Thursday, February 03, 2011

Reluctant Breakfast

From January 23, 2011 -- I am leaving it in present tense because that's how I pounded it out in the restaurant. And I'll just keep adding to finally post it tonight. So there.

Here's a first: Jesus wants to go to breakfast and I don't want to.

He wants to talk and I don't want to hear it.

It's the kind of thin-lipped, brow-scrunched, cheek-chewed morning that casts my memory back to the kicking and screaming I first did when He called me to start this blog. "You must be kidding: Because God said to put it out there ..." is not just a sassy little title I made up. I was mad, struggling with things that were too big for me, annoyed that my boat was rocking, and wanting to keep it bloody quiet, thank you very much. I'd say that I am ticked off all over again just thinking about it, but I think that's today's ticked-offedness roiling, not juice from five years ago.

It's been many, many weeks now that I have recognized an increasing tendency to let the noise and busyness of life be okay with me alongside a decreasing desire to hear deep things. I want to be efficiently surface shallow that I get lots of things done. I am more and more drawn to what my pal Amber calls "the siren call of suburbia". I want peace and quiet and simplicity and to do what I want when I want. In a cute little house.

It's been a stretching, tiring few years, and I think God has given me some sweet respite in there, where he said, "It's okay. Just be quiet and rest." And there were things I couldn't sort in my brain and it felt good to ignore them to some degree and say, "Too hard. Don't need to know. Yours, God, not mine."

And I don't think there's anything theologically wrong with that. In fact, it's probably the way to live with him if I could find the groove to stay in it. But I do think that I have let the brain vacation dally on more than was intended and I have become too content with making me cozy and allowed that in turn to blossom into an impatience to wait on God long enough to hear his voice instead of just the "not so bad" ideas and thoughts that well up from my lump of fatty brain mass.

An increased hunger for him combined with decreased patience on my part and an inability, and, frankly, a lack of desire, to quiet my soul and do the hard surrender that listening requires has left me here ...

desperately feeling the void in my soul and furious as heck that he wants to talk to me about it and maybe call me to things I don't want to hear about.

Mix that in with a current season of sensing consistent, loud condemnation in my heart and soul over just about everything connected with my work and ministry, which I know is not from him but is freaking loud right now, and you have a pretty ugly Sluss cocktail.

Which is why I am pondering locking this blog-thing down to invited readers only if I am supposed to get really honest out here. But then there's this out-loud, slightly shouting tussle I get into with God about why he says he wants me writing and putting all my blah-blah out there anyway. I am not pickin' up what he's puttin' down at the moment, if ya catch my drift.

All that to say, I was completely willing to turn down bacon in order to avoid breakfast with him. But go I did. We'll see what French toast and the Holy Spirit have to say about things in the long run.

10 comments:

Wendy said...

The public blog is a funny, funny beast. There's a lot I don't say because I know my parents read my blog and I wonder if my spouse's parents might happen upon it some day. Tough question.

sally said...

LOVED this post!

Thank you!

I'm glad you're back in blog world.

Both Fex said...

And there were things I couldn't sort in my brain and it felt good to ignore them to some degree and say, "Too hard. Don't need to know. Yours, God, not mine."

Heh. That's my cloth you're cutting.

Crystal said...

You're back =). I love your heart-level thoughts. How easy it is to be lured in by that Suburban siren. Keep writing, this is good stuff.

Chris Skaggs said...

By the time I'm posting this comment I have the benefit of having seen you on the other side.

This post reminds me of a song by Five OClock People called 'Angry Rant' where they sing:

I made this bed, I'll lie in it.
I know what you said, but I don't want to be forgiven yet.

Robyn Rochelle E. said...

When and where did you go to Breakfast???? I am just curious if He showed up... Hummmm maybe I am more curious with if you showed up to hear Him???? Hugs! I am missing blogging: reading them, writing them, enjoying them. There is such a shallow thing that goes with FB. It seems that that is the IN thing to be doing, not to say I haven't got an account, I do. But I think I am sad that blogs have gone to the wayside. Where are you????
Your honesty is needed.

Robyn Rochelle E. said...

Waiting???? Where are you????

Chris Skaggs said...

A year later...adn no more blogs?

Palak said...

good job!♥☻

RC said...

Kathie...
I don't know if you would remember me. We met in Germany.
I am back in the states.
If you want to get in touch. I would love it.
I got married...
God is always surprising :-)
Don't really want to leave my email here, so I will leave our website. Contact me there. You can send an email...
http://www.readthebiblewithrobyncox.com/