Bits for Sunday, June 22, 2008

I realize that the official “halfway point” to the year hits next week, but I’m ready for my mid-year covenant checkup now. You might remember that last year I had a long and rather detailed list of covenants I made with God. This year I have a new list – my list of thirty things. Five are specific to this year and twenty-five more are pushing me to be intentional about this decade.

Every so often, I like to look through the list to see where I’m on track (so I can have a mini-celebration) and where I desperately need work (so I can give myself a stern lecture about keeping my commitments with the Lord). This week is evaluation time. Because I need an end-of-the-day-pick-me-up, I’m going to pick my best success in each of the five areas and share them with you.

Read a chapter in Proverbs every day for the entire year. This is my 2008 commitment for my spiritual life, and I have really enjoyed finding new things in Proverbs each month. In January, I did a basic read-through of the text. In February, I focused on verses about speech (and boy does it have a lot to say about what we say!). In March, I searched for verses on discipline. In April, I read from The Message translation. In May, I looked for verses that used any of the five senses. And in June, I’m concentrating on verses about wisdom and understanding. Each of those months, I’ve found verses that stand out in ways they hadn’t in previous months, and I’ve also found verses that fit into a variety of themes.

I’m learning (slowly) that my true need isn’t for God to spill a detailed plan of what He wants from me and for me. My true need is for a deeper wisdom and a discerning spirit so that I can make choices that align with the plan He has for me. And reading through Proverbs is, I’m sure, forming a deeper foundation than I even know right now.

Write an encouragement letter every week, leaving a legacy to those who left one to me. This is one of the ministry commitments I’ve made to stretch over the next ten years. I didn’t realize at the time what a big commitment I was making! But it has been one of the biggest blessings for me already this year. Last year I made a commitment to do something tangibly encouraging for someone every week. I loved doing that – but I wanted to write. So I combined those two loves and made a vow to spend time each week putting a note of thanks on paper. Sometimes I write to someone from long ago. Sometimes I write to a new friend. But each time, I hope to encourage someone for just being who they are to me. My letter has to be snail mail. No cheating with an email (unless that is truly the only way I know to contact the person).

Though I don’t do it for this reason, the blessing has rolled back around to me in the form of some sweet phone calls and notes in the mail from these friends. I’m glad I made this commitment. Definitely worth the time!

Pray each morning to invite the Lord to dwell in my home. Such a simple little thing I committed to do this year. It takes all of about two minutes. It’s normally done before I even hit snooze the eighth time. In 2007, I learned the power of praying out loud. The spoken word contains a power that a simple thought doesn’t have. Spoken words also create a reminder and a discipline. I want God to dwell in my home, and I want to remind myself each day that He lives here with me. We talk about going to church…going to God’s House…but God dwells here in my house every bit as much as He does in my church’s sanctuary. Leviticus 26:11-13 says “I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.”

I may not have lived in Egypt, but God has brought me out of my own forms of sin and bondage, and He has given me reason to walk with my head held high. He dwells right here with me and that verbal reminder is good for me, and the invitation delights Him. I will say that I’ve not done a 100% perfect job of this, but the many days that I have done it have allowed me to remember Who lives here with me.

Spend quality time (on the phone or in person) investing in one friend every week. This one has been so exciting for me, because in recent weeks, I’ve noticed I don’t stress about what I’m going to do in the days to come to fulfill this covenant. This is one of the ten year commitments, so will be around for a while. Although I try to be intentional going into each week and plan ahead a way to invest in someone, I find that God always brings someone to my mind or my path that I can talk to or spend time with, and that investment is always rewarding.

At times, I try to say I’m too tired to invest, but then I remember that the accountability check looms ahead, and I find the energy to get up and move into investment mode. And I’ve not once regretted it!

Take one day a month as a “NO!” day to rest. This is a 2008 commitment, but I’d love to find a way to make it work for the next decade! I pack my schedule entirely too full and I know it. So one day a month, whether it’s a Saturday, holiday, or vacation day, I take an entire day out and say NO to any appointments or commitments. I might scrapbook, I might shop, I might read, I might go away alone, I might sleep, who knows! But I take that day to refresh my spirit and catch up on the rest that I tend to deprive myself of the rest of the month.

I know this is a luxury and if I ever get married and have kids, it’s gone. Therefore this is one of those exercises that I fully appreciate in the moment, because I realize it is a very special gift that I have for this time in my life. And I really do look forward to those days. I had one just yesterday. And already I’m searching the calendar for the chance to enjoy the next one.

So there you have it. Five of the good ones. Five of the disciplines I’ve constructed to try to become a more well-rounded and healthy person. I’m excited to see how they change my life even more in the next six months.