Alan Fadling's Blog, page 46

Expanding Care Through Prayer

Over the years, I (Alan) have experienced a connection between praying for people and caring for people.

 

Our life of serving others is richer when our circle of prayer is larger than our circle of care. The Spirit of God wants to make our hearts more spacious in our caring about others. His love will always be greater than mine, but God dwells in me and wants to pour His love not only into my heart but through my heart into others. To live the lifestyle of the overflowing cup, I must learn that God is always pouring and that I can welcome God’s infilling at any time.

 

The more time we spend in the presence of God, thinking of people and remembering their needs to His grace, the more we experience God’s concern for those hurts and needs. This enriches my interactions with them and gives me insight into how I might serve them. It “peoplizes” (a word coined by my mentor, Chuck Miller) my life and work.

 

If my heart lacks care for a particular person, God’s Spirit is inviting me to bring them into His presence. Learning to hear His heart of love for them will kindle the same love in me.

 

Reflection questions

Who would you like to extend care to in your life these days?
What would it look like to bring them into God’s presence for a few minutes of listening prayer?
What might God give you that would become a blessing to them?

 

(Purchases made via the links may provide an Amazon Affiliate commission fee to Unhurried Living. This adds nothing to the cost of your purchase.)

 

Photo by Jeremy Yap on Unsplash

ICDT #12: The In Between Matters

 

Sometimes we imagine that the in between parts are unimportant. We only live for the big and notable moments. And, typically, these are the moments we post on social media. Social media can be a place where we curate our own version of quick transitions, showing the best and moving our story along.

But most of our life is in the in-between. That’s why presence and being in the moment matters. It can be easy to waste time or numb ourselves in those moments if we think they are just filler.

Rather than doing quick transitions through life, remind yourself that every moment matters because every moment is a moment 

with

 God. The in-between matters. The in between is where the people are and it’s where life happens.

UL Podcast #201: Unhurried is Time Enough for What Matters

 

Unhurried is about making time in our lives for what matters most. The irony is that when we are frantically busy, we often run past what (and who) matters most in our lives. We can learn to slow down to remember and do what matters most to us and to God.

Today I talk with dear friends John Freeman and Jeb Shore on how we take this simple idea and live into it's reality for our living and leading.

The Benefits of a Counterintuitive Move

A few years ago, we were able to spend time visiting family near Sacramento, California. We were there, in part, to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Alan’s dad. It was fun to be together for such a milestone occasion.

 

Alan’s brother is an international pilot who owns a four-seat Cessna built in the 1950s. While we were together, we had the opportunity to take flight on three occasions. One morning we flew a quick 30 minutes to a town 110 miles away, just to have breakfast and walk around the quaint streets.

 

As we were taking off and heading back to their home, my brother-in-law made some comments about making a long circle around during takeoff and the benefits of that as opposed to a straight-up takeoff.

 

A metaphor for unhurried living came into focus for me as he described the dynamics. Once Alan and I were back home, I emailed and asked him to describe what he meant in more detail. Here is his lightly edited response:

 

When we took off, we decided to do it in an unhurried fashion. The town (elevation 3,419 feet) sits in a valley, surrounded by mountains up to 7,700 feet.

 

On takeoff, it would be possible to make a 90-degree right turn directly toward our destination, but we would have had to make a pretty steep climb. That steeper climb results in a slower airspeed, which means less airflow over the engine, which could cause an overheat. Also, the steeper climb angle makes it harder to see over the nose to avoid obstacles and other aircraft.

 

Finally, the lower airspeed leaves less margin for error in the event of wind shifts that could cause a loss of airspeed and eventually stall of the wing, resulting in a potential accident.

 

Conversely, by making a very slow 270-degree turn LEFT, we added five or ten minutes to our flight time, but it allowed for a higher airspeed, lower pitch angle, and more margin for error by the time we reached the mountains.

 

Although this maneuver took a bit more time, it provided a cooler engine (which means longer lifetime), better visibility, and better terrain clearance for more comfort for us on board.

 

I know there are a lot of flying details here, but are you with me? Let’s unpack some of the parallel metaphors that apply for our lives.

 

Heading directly toward our destination in the way that seems fastest and best may not always be the healthiest or safest maneuver. (Refer back to the paragraph describing the 90-degree right turn.)

 

We may not have an engine that can overheat, but we are all susceptible to burnout.

 

Our steep trajectory may make it harder to see obstacles. We may obscure our own view by taking what seems to us the most direct path.

