Kevin E. Beasley's Blog, page 2

March 6, 2018

Full Potential and Vision Gap

Pursuing and achieving your “What ifs” is one of the biggest challenges on life’s journey. It is the greatest barrier to reaching your full potential. We reach them by putting one foot in front of the other for a very long time. When pursuing your “What ifs” it feels like you are up against an army of obstacles and discouragement. And I’ll be the first to say you probably are. I bet it feels like you come up to an impassible embankment with a huge canyon in front of you with no hope of getting to the other side. Yep, that’s how I feel sometimes.


I call this barrier to crossing into your “What ifs” the Vision Gap.


The Problem: Bridging the Gap

The Vision Gap is a river without a bridge to those of us who peer into our preferred future. Those who are visionary often struggle to realize that the best food is cooked in the oven, not the microwave. In other words, the best result often requires the most patience. When we intentionally attempt to peer into our best future, we wake up to a reality that we are not living it today. That can be a discouraging reality for the impatient, particularly those of us driven to reach maximum potential. Unfortunately, the bigger the dream, the wider the gap.


The Solution: Build a bridge over the Vision Gap.

I found a short video on Youtube that shares simple steps for bridge building. Here are the steps with practical application to overcoming the Vision Gap.


1.) Measure the Distance Between Starting Point and Destination and Plant Support Platforms on Each Side of Water.

In our vision gap bridge building concept, that would represent a clear and honest assessment of where we currently are and what it will look like when we reach the other side of our vision. This could include financial assessments and projections for business vision, relationship assessment and dreams for marriage goals, or any other type of understanding related to the gap. This requires focused time to consider where we are now and where we have to go to live into our fullest vision. The support platforms might represent a journal or written document with our assessments of where we are and where we are going. Don’t include action steps, those will come later. You’ve probably already done your dreaming. Just dig into the realities.




True Assessment of Where You Are and Where You Are Going Takes Focused Time and Honest Critique


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2.) Place Two Parallel Beams on Each Side of the Intended Bridge.

The function of these parallel beams is to support the cross planks that you will place on them to create a platform on which you will cross. The planks without the support beams will just fall into the water and float away. Pointless! The support beams are paramount.


In our Vision Gap concept, these support beams represent the tracks upon which you will operate. They may consist of personal values or financial boundaries. The possibilities are endless, but it is critical that you understand these tracks. An example of one track may be integrity. Another may be that you refuse to go into financial debt to reach your goal. You have to determine the core values on which your baby steps (planks) will be built. If a train leaves the tracks it could be disastrous. That’s how these support beams keep you from falling off the bridge.


 




When a train leaves the tracks, it could be disastrous. Know your tracks.


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3.) Place Planks Across Support Beams Back-to-Back Until a Solid Walkway Exists From Beginning to End.

These are your baby steps! The small planks placed back to back get you to your final destination. This is where you determine steps to take along the path. For relationship goals, maybe the first plank is that you simply find one hour per week to have an honest conversation with your partner on the bridge. If it is a financial goal, maybe your first plank is to start a small savings account or pay off one credit card. Cut the planks (identify baby steps) and place them back-to-back until you know that when the bridge is completed you can reach the other side. Write these planks in your journal. Record them so you can revisit and plan. These will guide your journey into your “What ifs.”


4.) Test the Integrity of the Bridge

This step would consist of stepping back, inspecting your work, and determining if the bridge can hold your weight. In our Vision Gap idea this might mean you consider your personal ability to step on each plank. Do you have the financial, relational, and personal capacity to survive each plank. If not, maybe you need to replace an unstable plank or add a plank which will help you grow personally to be able to take the next step. Maybe you find that there is a gap too large from one plank to the next and you need help or resources to bridge that gap. Determine if you are ready and resourced to get to the other side without creating so much stress that the bridge collapses and you fall into the gorge and get washed away.




Are you prepared and resourced for each step on the bridge? You’ve gotta know.


