Reminders of our Dependence

This week, while fighting a terrible virus, I wrestled with the meaning of it all.  One night I wrote in my journal:

I don’t understand why we have to be sick. I suppose it’s one more thing we can chalk up to the Fall. Thanks Adam…thanks a lot! 

Sometimes I wonder if sickness isn’t much unlike a forest fire. A forest becomes overrun and rundown with dead trees and undergrowth.  In many ways, flourishing, but at the same time, choking itself out.

The fire comes through to start things over. The soil is enriched, the air is cleared, and new life begins. In fact, without the fiery conflagration, many of the plants and trees would be unable to reproduce. Pine cones and nuts litter the forest floor…rotting…until heat and pressure cause them to bear their life-giving seeds. And the cycle begins again.

And within our fleshly shells, a never-ending game of balance plays on day by day. When sickness assaults us, our system goes into survival mode. Our symptoms are simply our own body’s response to perceived imbalance. And when the war is done being waged, we stand stronger for the next battle. Once again, heat and pressure bring new life.

Perhaps of even more signficance is the fact that if there was no fire, no earthquake, no disaster: Creation would be without its groaning (Romans 8:20-22); even forgetting its fallen nature.

And so man, in the frailty of sickness is reminded of his death. Of his mortality. And therefore, his utter need for God.

What has independence gotten us? Sickness. Sorrow. Pain. Evil. And ultimately…DEATH.

Not that our loving Father causes us sickness to teach us a lesson. No, that is a result of the Fall. Yet, our Father, in His perfect wisdom and sovereignty, birthes good and truth out of every situation.

So the next time you awaken with a sore throat and stuffy nose, remember your mortality. Remember your humanity. Remember your absolute dependence on the Giver of all Life. May your own weakness drive you into the arms of the only One strong enough to sustain you. May you find rest and healing in his perfect Love.

Leadership and Car Fresheners…

I have this love/hate relationship with car fresheners.

I always enjoy having that new car scent when I step into my vehicle.  There’s just something about that smell that makes me feel like my granny car is actually a brand new beamer.  Of course, when I try accelerating to 60 in under 5 minutes, I’m reminded of my humble estate.

Despite enjoying the rush of a fresh smelling car, I often forget that weekly maintenance is required for a lasting aroma.

Sooner or later, a different kind of aroma sets in…Something quite different all together. One day the stench of last week’s Big Mac meal mixed with sweaty gym clothes mixed with mushy banana peels hits me like a tidal wave. 

Looking up and shaking my fist at my worthless car freshener, I realize it’s been 4 months since I followed the instructions printed clearly on the back. Something about opening it gradually each week?  Little lines marking the little tree’s trek to freedom…

In my frustration, I tug on the plastic and what do you know…it comes all the way off.  Now, I know I’m not the only one that deals with this because try as I might, the same thing happens to me every time.

And really, here I must pause and thank whomever the flip it was that decided car fresheners had to be in the shape of little trees.  Ya, they’re cute.  Sure, I imagine the shape of an old sock wouldn’t sell as well.  But seriously, that has GOT to be the most impossible shape to re-insert into a skinny plastic preserver!

So there I sit; plastic cover in hand and the overwhelming scent slowly permeating my car.

Everyone who takes a ride with me holds their nose or rolls down the window. I even become nauseated while driving. The freshener has outdone its purpose and my impatience and need for change has driven it past its usefulness.

I’m convinced that many of us unknowingly approach leadership in a similar way.

Some of us approach our next position of leadership–whether in ministry or in corporate America–with an idea that we’re going to change things for change’s sake.  We’ve got grand visions for freshening the air and bringing a newer, more innovative scent to our church/company.  Especially for those of us of a younger persuasion—we despise the stale smell of stagnant strategies, old-fashioned philosophy, vague vision, and empty purpose statements.  The tendency is to make a drastic tug in hopes of seeing sweeping changes…

Unfortunately, we end up with similar reactions to those of my nose-plugging passengers.  The lack of tact, grace, and propriety leaves our would-be supporters scrambling for the exits.  If we do not walk into change with an understanding of proper timing, we end up swinging to the extremes.

As we all know, too much of a good thing is not much of a good thing at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge proponent of change, innovation, and creativity. But timing, discernment, collaboration, and intentionality must be at the bedrock of the changes we make. 

So it comes down to this:

1)       Be attentive to the fragrance of your environment—This requires regular and deliberate evaluation.  Follow the directions for consistent maintenance.

2)     Don’t pull too hard at the protective packaging—When the need for change is apparent, consider the appropriate course of action that doesn’t shift to an opposite extreme. Don’t overcorrect.

3)     Consider your passengers—In humility, value the wisdom and insights of others on the road to accomplishing your vision.  Not only that, but recognize how your decisions will impact them along the way.

If you find yourself out of balance on any one of these points, take some time to pause.  Remember that it’s a whole lot harder to put the wrapper back on than it is to rip it off.

Next time you glance at that little tree hanging from your rear-view mirror, remember the lessons that even the simplest things in life can teach us about leadership.