Episode 78: Blue Doors And Coming Up For Air

Sometimes the chaos and noise of the world is too much, isn’t it? Whether you are trying to manage a trial in your own life or scrolling past another online debate, it is so easy for us to get stuck in the heaviness of it all and to forget the goodness of the Lord. In this week’s episode, Lisa encourages us to come up for literal air by embracing the beauty around us and the simple joys that can point us back to God. Taking a walk. Making a meal. Painting a door. God can use it all to renew our minds, reset our bodies, and speak to our hearts. While checking out isn’t the answer, intentionally leaning into the goodness of God always is.

Links:

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers https://www.amazon.com/Utmost-His-Highest-Devotional-Journal/dp/1627077340/ref=pd_lpo_d_sccl_1/137-5799970-3893346?pd_rd_w=ebkm1&content-id=amzn1.sym.4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_p=4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_r=BE37CDXZX8Q515WZETQZ&pd_rd_wg=JBSKj&pd_rd_r=0565c035-0a32-4c38-9f1e-e1ad69d77a1d&pd_rd_i=1627077340&psc=1

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

And welcome to the Pur Salad Ground Honey. I'm Lisa Venema, your host, and I can't wait to dig and to gather truth with you today. Let's get grounded. Well, listeners, I wanted to start today off with a little bit of a confession. It's always good to start a conversation with a confession, huh? Lean in a little closer. It's not that big of a deal. But I am a little bit behind in my podcasting. Typically, I am several weeks out, sometimes months out on topics and recordings. And lately, because of life and just getting adjusted to the new rhythm here at the podcast, it's been sometimes a week-by-week thing. And the schedule is a little bit tight. But the benefit of that has been that as I have chosen topics, I really have been able to take a step back and look at our world or what we as a collective church are experiencing in this moment and really try to speak into and maybe minister a little bit to that specifically. And I do personally feel like the last several weeks have been a little heavy. I mean, let's be honest, the last couple years have been a little heavy. But I don't know about you, but I feel like there's been a lot of noise in this world over the last several weeks. And it's just, it's exhausting. It's heavy as believers and lovers of the Lord. I feel like many of us take that very personally. You know, we know that division and conflict and and pain and hurting is not anything that the Lord wants for our world. You know, he wants us to be at peace and he wants us to be united in him. And so it grieves him when he sees this world hurting, and I think it grieves us when we see this world hurting because we have the Holy Spirit inside of us. And so I was thinking back to a few years ago when I was going through a similar season personally where things just felt really heavy. I was taking life pretty seriously, and I was definitely weighed down by a lot of worry and overthinking and stress. So I decided that the remedy for this was to paint my front door blue. That sounds a little bit crazy, right? But it it really might not be even a big deal to some of you. But remember a couple episodes ago when I told you that I'm more of a neutral girl. I choose safe things. And so choosing to paint my front door blue felt rebellious to me. It actually just felt fun. And now, granted, in all things with my personality, you know, we don't change in overnight. And so, of course, I stressed over the color and shade of blue for three days, but I didn't let that deter me. I just felt like I needed to add some color to what felt like an endless season of gray skies and really deep reflection. I just needed some levity. And somehow painting my front door blue felt like the next right thing. And honestly, to this day, that front door makes me smile. It reminds me not to take life so seriously all the time, and that sometimes simple joys can make all the difference. And so I wonder if maybe that's a word for you today. Maybe you are a little weighed down by the noise of the world, or maybe you've been stuck in a season of your own life that feels especially draining, and you're seeking some sort of levity. You know, maybe you're feeling financial stress or a relationship stress or parenting demands or work deadlines, they can very easily add up and steal our sense of joy and wonder. They can like suck the life out of us, right? I mean, you just need to spend two minutes on social media and you feel that chaos just come right in, conflict, crisis, you name it, it's right there. And it can be disheartening. And so what do it look like maybe for you to take a step away and to have maybe a blue door moment? Sometimes when life takes over and our circumstances can dictate our mood, I think we need to get intentional about joy. And yes, the joy of the Lord is our strength and his eternal presence is our hope. But I also think he gave us creative minds and capable hands that can be used to reveal his glory and even unlock the joy in our everyday lives. I'm not saying that those simple joys should replace him, but I do think they can be used to point us back to him. And so I wonder if maybe that's something you could consider today for yourself. Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying here. I'm not encouraging you to check out. What I'm encouraging you to do is to intentionally lean in to the goodness of God. The chirping of birds, the colorful rainbow after the storm, the seasons and those rhythms we can always count on. I think of the stillness and even the vastness of the ocean, breathtaking sunsets, the taste of fresh strawberries. That all points to the goodness of God. Goodness that we get to enjoy, and even joy more when we remember who it all comes from. Right? It tells us in James that every good and perfect gift comes from God. So maybe instead of feeling like we have to bear the weight of our family on our shoulders or the weight of the world on our shoulders, we could just take a step back and just instead look at the beautiful creation around us and enjoy some time with the Lord. I'm talking about simple joys and creative endeavors. I'm not talking about mountaintop moments. I'm talking about looking intentionally for God in the everyday beauty and opportunities He places in front of us. Because here's what I have found, and I think probably a lot of you have found too, that there's just moments that feel so simple and pure that we can finally slow down enough and actually hear the voice of God. And so what starts off as a way of just kind of like breathing a little easier ends up being an opportunity to commune with God in a new and refreshing way. It just almost like he he hugs us in those moments and and gives us a chance to just rest in his arms and in his presence and feel happy in that and feel grateful in that and maybe even loved in that. And because God is so cool, of course, my daily devotional kind of talked about that today, and it's um the devotional is called My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, and I just love the way he he kind of frames this idea. So here's what Oswald says. And it's the title is The Devotion of Hearing. He says, The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me. If I am united with Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. A flower, a tree, or a servant of God may convey God's message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It's not that I don't want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. And so what his