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5.) Enjoy the Journey and Rejoice in the Victory

A bridge consists of both FORM and FUNCTION. In other words, it gets you across the river (FUNCTION). If that is the goal, any old bridge will do. But a great bridge also provides enjoyment as it provides functionality. Build a beautiful bridge (FORM). If well built, people will enjoy the journey. They will want to photograph it. They will walk across it for the beautiful view of the river. They will be attracted to it’s charm and strength. Do not be satisfied with a bridge that just does it’s job. Build a bridge that has deeper impact. This is primarily accomplished with the support beams we mentioned earlier. If a bridge is value-based and fosters integrity, it will stand the test of the elements and not implode with the stress of the world.


Conclusion: The Critical Balance to Reach Full Potential

I long for folks to passionately  pursue their “What ifs,” but I also realize that if we try to jump over the canyon, we are likely to plummet to an early “What if” death. Journey wisely, but with resolve and intensity. All of life hinges on balance. Find the balance between diving headlong into a long hard fall and failing to take the first shaky step on the bridge to reaching full potential.




All of life hinges on balance. It’s our job to find the balancing point. That’s where real life happens.


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Read about my Journey into my Personal “What ifs” in the Alaskan Wilderness in “What if… Why not”: Through the Doors of Adventure.

 


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Published on March 06, 2018 08:08

March 26, 2017

Howard Thurman on Life

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

― Howard Thurman


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Published on March 26, 2017 19:29

March 25, 2017

Navigating the Transitions of Life

I had never met her before.


Her son came into our consignment shop to talk to me about downsizing her estate so she could move into a 900 square foot assisted living apartment from her 3,000 square foot home of 42 years. He was a little impatient and bothered by the process, but he was so thankful to find help with the massive undertaking.


As I walked through her front door two days later, she reached out and pulled me into a huge bear hug as tears gently formed along her bottom eyelids. I hugged her back. Not with an emotional attachment, she was a complete stranger to me. But as one who understood the tearing apart of a person and the things that represented the sum of her life. Her attachment was not to the things themselves , but to the memories those things carried. 


We live with furniture and clothes and books and collections that represent more than they are. Like the shotguns and rifles and pistols hanging all over her living room wall, those guns carried for her memories of her late husband. They represented good times and bad times. Heartbreak and victory. They spoke to her the story of her life.


And that was what she was tearing away from. If they were just guns, she would have dropped them at the local pawn shop a day after her husband died. I mean, after all, she always hated them hanging in her living room before he died. Oh, but they were so much more now. And now she had to let go. She had to close her eyes and open them to a new day, in a new bed, with new stuff. How would she choose to spend the next chapter?


Every transition of life can be scary!


Transitions don’t have to be that scary if we view them as adventure and make decisions to navigate them well.


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That doesn’t necessarily make them easy, but the path could be lighter and more exciting than you think.


Five Keys to Navigating Transitions of Life
Key #1: Honor and Memorialize the Past.

Look back and be full of gratitude!


Below is a quote from one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Rich Mullins:


“When I wrote Doubly Good to You, we were getting married, and I had written that for our wedding. A friend of mine said, ‘Boy, that is a really cruel song.’ And I said, ‘Well, why?’ and she said, ‘Because you are inferring that if God doesn’t give you a love that is centered around someone that is true that he hasn’t been doubly good to you.’ I’m like, ‘Well, exactly.’ But God doesn’t have to be singly good to anybody. We all have got it better than we deserve so we should be thankful for what we have.”


Remembering the goodness of the previous chapter(s) of life can be healing as we realize that somewhere in all of life, there is beauty.




And when we reflect on the beauty of the past we somehow experience a hope for the future.


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What if the last chapter was hell on Earth for you. Maybe it would be helpful to read the article linked below and consider how you can relate it to your situation.


THANK GOD FOR THE FLEAS: THE POWER OF RADICAL GRATITUDE (click to read)



Key #2: Never lose hope that the next chapter can be better than the last.