 

By taking an alternate direction and path that add only a small amount of time, the issues of burnout and visibility are resolved. In the long run, our energy (engine life) is extended, and we can have better vision and an increased comfort level for our lives.

 

For some of you, it may feel like I’m stretching it here. But I believe we can pick up life lessons from almost any situation. There are dynamics all around us—natural, mechanical, seasonal, and even physiological—that can teach us how things work at peak performance.

 

More is not always better. Higher is not always better. Faster is not always better. Sometimes taking a bit more time and adjusting your speed and pitch, even slightly, can be just what you need to extend and enjoy this one wonderful and fulfilling life you’ve been given.

 

Reflection 

What unexpected or unhurried path is God inviting you to take?
Think back on a situation in which you rushed and then paid for it in some way. How might you have handled that differently?
How might God be leading you to take your own counterintuitive, 270-degree left turn?
What other insights did you catch in the flight dynamics?

UL Podcast #200: The Soul of a Hero (Steve Arterburn)

 

Alan and Stephen Arterburn talk about the book Stephen and David Stoop have written: The Soul of a Hero. This theme is so prevalent in our culture. So many of our most popular movies are rooted in the hero’s journey. There is something noble and beautiful that we can aspire to in the heroic way of Jesus himself. 

Stephen Arterburn is the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries, the nation’s largest faith-based broadcast, counseling, and treatment ministry. He is also host of the New Life Live! radio program that airs on more than 180 radio stations, SiriusXM radio, and television. Steve is a nationally known public speaker and has been featured in media such as Oprah and Good Morning America. He is a teaching pastor at Northview Church in Indianapolis and resides with his family in Indiana.

ICDT #11: How to Experience Unhurried Time with God

 

This is a continuation of the conversation we began last week. So, let’s return to the word I mentioned in the last episode…receptivity. Receptivity isn’t discussed much these days. We are typically more concerned with activity -  what we’re producing or how much we’re achieving more often rises to the surface of our conversations. 

But receptivity is critical for the work of the soul. Openness, listening, letting go, embracing, presence: these are all more accessible in unhurried time with God. 

For me, this looks like setting aside time and going somewhere conducive. I prefer to walk or sit in nature. Nature helps me naturally slide into receptive mode as I enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the ocean, or the tree covered paths of a local park. Then I drop my agenda and move through the time with open heart and open hands.

Let’s make our way through planning and engaging Unhurried Time with God. These ideas are as practical as it gets.

Eavesdropping on My Enemy

You may be familiar with C. S. Lewis’s book The Screwtape Letters. In it, he imagines communications between Screwtape, a senior tempter, and Wormwood, a novice tempter trying to learn the ropes.

 

When I (Alan) was writing the first draft of An Unhurried Life, I found myself feeling especially accused and discouraged at one point. I found myself imagining what a “Screwtape” conversation about my situation might have sounded like in that moment:

 

“My dear Wormwood. Alan seems to be resisting the ‘big temptations’ more easily these days. That’s not really a problem. Our aim isn’t big failures. We just want to create distance, even if it’s little by little, between Alan and the Enemy Above. We don’t really care if it is headline-making or not. It’s the distance we’re after. Let’s whisper some discouraging, fear-provoking words in his ears. That should do the trick. He’ll begin to believe that the Enemy Above is mostly disappointed with him or uninterested at best.

 

“Or, we can just plant distracting little thoughts in his mind to get him running off on wild goose chases after this and that meaningless detail. Distraction serves our purposes at least as well as rebellion.”

 

That little journal entry gave me a fresh vision of the writing I was doing.

 

God had opened the door for me to write my first book for publication. I realized that I couldn’t write it alone, but I wasn’t writing it alone.

 

God’s affection, delight, and pleasure in me as His beloved son was something I could count on. I remembered that I am in Him, and He is in me. Abiding in God is the right place from which to write. This is a place of great freedom, creativity, and favor.

 

I don’t lack a thing I need to live the life God is inviting me into or to do the good work God has given me to do. I am fully resourced. Divine ideas are available to me—wise, creative, compelling ideas.

 

I do not write to make a name for myself or to build my own kingdom. I simply want to honor Christ’s name and somehow build in honor of His reign.

 

Reflection Questions:

What conversations can you imagine going on in the background of life between those who would seek to derail, distract, or damage the work of God in you?
What “God realities” do you want to remember in the places you may be presently facing temptation?

 

(Purchases made via the links may provide an Amazon Affiliate commission fee to Unhurried Living. This adds nothing to the cost of your purchase.)

