All is quiet out here near the ends of the earth. Well, actually the ends of the earth goes farther west now. The farm to market road nearby that gave the in the country feel is alive with houses both under construction and complete. The newest section of Rancho De Five is full of building activity. It won't be long till neighborhoods will be sprouting up around Hunt Retreat. (Hunt Retreat owned by our church back in the day was out, way out, in the country. Now the reality of housing growth will soon be at Hunt's backdoor.)
Among other books I am reading is The Art of Travel, Alain de Botton. The book is described as "A thoughtful and anecdote-rich meditation on how trips can alter us in unexpected ways." It is an excellent read to accompany my study of roads, paths and journeys in the Bible. Alain is a travel writer by trade and his descriptions of his world travels gives the nudge in the spirit to travel the world but he equally gives words to travel that happens inside our minds and through our thoughts as well as creatively traveling about in familiar settings and seeing them with new eyes. This book is weaving nicely into Wonderstruck. In the chapter on Anticipation there were many sentences that caught my attention but I will whittle those down to be concise. Every good travel website and brochure is crafted and then marketed with the thought of the artful and beautiful travel. Pictures of beautiful beaches, mountains, five star hotel rooms and the like fill the brochure as well as our mind. We fixate, if the travel brochure or website is doing its job, on the lovely, the calm, the serene, the sublime pleasure of being anywhere else but home with the all too familiar.
"Artistic accounts involve severe abbreviations of what reality will force upon us. A travel book may tell us, for example, that the narrator journeyed through the afternoon to reach the hill town of X and after a night in its medieval monastery awoke to a misty dawn. BUT, we never simply 'journey' through an afternoon."
Instead of using his description of what journeying through an afternoon might look like, I will use our experiences of journeying to Israel. We had our flight itinerary and the quick connection in Atlanta had some of us concerned that we could make the plane but maybe not our luggage. The hurry up and wait to board the plane and then the hurry up because the plane is waiting and threatens to leave without us. It is realizing it is better to travel out of Terminal C then Terminal A-better shops and food in C. It is crammed quarters in economy and a mish mash of people constantly moving about the cabin. All the sudden we develop OCD and constantly check for our tickets, passports, wallets and any and all paperwork that we will need for orderly travel. It is long lines in customs, weary from little sleep and little stresses along the way. Then we finally rejoice our luggage made it, we put it on the bus and settle into our seats...now the pictures and artful photographs come back to our perspective of what we hoped our trip to be. We left from Houston and journeyed throughout the day till we arrived in beautiful Tel Aviv....with stops in Atlanta and JFK. Of course no one, not even us want to dwell on the' journey through the afternoon.' It is a deceptive sentence journeyed through the afternoon. There is no such thing as journeying through an afternoon. The nitty gritty of travel, frustrations, delays, mild amusements and the like, fill the time frame.
This reminds me of Philippians 4. Paul says he has learned to be content, he knows how to live, and he has learned the secret of living in every situation.
. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 14 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.
I think the first part of Philippians 4 might give us insight in how we can learn and know to be content with whatever we have, with plenty or little. Paul didn't include the details of this journey through the afternoon here in Philippians, but he did here.
II Corinthians 11
I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.
I don't know after surviving and going through the above circumstances and situations that I would be so joyous to proclaim I have learned, I know the secret. I do know that situations and circumstances that have been painful and full of hurt for me have now become helpful when encouraging others who face similar things. There indeed is an afternoon's journey in so many areas of my life. And through mistakes, twists and wrong turns, through pity parties, anger, injustice, wounds, damage and harm, it didn't come to me instantly but with prayer, wise counsel and scripture in time, I have learned, I know the secret. Really, it really isn't a secret but doesn't it sound good and enticing?
And since we are right here in Philippians, this thought is for free. I don't think we really understand verse 19, My God shall supply all my needs. I haven't ever heard anyone speak or teach from this passage and say, in your generosity, like the Philippians to Paul, because of this giving spirit, God will supply all your needs. If we don't attach generosity to this verse, I don't know if we are taking it in context. Through the years I have heard so many 'claim' this verse in the midst of intense need and yet they are tight fisted, stingy and not very generous. I'm not talking about money, but generous with spirit, words, acts of kindness and gentleness. Paul seems to be saying thank you for taking care of me and in the same way God is going to take care of you. I think this goes both to individuals like Paul and in ministry, like Paul. Being generous doesn't always mean giving to an institution but to those who are under employed and don't qualify for any type of assistance whether it be from church ministries or government. We sit with and talk with people who are straining to make ends meet every week at church, but we don't have a clue, unless we take the time to listen and to observe a little because generosity from an individual or family might help and minister.
15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
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