One definition of hope is ”a feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” When we lose that confidence, we struggle with getting out of bed every day!


What if I lose hope? Well, sometimes I do. One tool that has helped me regain hope when things look grim is a product called the “5 Minute Journal.” This simple series of morning and evening reflections on gratitude always seem to remind me that life is better than it seems and that the future looks bright if I choose to make wise decisions. Read more about how I use that tool at the link below.



EMOTIONAL ECONOMY: 6 INSIGHTS INTO EMOTIONAL STEWARDSHIP (click to read)


Key #3: Embrace a vision for the future.


“I dream of my painting and then I paint my dream” – Vincent Van Gogh

There is a subliminal motivation at work with us when we simply envision a greater future. There are times when I wake up to realize that even though I had not known the steps to get from where I was to where I dreamt, I ended up there. I think when we dream about a preferred future, our internal decision filter handles information relative to our hopes and dreams and takes the turns it needs to get us there. Maybe it works like an internal GPS where we’ve dialed in our destination by visualizing and it tells our will what turn to take and when.


I personally believe that we also must inform our hope of the plans that our Creator has for us. As we draw near to God and ask Him for these visions of the future, nothing can stand against our march toward our destiny.


Key #4: Find a guide to help!

I’ve done some backcountry camping and hiking in the bush of Alaska in my time and that has served to help me see the power of a trusted guide. There are turns we take in life that lead us into situations we are not equipped to trek on our own.




A trusted guide gives a person perpective that his lack of experience and emotional state inhibits when transition is inevitable.


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“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” – Yoko Ono


There is strength when we allow our thoughts, plans and emotions to be filtered by a trusted guide and then we allow them to ask us hard questions that will help us make wise decisions as we journey toward our preferred future.


Using a guide can dramatically shorten a learning curve, help you avoid emotional decisions that can lead to chaos or just simply give you some new perspective that you haven’t seen before.


You can find guides in several places. You may find a friend in your friend group who can listen to you and ask good questions. You may choose to utilize your church for guidance. I also recommend professional coaches and the investment you make in them often reap a multitude of rewards in the future. Contact me if you need help finding a guide. Maybe I can point you in a direction.


Key #5: Do something small every single day.



Choosing to take one baby step every single day can often be more beneficial than a months worth of giant steps!


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You remember the story of the turtle and the hare. There is wisdom in pacing yourself and choosing to be perpetually persistent in marching toward your destiny.


We see folks like the lady mentioned in the beginning of this post almost every single day! We watch them closely as they navigate through recent divorces, loss of loved ones and many other transitions of life. It seems that the ones who come out best on the other side are those with a proper perspective. They celebrate the past, they hope for the future, they visualize where they are going, and they lean on guides. Even through the toughest times of those transitions, they wake up, put one foot on the floor, then the other, and they start with gratitude. Then they ponder what today’s baby steps will look like and they get up and live!


I pray for all of you who are facing an obstacle! Keep your chin up and stand firm…


Comment below with your transition story.


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Published on March 25, 2017 20:48

March 19, 2017

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by t...

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

-H. Jackson Brown Jr.


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Published on March 19, 2017 20:11

March 13, 2017

Resolve and Action: A Lesson from Patrick Henry

I was on vacation with my family in Virginia when I saw them sitting on the third shelf from the bottom all in a row. The worn leather spines whispered their age to me. Their years of service to some curious soul was obvious in the worn pages nested inside the weathered covers. I picked one of them up. It was the one that interested me most from the volumes of “The South in the Building of the Nation.” It was entitled, “History of Southern Oratory.” There’s something different about reading the great speeches of American history from a book that looked and felt that raw.


It made me hear things differently.


I snagged my find and boxed them up in the trunk of Julie’s van excited to snuggle up by the fireplace of the little cabin we rented and crack open my treasures. I turned to Patrick Henry and his “Call to Arms” and something rose up in me as I read.  I got hungry for something worth dying for. I began to think about RESOLVE and ACTION.



