Miz Fancy Pants

Getting Spiritual Sand Out of the Spiritual Butt-Crack

I am just running with the butt-prints in the sand theme here today because I feel this has been a profound message for me in my life lately.   God has been verifying my diagnosis with little serendipitous clues like that poem.  What a hoot when God gets you right where you live with some hokey poem!  So just how did I arrive at this spiritual stuckness?    I can’t say for sure.  Maybe I said “No” to God too many times.  Maybe I have put too much focus on seeking God in my own strength instead of letting Him find me in my daily life.  Well, in an effort to get my butt out of the sand, I am making a few changes.  

In the midst of my busyness, I think I have been missing out on connecting with and blessing (also being blessed by) others.  This reminds me of the man in the Bible who Jesus healed of blindness, only he wasn’t completely healed the first time.  His vision was all blurry.  He kept thinking he saw trees walking around in his fuzzy vision instead of people.  He was, in effect, unable to see the humanity in others.  Jesus had to do a “re-do” on him.  I don’t think that Jesus was unable to heal this man completely the first time, but the man was somehow “stuck in his blindness.”  I’m not thinking in a physical sense, of course, but spiritually.   I think I have some of those characteristics; in fact, I might be mildly autistic.  You know, the “savant” type..  Just kidding,  I do have tendencies to get lost in my own little world and forget to engage.   Thank the Lord that he is willing and able to do “re-do” for me too!  My prayer has been that the Lord would make me more loving of others every day.  That I would be willing and able to engage, and prepared to meet whatever and whoever He brings my way.

Ask and ye shall recieve!   I met some nice Mormon girls at my front door yesterday, and I was, of course, busy.  With the Lord’s help, however, I was reminded to see them as people with feelings and obligations and on a spiritual pilgrimage just like me.  So I invited them in to watch me do laundry.   I was able to listen to them and then lovingly explain to them why I think they are great people, but I don’t accept their doctrine.  They were very sweet.  I’m impressed with their devotion and willingness to go far away from their homes and engage people like me.  They probably get the door slammed in their face a lot.  And, yet they were able to stay sweet.  I admire that.  We had a great chat, prayed together, and I think it went well.  In fact, they are coming back on Friday.  I don’t know if either of us will be swayed, but I think that any outcome where people are engaged in a positive way is better than a door in the face.

I feel like a nicer person today.  I feel like being nicer to other people now.  I talked to the mail-lady today for a few minutes instead of grabbing the mail and scurrying back into my home.  I’ll admit, at first when I saw her burning rubber down my street I was really wanting to wag my finger and tell her she needs to slow down and be more aware there are kids in the neighborhood.  Once again though, the Lord showed up in the situation to remind me that she is a person.  I decided to be nice instead.  She was quite friendly and seemed happy to talk.  I noticed how incredibly uncomfortable it must be to be stretched out between the seats and pushing the gas with one foot and reaching out the other side of the car through the window to the mail boxes.  I saw how she had rigged up some towels and padding on the one side of the seat since she has to have her butt on that ridge all day.  No wonder she’s in a hurry!

Maybe that’s what it’s all about.  Maybe that’s what I’ve been missing.  Maybe the stuckness and irritated, hurried attitude go hand-in-hand.  Maybe there has been spiritual sand in my spiritual butt-crack.  That sure isn’t comfortable (hence the spiritual restlessness) and it is quite irritating.  Maybe the answer is that God will give me opportunities and if I choose to accept them, I get a blessing.  Maybe that’s what it’s all about……or maybe it’s just the hokey-pokey.