 

Photo by Cate Bligh on Unsplash

ICDT #10: Lessons from Nature

 

Without question, there is one spiritual practice that has been the most central to my soul’s formation. In fact, I have been engaging this practice for over half my life and I have not experienced it the same way twice. 

 

Here at Unhurried Living we call it Unhurried Time with God. But it is classically known as solitude and silence. I realize the term solitude and silence might sound a little daunting or intimidating. But really, it’s simply a matter of setting aside some extended time (one or more hours) to place yourself into attentive, receptive mode in God’s presence. It's a time to remind yourself you are a human being and not a human doing. But mostly it’s a time to be open to God’s love. 

 

Next week I’ll offer part two of this conversation so I can share with you the nuts and bolts of how you might engage Unhurried Time with God. But today I just want to share a personal story of one encounter I experienced, how it unfolded, and the insights I gained. It’s good to remember that no two Unhurried Time’s with God are the same. The agenda is not ours to determine. We simply make the time, choose the location, and remain open to God’s presence. This is simply one story of many I could tell as I did just that.

UL Podcast #199: Space with God for Our Hurried Soul

 

Today, Alan is sharing a great conversation he had with friends, Darrell Warner and Matt Fogle about how we make space to notice and respond to God’s presence in our busy lives. So often as leaders, we fill every minute with activity—really good activities. But a leader needs to cultivate moments for receptivity in the midst of our many good activities. 

We talk about questions like: 

What challenges do you face in arranging space to simply be in the presence of God in your busy life? 
What are some of the rhythms or practices have been helping you along the way? 
When you do well making this sort of space for God, what good fruit does this produce? 
What words of encouragement would you share with a very busy listener who feels like they don’t have time for this?

Your Cleansed and Grateful Life

In my younger days, I (Gem) was taught that Bible reading was for the purposes of studying, learning, growing, and memorizing. The scriptures are deeply implanted in me because of solid, Bible-teaching churches. And somewhere along the way, I was also taught (maybe more implicitly than explicitly) that “speaking the truth in love” was the greatest thing a Christian could do (see Ephesians 4:15).

 

Over the years, I’ve seen us use this idea of truth spoken in love to “help” others, by our way of thinking. And I’ve noticed that often our emphasis has been on the word truth, as though the main idea is truth at any cost. Speaking truth can, in fact, be a loving thing to do. I’ll grant that is the case at times. And you know me well enough by now to understand that I am not downplaying truth.

 

I just wonder sometimes if we don’t really lean into what the “in love” part means. And I think we too often proclaim the truth as we see it—which, we have to admit, may not always be correct.

 

As I was listening to scripture recently, I came upon this passage in Matthew 8:

 

Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of the crowd still ringing in his ears. Then a leper appeared and dropped to his knees before Jesus, praying, “Master, if you want to, you can heal my body.”

 

Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, “Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.” (Matthew 8:1-4 MSG)

 

I love every story in the Gospels where someone stops Jesus to ask Him for healing or even to simply ask Him a question. I love the pure grace of Jesus’s words “I want to.”

 

The truth is that this man was healed, and he could have gone around recounting the story within his community. Telling the truth. Instead, Jesus instructs the man to show the priest his healed body and give appropriate thanks, and then he tells him, “Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.”

 

Instead of giving instructions to tell the truth, Jesus encourages the man to live the truth. The reality of his cleansed and grateful life would demonstrate the truth of what Jesus had done for him.

 

You know what I’m talking about, right? Haven’t you met people like this? People who embody love, wisdom, and health, who exude an unmistakable aroma of Christ. Their life speaks as loud as, if not louder than, their words. They display a quiet confidence in God as their Abba. Their ego doesn’t have control of the steering wheel, and they have lived their life in grace and truth.

 

I long to be that kind of person, don’t you? Of course, this brings up another well-known passage, John 15, in which Jesus proclaims that he is the vine and we are the branches.

 

We are the branches. Jesus, the Vine, gave very specific instructions for the branches: “Remain in me.” We simply stay attached through soul-filling spiritual practices (both receptive and active). As we do that more and more, I believe the natural fruit we produce will be a life of love, whether we speak truth or simply live it.

 

On our YouTube channel there is a short video titled “Remain.” I captured the vineyard images on a trip to Napa, and the words are my prayer-thoughts after seeing up close the place where the vine and the branch connect.

 

Reflection 

Today, how might you live into the simplicity of the word remain?
What might it look like for your cleansed and grateful life speak for itself?

 

Photo by jose alfonso sierra on Unsplash