RESOLVE – to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine to do something



Below are eight thing I learned about resolve and action from Patrick Henry’s “Call to Arms” as I sat by that fireplace that cold Virginia night.




1.) WHEN RESOLVE IS REQUIRED, IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS.


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“This is not time for ceremony.”



Eudora Welty from my neighboring state of Mississippi said, “All serious daring starts from within.”  Patrick Henry may turn that around and say that all things that start from within require serious daring. I would probably agree with both of those statements.




2.) IN OUR RESOLVE, WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP FOR WHAT WE KNOW TO BE TRUE.


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“Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.”



Integrity is being on the outside what you believe to be on the inside. Our words should always match our thoughts and beliefs. If those are not worth standing up for, we might as well throw them out with last week’s leftovers.




3.) BE WILLING TO FACE THE UGLY TRUTH AND THEN TO MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.


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“I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.”



We cannot know how to get where we’re going unless we know where we’re starting. Sometimes that requires the courage to face some ugly realities in order to transform them into freedom.




4.) THERE COMES A TIME WHEN WE HAVE TO SAY NO AND STOP LOSING THE BATTLE.


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“I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past.”



Some things never change and some things never change until we engage and confront past behaviors or circumstances. I think it was Einstein (or Mark Twain or Ben Franklin) who said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”




5.) EXHAUST ALL OTHER OPTIONS BEFORE TAKING EXTREME MEASURES.


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“Sir, we have done everything that could be done, to avert the storm which is now coming on… there is now no longer any room for hope.”



Step back and look at the big picture. Consider all options. Slow Down! Getting results may not be as difficult as you think. Try everything you can before executing the extreme.




6.) EVEN WHEN ONE FEELS INCAPABLE AND ILL RESOURCED, HE MUST TAKE ACTION AND TRUST GOD FOR THE REST.


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“They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger?  Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of these means which the God of nature hath placed in our power.”



Martin Luther King, Jr. understood this well when he was fighting for the neglected, the poor, the underdog. He encouraged his people to take the first step in faith. He said that you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. That’s good advice when you are resolved in our heart toward an action.




7.) YOU ARE NOT ALONE, YOU HAVE THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU WHO WILL HELP. UTILIZE THOSE PEOPLE WELL.


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“There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and Who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.”



Somehow it always seems like the right person is there at just the right time. Don’t be afraid to lean on them. We all need help!




8.) WHEN THE WAR IS COMING, STAND UP AND FACE IT WITH CONFIDENCE AND COURAGE.


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“The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat, sir, let it come.”



One of my favorite John Wayne quotes is “courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” It’s scary, but it is how we get things done that have never been done before.


And of course there’s that final resolve where those most important issues become life or death! The point when you are so confident that you are fighting for right that you stand up and take action whatever the cost.



“I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”



Courage and resolve jumped right out of the pages of that old book and into my heart that freezing cold weekend in Virginia. Take a few minutes and read the entire speech here. Those in your circle will be glad you did!


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Published on March 13, 2017 22:37

March 7, 2017

Thank God for the Fleas: The Power of Radical Gratitude

gratitude


The Late Corrie Ten Boom



This guest post was written by Cynthia Beaudry who lives with her husband Brian and her dog Penny in Portland, Oregon.


I used to feel sorry for myself.


Like all of time, in fact. And when I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself I was trying to manipulate those around me to do the same.  Honestly, it was because it seemed that nothing ever came easy in my life.


And because of that I spent a lot of time in victim mode.



Somewhere along the line, I bought into the lie that God was depriving me of something or had it out to get me.  It could have been because of the trauma in my life that communicated this to me, like my mom’s drug abuse, my dad’s murder, or my own abuse at 12.  But even the trivial things of life seemed to reinforce this, like someone pulling the whiskers out of my Velveteen Rabbit or the lady at Holy Cross Catholic Church who had made fun of my big toe, the toe God made me with.  So my life, marked with affliction and wounds and complaints and disappointments, furthered me in my heart away from the Lord. Surely, He had forgotten or thought less of me.


