Thursday, February 20, 2014

Love well!

Long songs sometimes have a way of bringing out our true emotions.  You probably have your favorites, but let me jog your mind for a moment.  Your Song by Elton John.  I Just Can't Stop Loving You by Michael Jackson.  I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston.  Your Still the One by Shania Twain.  For every beautiful love song, you'll find some very sad songs about broken love.  He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones.  Just A Dream by Carrie Underwood.  Love Hurts by Nazareth. 

Suffice it to say, that love is one of the most talked about, written about, sung about topics known to man.  We all want to love.  We all want to be loved.  Yet, as the sad songs say, love hurts. It's not easy to love.  Each day we are prone to make our own mistakes in the relationship department.  Be selfish.  Me-oriented. Thoughtless rather than thoughtful.  Critical.  Judgmental.  React rather than respond.  We look down at others wrongs but fail to see our own.

As Valentine's Day fast approaches, let's take a moment and pray that we would all grow in being loving people.  Whether we're single or married is not the issue.  The issue is about loving people well...with God's love.  Ponder the words from a portion of 1 Corinthians 13 from The Message: Love never gives up.  Love cares more for others than self.  Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.  Love doesn't strut.  Doesn't have a swelled head. Doesn't force itself on others.  Isn't always "me first."  Doesn't fly off the handle.  Doesn't keep score of the sins of others.  Doesn't revel when others grovel.  Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth.  Puts up with anything.  Trusts God always.  Always looks for the best.  Never looks back. 

Now stop for a moment and allow yourself to do a self evaluation.  What changes do you need to make to love others well?  This morning, let's start up by praying these verses back to God.  Then, practice loving others with God's love.  Because, really, that's the only way to love others well.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Lessons from the Olympics

The Olympic Games are on!  It's been exciting to catch some of the games and see athletes do what most of us could only dream of doing!  Take for instance, five-foot-five, Taylor Henrich, from Calgary, a ski jumper.  Henrich describes the thrill of taking off "It's an adrenalin rush, but it's relaxing at the same time.  I love it.  It's the best feeling in the world."  Why relaxing?  "You get to be really free.  Its' kind of a weird concept I guess, but when you fly, there's really nothing holding you back- unless it's wind. Basically, you're defying gravity.  So you're fighting to stay on top in the flight.  And it's fun going far."

What a great description!  Perhaps one reason why we are so captivated by the Olympics is the thrill of watching the best-of-the-best athletes perform with grace, beauty and excellence.  I can't imagine the terrifying yet thrilling leap that a ski jumper makes.  I'll never know how an ice skater can dance near perfection.  Or how an athlete responds when they make a crushing mistake midway through their performance. But, what I do know, is that I can learn so much from these amazing athletes.

Let's take fear.  Olympians seem fearless. How does fear keep you in a grip?  How does fear keep you from being your true self? What do you fear most?  Fear can keep us from performing at our best in our jobs, our relationships and our life in general.  All throughout the Bible, God instructs his people not to fear, but to trust Him.  We know that is easier said than done! God promises a peace that passes all understanding, if we would but trust Him.  

Let's take mistakes. Every Olympian wants a perfect performance.  They've been training for a lifetime. Yet, mistakes happen.  We all make mistakes!  Yet, how we respond to mistakes matters.  Are we able to learn and grow through our mistakes?  Sometimes, we're so overwhelmed with guilt when we botch something that we miss the teachable moment.  I'm sure there are many Olympians who have grown leaps an bounds, not by their peak performances, but by their failures and mistakes.  God's word even reminds us that even though our mistakes may be hard at the time, they will produce a greater harvest later in our lives.  (Hebrews 12:11) Do you beat yourself up for your mistakes?  Or take them to God and ask Him to help you grow through them?  

As you watch the remainder of the Olympics, think about the life lessons you can gain while watching and listening to the athletes.  Embrace a fearless life.  Learn from your mistakes.  Let nothing hold you back from doing your absolute best.  Persevere through the ups and downs of life.  Above all, never, never, never give up.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

The Enemy of Focus

Incoming emails. Phone calls. Wandering thoughts.  People popping by. Being able to keep your focus during a work day is not always easy.  Distractions abound.  We live in a time when there are more potential distractions than ever before.  Throughout a day, we can be in "communication" with more people than ever in human history.  How do we focus?

A distraction is something that causes you to turn away from a focus of attention.  During my day, I can be distracted by random thoughts, worries, phone calls, news, weather, sports, emails, facebook and text messages.  These distractions can keep me from being productive and efficient.  My mind can be like a pinball machine, going here and there, but not really anywhere productive.

Take a moment and consider your distractions: Can you remain focused on a work project until completion?  Can you lay aside your phone, realizing it doesn't have to rule your life?  Do you attempt to text while driving? Major distraction and dangerous!  When you're talking to someone else, do you find yourself totally thinking about something else?  Emotional distractions are even harder.  Do you have bouts of envy that take your mind away to what others have?  Do you struggle with forgiving others and find yourself thinking about the person you're angry with? Do you find yourself worrying about money, job, finances, school or your children? Worry is a big distractor! 

I have personally become aware of this area of weakness in my life.  Maybe you struggle with distractions as well.  I have come to realize over many years of walking with God, that He cares about our struggles and wants to help us deal with them.  For me, I'm praying that God will give me clear thinking and strong focus.  I'm also practicing the discipline of doing one thing at a time.  Not jumping from task to task.  How about you?  I'm going to close with a prayer for all of us:

Dear God, I give you the distractions that rule my life.  Lord, I'm distracted by ____.  Please help me focus clearly each day.  Please help me give each person I'm in contact with the respect and dignity they deserve.  Help me to be totally present, not attached to my phone.  Guard my mind when it wanders to and fro and bring it back to focus.  Help me to realize that I will never have this moment again and I need to make it count. Your presence, Father, will help me be present.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

"Dear friend, clear thinking and common sense with your life: don't for a minute lose sight of them.  They'll keep your soul alive and well.  They'll keep you fit and attractive.  You'll travel safely. You'll neither tire nor trip.  You'll take afternoon naps without a worry.  You'll enjoy a good night's sleep.  No need to panic over alarms or surprises or predictions that doomsday is just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; he'll keep you safe and sound."  Proverbs 3:24-26.  The Message.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.