point here is that a flower, a tree, he can speak to us through all of those things. And I think that somehow in our minds, when the world gets heavy or our own personal world gets heavy, we think that the holy thing to do is to worry about it and to ruminate on it and to keep scrolling and keep researching. And some people like to keep commenting. And what I wonder is if maybe the real answer is to just withdraw and lean into God. Most of us have fallen into the trap of using screens as our only way of enjoyment or leisure, and we've forgotten the value of just taking a walk or creating something with our hands. And I think anyone who has ever spent time gardening or, you know, outside doing some good work, like even pulling weeds, there's something so satisfying about that, and it really does bring you closer to the Lord. And shutting off the noise and listening to the heart of God is always our best response. And that is part of the abiding work that we are called to. And I just wanted to remind us of that today. That no matter what anyone tries to tell you on the internet, walking away and taking a deep breath and enjoying simple pleasures and moments in your life is okay. And it can center us in a way that our bodies need. You know, it's not just taking a nap and getting enough sleep, it's resting in the Lord and enjoying the beauty around us. This is part of what you know creation does just by existing. And they display the splendor of God and and what a what a kind God we have that doesn't just give us food to sustain us, but he makes it taste good. You didn't have to do that. But that's just who he is. And so I, you know, maybe that's maybe baking is is the thing for you today. Like, what could you do to just draw you back to your humanity and the goodness of God? And I was trying to think of a way I could help you do that. And there's a piece of scripture that I often read when I just need to be reminded of the wonder and the awe of God and his goodness. And it's Psalm 104. The first time I ran across it, I was just struck. I'm a word person, and so the beauty and the poetry in these verses are so compelling. And I'm guessing that most of you probably haven't read any poetry today. Maybe a few of you, but I'm guessing most of us probably don't take the time to do something like that. And so I thought maybe I could do it for you today. Maybe I could just give you a piece of scripture that would fill your heart, but also inspire you and maybe motivate you to lean into the goodness of God and the beauty that he has placed all around you. Psalm one o four. Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment, he stretches out the heavens like a tent, and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot, and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on his foundations, it can never be moved. You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment. The waters stood above the mountains, but at your rebuke the waters fled, and at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. They flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross. Never again will they cover the earth. He makes springs pour water into the ravines, it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the fields, the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters, they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers. The land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for the people to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth, wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. And I wanted to end with verses thirty-one through thirty-three. May the glory of the Lord endure forever. May the Lord rejoice in his works, he who looks at the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all of my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. So good, isn't it? The words, the pictures and images it brings to your mind, and you think about you know the Lord using clouds as a chariot, and also just the majesty and awe of who he is and and how amazing his creation is, and even just the idea of him creating it. The smoke that he he brings from the mountains. It's just one of those times when we can just think, wow, look what God has given us. And so I hope that blessed your heart today. I hope that taking the time to enjoy scripture, not a have to, but a get-to moment. And how could thinking about creation and being grateful for it inspire you to live a little different today? What simple action or joy could you participate in to the glory of God? Maybe it's just walking around the block and enjoying the creation and thanking him for his work. Maybe it's doing a puzzle with your family and slowing down and pouring out your love and attention on those gifts he's given you. Maybe it's making yourself a nutritious meal, or maybe it's baking muffins for a hurting friend. Maybe it's making your toddler belly laugh, or bouncing up basketball with your middle schooler. Maybe it's painting your front door blue or red or bright yellow. Whatever your next right thing is, I pray that it reminds you that simple joys can be a part of God's work in your life. I truly believe our God is a God of details and abundance. He is a God of intricate pine cones and delicate butterflies, He is a God of crisp apples and furry animals and warm sunshine. He is artistic and intentional, and he carefully placed beauty in plain sight. Beauty He created for all of us to enjoy, including Himself. I mean, Genesis tells us that he walked in the Garden of Eden in the cool of day with Adam and Eve. And he even took a day off to enjoy his creation. So maybe today is a good day for you to do the same. Nope, it will not change your circumstances and it won't erase any pain or struggles you're going through. And it certainly won't solve the problems of the world, but it might give you a much-needed breather, a taste of joy, and a gentle reminder that God's goodness is always near and always true, no matter what color door we open to find it. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I just stand in awe of your majesty right now, your creativity and your kindness and that we see revealed in creation and everything all around us, whether it's a flower or a tree or a bird or our lunch, or we are grateful for it all. We see your goodness in it all. And you know, Lord, sometimes this world just gets really noisy and loud and tries to distract us from the fact that you are good and holy and on the throne. You call us to a life of hope and a life of joy in you. A life that might be hard, but that we can always take heart because you've overcome it all. And although we may not feel like that right now, we can know that it's true and we can step away, and we can spend time with you so that you can refresh us and renew us, body, mind, and soul. Help us, Lord, to have eyes to see your goodness. Give us the courage and the trust to step away from our everyday activities and just take a moment or two to be with you. To use our minds and our gifts and our creativity and our hands and our eyes and our ears, all of the senses for to really remember just how good you are. Forgive us for making worry our idol, for spending way too much time on the screens of our lives. May we spend more time in the stillness of your presence and in the pages of your word. Help us, Lord, draw near to us, comfort us, give us peace, and help us to hear your voice in all those moments of our day. Help us to intentionally seek you in it all. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. Listeners, let's delight in the Lord and lean into his goodness this week. He alone is our solid.