Obviously I was a burden on life and my job was to cower under who I imagined God to be.


Even though I became born again in 2000, it was only until I came to Portland Fellowship in 2008 that the Lord began to confront this belief system in my heart.  I remember sitting in my very first teaching of Taking Back Ground as Drew taught “The Journey Begins”.  I listened intently as he paralleled the story of the Children of Israel’s journey out of Egypt to our own journey out of sexual brokenness. It was very compelling, as I had never ascertained the similarities. Then I remember one point in the teaching, his leaning in toward us and relating, in a tender yet, sobering tone, the secret to his discipleship success.  Ooooh. This is gonna be good, I thought. I could tell by the way he leaned in. “I’m gonna tell you what’s gonna get you through in this journey,” He announced. “….Gratitude.”


Gratitude? Gratefulness? Thanks… but no thanks. You mean to tell me that I came all across the US to hear that the secret to sexual wholeness is thanksgiving? Pffffft. But a part of me marveled, because I know that it was the Holy Spirit who had whispered to me a very important antidote to my “Woe Is Me” syndrome. Simple… yet profound.


In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:1


Gratitude

But what if like I,  you can’t really see much to be thankful for? What if your life, like mine, has been marred with neglect, abuse, and loss? What if it’s too hard to give thanks to God because the gratitude sensor on your heart has been calloused over with layers of pain? In The Hiding Place (buy it here), Corrie Ten Boon recounts her time in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.  It was in Barracks 28, a compound designed for 400 but that actually housed 1400 women, that Corrie and her sister Betsie prayed and sought the Lord with their smuggled bible. The conditions were unbearable; overflowing toilets, rotting straw, unstable sleeping platforms, and a flea and lice infestation.  In Barracks 28, Corrie and her sister recited 1 Thessalonians 5:1, and Corrie begrudgingly gave thanks to God.


 


‘That’s it, Corrie! That’s His answer. “Give thanks in all circumstances!” That’s what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!’ I stared at her; then around me at the dark, foul-aired room.


“‘Such as?’ I said.


“‘Such as being assigned here together.’


“I bit my lip. ‘Oh yes, Lord Jesus!’


“‘Such as what you’re holding in your hands.’ I looked down at the Bible.


“‘Yes! Thank You, dear Lord, that there was no inspection when we entered here! Thank You for all these women, here in this room, who will meet You in these pages.’


“‘Yes,’ said Betsie, ‘Thank You for the very crowding here. Since we’re packed so close, that many more will hear!’ She looked at me expectantly. ‘Corrie!’ she prodded.


“‘Oh, all right. Thank You for the jammed, crammed, stuffed, packed suffocating crowds.’


“‘Thank You,’ Betsie went on serenely, ‘for the fleas and for–’


“The fleas! This was too much. ‘Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.’


“‘Give thanks in all circumstances,’ she quoted. It doesn’t say, ‘in pleasant circumstances.’ Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.


“And so we stood between tiers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.”


 


I don’t know about you, but I would have reacted in the same way Corrie did. Give thanks for fleas? Doesn’t God see that I am already in a concentration camp? Truth is, we all have had “fleas” in our life.  And in the midst of the infestation or affliction, we can question God’s character. Maybe your affliction is same sex attraction, or perhaps your heart is grieving deeply over the life choices of a loved one. Sometimes our affliction comes in the form of illness, or financial loss. Whatever the fleas in our life, it can cause us to doubt if God really does have our best interest in mind.


Psalm 119:71 My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. (NLT)


Pain certainly does get our attention.

