Practicing Presence

20 Jan
There really has not been too much new going on here, but I felt the need to post something. The picture is of the construction crews moving a house, or "B-Hut" as they are called. I think this one is going to the other side of the base to make room for new troops coming in. They can fit between 4 to 20 Soldiers in one of these! (We have 6 in mine).

It has been 4 days since my last message, and I want to be consistent. In a nutshell, I preached twice last weekend from John 5. Both services went well, but I was feeling sick for a few days there (common cold), and I think that affected me. I did not walk away feeling like I hit a home run, but oh well. No preacher feels that way every weekend, or so I'm told. I have also been growing more frustrated with an Army administrative issue. It appears that my paperwork may have slipped through the cracks awhile back and could have affected some financial issues for me. I am trying to trust God for all that stuff, but it can still get pretty frustrating. I have a number of people here helping me, which is a blessing, so we'll see where that goes soon. The Army is a massive entity that does not seem to care much for the individual. I am learning that if you do not stay on your toes and also be a squeeky wheel, you may get lost and you certainly will not get the oil!

I started reading a new book called, Spiritual Direction, by the late Henri Nouwen. He was a famous priest who wrote extensively on spiritual issues. He is big on journaling, and some of his material is challenging. For example, he writes: (1) Identify and name a persistent question at this time in your life; And (2) In what areas of your life are you most prone to self-rejection, and why? Tough questions. How would you answer them? I have been keeping a written journal by my bed, so I am pondering those questions and spending time in quiet reflection to allow God to give me some insight.

One other issue that I am working on is the ability to stay "in the moment," in the here-and-now. I am not very good at that, and this experience almost begs you to look ahead and dream of it being over. I can't wait until I get home. What will I/we do then? What will our lives look like when I'm done? Ect.... But God seems to be speaking to me about not doing that. Stay in the present, or you will miss what I has in store for you/me today. The truth is, I will miss the blessings and ministry of being here if I am always focused on home and next year. It's not an easy shift to make, but I'm starting to recognize it and (hopefully) adjust. I challenge you to do the same in your life. Well, that's it for today. Gotta go for now. We'll talk again soon.