what makes you happy

I had opportunity to re-stock my supply of doggy chew toys this week. Anytime I see toys on sale, I get them. 

I'm not concerned about what they look like; usually seasonal toys are much more affordable after the season, and the dogs don't care about a Christmas tree in April or an Easter bunny in August. 

My diminished concern about appearance is in direct relation to the immense appreciation of the pups in question. They *love* playing with chew toys. Squeeky, soft, crinkly, whatever: a dog with a chew toy is a very happy dog. 

A large part of their fun comes from destroying said toys. They chew and gnaw, flip and shake, toss and tug. (Thankfully, they don't consume the detritus, but leave it scattered on the floor. 

I think it's great. They are playful, happy dogs, living in joy. They know what they enjoy, and can communicate their happiness. They use the toys as they were intended (there's no sense keeping chew toys in perfect condition; they're literally made to be chewed on). 

So yes, there's often fluff by the table, or ripped-off limbs by the sofa. And it means cleaning up, and keeping a regular supply of toys prepared for the next 'new toy day'. No need to wait for a special occasion, just joy of living in the moment. 

What a lovely reminder for us, too. 

Life as a Sponge

A few days after a friend had completed a large liturgical project, she described herself as “feeling like a wrung-out sponge.” She had been giving extra time and energy to the project for several weeks, and while it was good and exciting work, it was a lot.

She used the sponge analogy for how she felt for a number of reasons: sponges can hold a lot; and they take a lot of squeezing before they are wrung out. Sponges are used as tools especially because of these qualities.

And most importantly: sponges are re-fillable. Whether in nature or human-made, they are designed to soak up water; to hold water; and to share the water. They consist of tubes and holes to let water pass through them.

In other words, sponges are meant to be filled and wrung out. (To leave a sponge full of water too long makes it a breeding ground for bacteria or fungi.)

So my friend’s comment about being a wrung-out sponge was not a complaint of tiredness (though she was very tired!); it was a commentary on having been used as intended. She had taken what she could hold, and shared it; she had been filled with gifts to compliment those offered by the others in the team, and had contributed.

And she knew that the end of one project was not the end of her ministry; while she needed to rest her body and spirit, she knew that she would soon be filled again: with ideas, with energy, with enthusiasm for her service to God and God’s people.

What a great analogy for us in our Christian journey, to be invited to share of what we have, to trust that our spirits will be refilled, to believe that we will be given opportunities to share our gifts over and over again, to know that we are being used in God’s kingdom.

In this time after the Feast of the Resurrection, where so many folks are feeling that tiredness that comes from the events of the past week, let’s remember that we are like sponges: emptied, but not spent; resting and re-fillable. Even a wrung-out sponge can delight in a hearty Alleluia!

What's Your Camel?

There’s a morality tale about an eighteenth camel – it goes that a man with 3 sons died, leaving half his inheritance to the eldest son, one-third to the middle child, and one-ninth to the youngest. The challenge: the man had 17 camels; obviously they could not be divided as he intended. The sons became adversarial, until a neighbour proposed a solution: she would add one camel to herd.

The maths become feasible then – one half is 9, one third is 6, and one ninth is 2 – thereby leaving one camel left over, to return to the kind neighbour. Problem resolved!

It’s a tale of mutual gains, whereby everyone wins: the sons each receive slightly more than expected, no camels are hurt in the process, and the feuding brothers can stop fighting. Even the neighbour who loaned out the camel lost nothing. A win-win all around, thanks to some outside the box thinking.

With a little creativity and collaboration, most of the challenges that we face today can likewise be overcome. While it may not involve a camel, it can be a simple solution that comprises new ideas and new ways of working together.

As we shift into a post-lockdown world and church, we know that people are being more discerning with how they extend their time, energy, and commitment. We are focusing more on actual engagement rather than casual association. As such, we know things are changing around us, and thus we are being presented the opportunity to re-examine how and why we are doing things. And, like the brothers with the camels, we may feel defensive and adversarial; yet like the neighbour we can instead seek solutions in mutually beneficial ways – no one needs to ‘lose’ for others to ‘win.’ Let’s keep a Christian focus on possibilities – and enjoy the potential ‘camels’ in our communities.

Spider/Plant

Walking toward the rectory this week, I noticed something amiss in one of the windows – there was something of a substantial size just sitting there. Immediately, my mind decided to fill in the blanks and tell me it was a giant spider.

GIANT spider.

Logic, of course, quickly kicked in as I went to take a closer look – it was not an arachnid at all, but a piece of a houseplant that was peaking through the blinds. (Ironically, a spider plant!) My brain had not caught up to some basic truths before making a decision (for example, we do not have 9” spiders in this part of the world, and if we did, there’s no way one would be left unattended to by the dogs.)

We know that our brains enjoy seeing patterns in life – completing stories or pieces of knowledge in a hurry not only lets our lizard-brains assess our level of danger (and thus response), but the brain itself releases dopamine (happiness) when a pattern is complete. This is why we jump to conclusions.

The danger in this jump is when we are unwilling to re-assess once we have gained further information. In some cases, when we choose to ignore additional information, because our jumped-to conclusion fits comfortably within our confirmation bias.

When it’s something as easy as a spider/plant, it’s not life-changing to revisit.

When it’s something we have attached values to, it can be harder. Yet, the difficult journey towards ever seeking increased knowledge and understanding helps us to build better community, with more authentic connections and genuine welcome.

We all make mistakes; we are all always still learning. It’s not a bad thing to make sure how we base our actions reflect an accurate reality.