The Holy Spirit used Taking Back Ground to disciple me through my pain and taught me the value in grieving. At the end of my internship, I took an isolated retreat to spend some time with Jesus. Quite honestly, most of my time in that cabin… alone… in the woods…. With no cell phone or computer…. Or anything to entertain me… was one big pity party. Waaah, I whined. My mom is a crack head. Waaah. Nobody loves or wants meWaaah… I’m ugly. WaaahI’m in the Internship… Waaah… It’s almost done…. At some point, I decided to read my bible. 1 Thessalonians in fact. I read it through and highlighted the verse about being thankful. After reading, I waited for the Lord to speak to my heart and give me the majestic oracles of life and the prophetic revelations for my future. Silence….. Waaaah.


As my time at the retreat was about to be up, I packed up my leftover Ramen and articles of clothing and slouched on the futon next to my knapsack. This is when the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.


I am not withholding anything from you.


It honestly, was a shock. I was surprised. Not that He had spoken, but that His Character indeed was good.


Thank you, I replied.

I can let suffering cripple me as I did for many years, or I can let suffering compel me towards maturity. I am grateful for a God who can empathize in my sufferings, for even Christ was abused. I learned about this God here at Portland Fellowship, truly and authentically. I know that the holiday season is over now, but God is encouraging my heart to continue to be thankful and I hope to encourage you in that as well. It is in gratitude that we can start to see the God of Justice moving on our behalf and working all things together for our good. Being thankful for me has made the temporal stuff start to seem fuzzy, as if I have removed my worldly glasses.


When Corrie Ten Boom, and her sister were in Barracks 28, they thanked God for the fleas. Little did they know God’s intention. During their time there, they were able to meet with other women for worship services. At first, the book says they met with great timidity. Then, as night after night went by and no guard ever came in to stop them, they grew bolder, and increased the number of times they met. Despite the great surveillance, and the threat of execution, in their dormitory they had no supervision oddly enough, and were able to worship the Lord freely. Later they came to discover all of the Nazi personnel were afraid to enter into their dorm because of the tremendous infestation of fleas.


I pray that for you and me, over time and through the learning of God’s character. That we would accept His invitation to trust in Him despite the fleas in our life. May our hearts thank the Lord for His afflictions that do certainly teach us to trust in Him. May we come to a supernatural understanding that God uses our “fleas” to bring about His eternal purposes. I pray that God continues to open our eyes to bigger pictures of our afflictions and may our heart erupt with gratitude.


(Editors Note:  As I was searching for pictures of Corrie, I couldn’t find a single one where she was not smiling!  How can one find so much joy after such an unimaginable experience?  Maybe our joy is not found in experiences at all.)


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Published on March 07, 2017 20:01

March 6, 2017

Frederick Buechner on Marriage

Frederick Buechner on Marriage

They say they will love, comfort, honor each other to the end of their days. They say they will cherish each other and be faithful to each other always. They say they will do these things not just when they feel like it, but even—for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health—when they don’t feel like it at all. In other words, the vows they make at a marriage could hardly be more extravagant. They give away their freedom. They take on themselves each other’s burdens. They bind their lives together in ways that are even more painful to unbind emotionally, humanly, than they are to unbind legally. The question is, what do they get in return?


They get each other in return. Assuming they have any success at all in keeping their rash, quixotic promises, they never have to face the world quite alone again. There will always be the other to talk to, to listen to. If they’re lucky, even after the first passion passes, they still have a kindness and a patience to depend on, a chance to be patient and kind. There is still someone to get through the night with, to wake into the new day beside. If they have children, they can give them, as well as each other, roots and wings. If they don’t have children, they each become the other’s child.


They both still have their lives apart as well as a life together. They both still have their separate ways to find. But a marriage made in heaven is one where they become more richly themselves together than the chances are either of them could ever have managed to become alone. When Jesus changed the water into wine at the wedding in Cana, perhaps it was a way of saying more or less the same thing.


 


Excerpt from http://frederickbuechner.com


by Frederick Buechner


~originally published in Whistling in the Dark and later in Beyond Words


Buy the Whistling in the Dark Here…


Buy Beyond Words Here…


buechner on marriage


– See more at: http://convergeauburn.org/wisdomvault...


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Published on March 06, 2017 06:58

March 5, 2017