Chris Maxwell's Newsletter

Another Day Along the Way
Saturday, July 4, 2009

Another day,
We celebrate freedom while living lives of bondage. Trapped in cages of hurry, of performance, of ranking, of status, of wealth, and of success, we fail to enjoy the freedom of joy and calmness.

So, as you hear the fireworks and gain the pounds, pause to notice.

Pausing and noticing aren't easy these days. At least, not for me. I write about it often because I'm trying to practice what I type. Even my moments of silence and solitude are strategically planned in my list of duties. But when I force myself to become un-forced, when I schedule a non-duty moment, I can breathe. I can hit pause, knowing the earth keeps spinning, the Creator keeps loving, and this heart keeps beating.

Too often, familiar surroundings become unnoticed and common scenes seem invisible. By stopping to stare, we see. By slowing the hurry, we gaze. In such moments, the Maker gets a few seconds of our scheduled sprint. He enjoys the time. He invites us to sit, to see, to hear. To breathe.

So, let's do it. Let's enjoy the sights and sounds and smells of summer. Are we noticing? Are we experiencing? While trying, I've journaled thoughts from the last few weeks:

Smiling at friends who came for a visit. Realizing miles don't have the power to separate us relationally if we have the will to stay in touch. Hearing children laugh as they walk on water - with a little help from some rocks.

Learning from news reports about deaths of famous people, nations in conflict, political debates, draft picks, trades, market declines, and popularity contests labeled in religious terms. Do we remember there are lives and hearts and spirits beyond the numbers and stat sheets?

Sitting beside a friend and listening again to the amazing music of David Wilcox. Have people never heard his stories as he tells them in the rhythm of honest, creative, artistic brilliance?

Saying hello to young men and women who will enter the world of college this fall. Do they realize the wonder of themselves and their Maker?

Letting the tastes thrill me, the calories fill me, and the discussions reveal the real me. Why do we often allow past hurts to hinder opportunities for future relational transparency?

Riding on canoes in a river as the water continues moving and guiding. Seeking to listen and nod and grasp an understanding of the deep wounds inside a friend. Capturing simple moments. Remembering the past. Praying the present. Dreaming the future. Reading words which dance and shake and lure and guide. Preparing sermons and articles and talks - slowly learning again to see one word at a time.

Visiting a hospital for the birth of a child. Editing a book which challenges our methods of doing what we do. Playing basketball with friends and realizing my age in every possession. Driving on a road I'd never been on before. Desiring to do right and wrong at the same time while realizing God gives us the freedom to choose. Confessing to the Listener about hurt and wounds which have hidden themselves in the cavernous cave of myself. Forgiving someone who has no clue how their behavior deeply hurt me. Smiling as a friend tells me good news.

Enough of my sights and confessions. Take time for yourself. Let your Guide truly steer your thoughts. Be still. Notice. Observe. Slow yourself and see what shows up. Celebrate the freedom of a moment, a sight, a face, a healing. By stopping, you can go places you've never been before.

Along the way,
Chris Maxwell

Powerful Statement: Glory in the past, glory in the present, glory in the future. The anticipation of glory ends up as participation in glory.
(Eugene H. Peterson, Tell It Slant)