down that the flower wouldn’t stay in like my flowers did…)

Cut flowers still look like flowers.

The problem with cut flowers is that they’ve been removed from what gave them life, so their fading is inevitable. Even though they don’t look dead quite yet, they most surely will be in a matter of days.

Jesus used this illustration in John 15 when He shared with His followers the most important thing they could do for their soul—to be rooted in the presence of the Lord. He reminded them that apart from Him, they could do nothing. Truly, we know it and we feel it when we are attempting to go forward without the full power of the Source of our life. Like those cut flowers, we sense the eminency of just how long we can hold onto the façade of life.

It’s easy to go through motions. I think we can all admit we’ve done it, yes? Which means we can all agree that it’s one of the most exhausting and dissatisfying places we could be, right? Jesus knew this, and that’s why he lovingly shared the key to being a disciple.

They were to abide in Him.

To remain in His love.

To keep His commandments.

Because, if they would do these things, HIS joy would be in them… so their joy would be full. He was expressing what they needed to do to live out of the fullness of their identity as a child of God and a disciple of Jesus.

The most important thing we could do to stay rooted is to give first priority to our identity as a child of God and disciple of Jesus, not to the roles we have been given to steward.

Truth is, when I am focused on being the best at all of my roles, I am actually at my worst (because I’m depending on myself). Living out of the fullness of my identity produces an abundance that flows over into all of my roles (because I’m abiding in Him). An identity rooted in the truth of who we are is the only possible way to bring coherence and grace to the many roles we steward.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5 ESV

That dandelion looked like it was alive for a little bit, but without the connection to the plant it was picked from, its fate was inevitable. It didn’t last. Friends, I pray we are humble enough to consistently check to see what has our “first”, and to do the most important thing we can do to stay rooted.

Abide.

Hugs! 

Michayla 

Two Spiritual Disciplines That You Might Have Forgotten About (That Are Good For Your Soul)

You can feel it in the air here… summer time is close! You may have just graduated or have kids or family members that have graduated (Congrats!!). Maybe you’ve been preparing for the summer camp program you run, or maybe you’re in the midst of planning a killer summer vacation (if it’s to Disney, I can help. For real.). Perhaps you may just be happy to be throttling down from the past season, and settling into the fresh rhythm of summer.

Whatever the case may be, it’s quite possible that  your soul could use some attention. Here are a few spiritual disciplines (that you might have forgotten about in the business of this past season) that are good for your soul.

Solitude

As a people person, this is not always my “go-to” spiritual discipline, but it has increasingly been one that I’ve found vital to my soul’s health.

 “Jesus often withdrew into lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16)

I’m so glad Jesus modeled this for the disciples and for us. The King of the Universe would step away from noise and people to be alone with God the Father, to hear from Him, and to be strengthened for His ministry.

Friend, if you’re on the edge of burnout, solitude is the best next step for you. We can’t move forward on steam- we need intimacy with our Source.

I know you’re busy. I know solitude is tough to find. Find the cracks in your day, widen them, and fill them with nothing. I’ve found time for solitude in my mini-van in the Target parking lot before I go grocery shopping. Sometimes I find it out on a walk or run through our neighborhood. Other times, you may need to truly get away (think retreat). You can sense what your soul needs. Listen to that.

Soul Sisters/Brothers

Funny, on the heels of solitude I’m now telling you to find someone to get together with. 🙂 This is a transformative discipline. The key here is to find a brother (for the brothers) and a sister (for the sisters) who you can truly connect with on a soul level. A high degree of trust, transparency, and love for one another is key.

I am captivated by Luke’s description of the believers in Acts who were one in heart and mind, and that they joined together constantly in prayer. Can you imagine what it looked like to have a community of people who were so strongly unified, and so strongly committed to each other and to prayer?

We need these people in our lives that our souls are at rest with. Sometimes it’s tough to find these soul friendships- we know a lot of people, but depth takes time to achieve.

One of my soul sisters does not go to my church, and I do not work with her- and that just makes me smile because it means our friendship is built on so much more than history or the circles we run in. It’s soul level. I need her presence in my life, and she helps me get to know Jesus better every time I’m around her.

Friend, I encourage you to make the time for those soul friendships. Your soul craves it. You’ll get to know Jesus better because of it.

My prayer for you, friends, is pretty well summed up by this verse: “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”   3 John 1:2

Hugs!

Michayla