Mary Oliver Monday

July 15, 2013July 14, 2013 / Erin Kirk / Leave a comment

Are you on the cusp of something shiny and new, that’s equal parts requisite and terrifying?

Me too. Here’s a good reminder from poet Mary Oliver to take a deep breath and go little by little.

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Is Your Mind a Mess in the Morning?

July 10, 2013July 13, 2013 / Erin Kirk / 4 Comments

Ever find yourself launching a mental argument with your boss/customer/spouse/kid two minutes after crawling out of bed? There you are sleepy-eyed, brushing your teeth, practicing how you’re going to set them straight. Adrenaline slips through your veins and you walk out of the bathroom angry, bitter and depressed, cobbling together a defense against grievances real and imagined.

Or is it just me?

In cattle this is called “being on the muscle,” and frankly I don’t want to act like some pissed off cow 16 hours a day. But for a long time I thought I had no choice – I didn’t know I could control my mind.

My teacher says our minds are the battlefield and whoever wins control of that ground, commands the whole person and ultimately the whole life. That’s why, she says, satan works hard to crank us up first thing in the morning, before we’re even really conscious. If I am mad before I leave the bathroom I spread strife and bitterness like a champ.

Ever considered that?

Where does your morning depression come from? Were you depressed when you went to bed? What are you so mad about? Are you dreading something? Dread is a relative of fear, you know, so what are you afraid of?

Maybe, just maybe, someone is planting your garden for you.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12

But why are spiritual forces interested in keeping me bitter and depressed? Well, look around at all the “angry Christians” – an oxymoron if there ever was one – do you want what they have? Depression, anger and fear hinder the love of God and remember, this is war.

So here’s what to do about it:

1. Notice it. Stop bushing your teeth and watch the angry nonsense. WTF is a rational response.

2. Stop it and replace it with something else – a mantra.

I use this little book all the time to help me. It lists hundreds of scriptures by topic – anger, depression, fear, worry, money, rejection, patience etc. Each scripture is reworked into the first person and meant to be spoken aloud. The Bible says words are containers for power, so why not fill our space with the word of God rather than the black smoke of our bitter fulminations?

So, try it and tell me what happens. And in case you’re short on time, I’ve pasted a few on my pix of the French Riviera, tailor-made for your bathroom mirror. Feel free to print em up.

What are some of your favorites?

Why Bother With Jesus – Part II

July 4, 2013July 4, 2013 / Erin Kirk / 8 Comments

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There’s a story in the Bible about two sisters named Mary and Martha.

Jesus was over for dinner one night – a very big deal for them. Martha was frazzled with all the cooking and preparation and Mary wasn’t helping. Rather, she was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him.

Naturally, Martha complained to Jesus, asking him to tell her lazy sister to get up and help make dinner.

Here’s what Jesus said:

Martha, Martha…you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41-42

Several weeks ago, when a literary agent told me she wanted to represent my book but didn’t think she could sell it because my platform is small, I went nuts. I read books, called meetings, guest blogged, bought domain names, thought up clever e-books and busied myself with the marketing end of being a writer.

There’s nothing wrong with that. After all, dinner must be made.

But all day yesterday, I battled the hunch that Jesus was becoming an abstraction – a terrifying thought because Christendom is already thick with phonies and I don’t want to be one. I promise, if I ever start faking this, I’ll quit and take up bowling.

This morning one of my teachers reminded me about Mary sitting with Jesus, and I realized I’ve become Martha. This is hardly groundbreaking theology, people say it all the time, but in my hustle for my book, I forgot the reason I wrote it in the first place:

Because life is hard and Jesus helps.
Because it’s not about homosexuality.
Because our GPS is faulty.
Because seeking his kingdom and his righteousness first, is the path to everything else.
Because anybody, even pissed off skeptics, Democrats, gays, immigrants, addicts and Westboro Baptists are welcome at his feet. No matter who says otherwise.

This is why it can be hard to understand Christians sometimes. True, feet-sitting followers of Jesus Christ operate on a totally different framework, one wherein you have to believe it before you see it. For many of us, the things we’ve seen, prevent us from ever going back.

See, when you finally realize it’s irrelevant what you do or don’t do for Jesus, you can just rest at his feet and let him love you. That’s a tremendous relief.