Your Report Card: "C+" ???

Do you ever feel like you can do better? Do you ever feel like you can be a little more faithful with your goals, do a little better with your job, exercise a little more, eat a little better, make a little more money, be more kind? In other words, do you ever feel like your 'good effort' always seems to fall short?

I have often considered myself a proponent of being excellent in everything. I’ve encouraged so many to do the same, and to maximize the gift that God put inside of them. If He is a creator, a perfect creator, and we are made in his image, then we should also create (perhaps not perfectly, but at least on a pretty high level). Unfortunately, my judgment of where that level of excellence is and whether or not I've reached it seems to constantly change like a bouncing buoy on the stormy waves of the ocean.

My desire to achieve "better" and "best" started in grade school and continued into every other area of my life. Though the results of my hard work were sometimes noteworthy, many times my life lacked rest and peace, and the satisfaction of a job 'well done.' Many times I saw my fruit as only "good." Average. Satisfactory. In other words, my life grade was a "C+". Unlike Ralphie in A Christmas Story who believed his Christmas essay deserved an A++++, I knew my self-imposed grade was about what I deserved. That being said, I was still deflated with my C+. I wanted an A.

Societal influences do not help this internal conflict. There is always a pressure (sometimes subtle, sometimes overt) to be more, to do more, to earn more, to have more… to always succeed higher. We often compare ourselves, our children, our job, our home, our accomplishments to those around us.

Now don’t get me wrong here. I do believe that we should aim high. Dreams are meant to propel us into places we never thought we could achieve. Influence in society as successful people requires a relevance and an adeptness at a talent or gift. As Christians, we are called to be salt. Salt changes its environment, and its absence is noticed.

It's not the goals that I'm speaking of. It's the result. It's the grade. Where did I land? In my mind, it was always short of my goal.

As I was contemplating all of this, I remembered a passage of scripture that I had read hundreds of times. No doubt you may have read it many times before. Even those who don’t profess faith are familiar with it. But sometimes a familiar passage can take on a new meaning. This was one of those times.

In the story of creation in the Bible, there is a phrase that repeats over and over throughout Genesis 1. It reads exactly the same in different translations. This phrase occurs after the conclusion of each element of creation.

“God saw that it was good.”

Good.

Not perfect.

Not even very good.

Just good.

What does good mean? I started to think of current educational standards, i.e. grades, as a way to evaluate our work. Even to adults, grades or performance reviews are an indication of how we are doing. If God were creating the world today and he was giving a grade to his creation by his view that it was good, what would the grade for “Good” be?

After reading multiple sites about what grades really mean and what I knew to be true, I determined that God was giving his work, his amazing creative work, somewhere between a “B” and a “C.” In other words, "C+".

Ok, now before you declare me a heretic and ignore the rest of what I have to say, let me finish. Hear me out until the end.

At the very end of creation culminating in man’s formation, when God surveyed everything, all of it, the sum total of all the “good,” the end result was ... “VERY GOOD.”

At no individual point along the way was anything considered “very good.” It wasn’t until all the work, all the results were put together, viewed not as separate events but as a string pieced together into a whole, that this designation was applied.

Immediately after this ultimate evaluation occurred and everything was finished, it allowed a very important and deliberate act to happen. “He rested.”

As I applied this to my own life, I realized that my ability to rest and to be satisfied is directly proportional to how I feel I am doing. Have I achieved excellent, very good, good, or have I failed?

When we have a connection with God that allows us to work at individual items in our lives to the point of them being “good” and when we are ok with “good” being enough, the overall perspective of all these “good” things put together will synthesize into something that is “very good.” In other words, we don’t have to strive to be excellent at every single thing we do. If we are hoping to achieve that, we find ourselves weary, unrested, and in some cases exhausted.

I believe if our perspective is to look at all the good, we can then string it together and view it as something very, very good. Not only that, we can truly rest. We can know that we are doing what we were created to do and doing it well.

Now for the verse that I alluded to above -- the "well done, my good and faithful servant" verse that many of us might have no doubt quoted. When Jesus told the parable of the talents, He uses the phrase, "Well done". Of course that's what we all want to hear, and at first glance, it seems to be contradictory to the verses in Genesis. When we put the verse in perspective, however, this affirmation is said only after the master returned from being gone for a LONG TIME. Once again, the 'well done' or 'very good' designation comes at the end of a progressive string of 'good' decisions and actions. Who knows how long the master was gone. A week, a month, a year, 10 years? The point is, it was a long time. We have to look at our life as a long journey that we are somewhere in the middle of.

The problem still remains... what is good?

Eating from the one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, led to the fall of man, the entrance of sin, and a host of other things, including a perpetual need to work and a difficulty in finding rest. Why? Because we now have to figure out what is good. And for someone like me, good is never good enough. This constant pursuit leads to more work and more striving. Knowing how to define good was the temptation then and it is our temptation now.

As you examine the different elements of your life, I suggest you look at them through God's lens. Are you making a "C+"? Then it is good. If you feel like a failure, remember that no final grade is ever based on any one thing, and your semester isn't over yet. Sometimes you'll feel excellent and sometimes just good and sometimes like a failure. It's all ok. The purpose of not eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is that Adam and Eve didn't have to figure it out. They could rest in relationship with and trusting of God that they would not be judged on every single success or failure.

I'm still a proponent of excellence. But I'm also a proponent of relationship with God. I have learned not to exhaust myself doing more, achieving more, trying to keep up with those around me or with my own view of excellence. Instead I have kept the connection that allows me to see my life and work as good.

Find out from God what GOOD really means for you. Knowing that all of our good, in connection with a perfect creator, will ultimately be pieced together into something beautiful and very, very good. When you realize that, your "C+" is good enough.

Subsequently, you will be able to rest, consistently, knowing that you don’t have to figure it all out. One step at a time, one task at a time. It is good.


Related blog post:  Framing the Pages of Your Life

When Your Parachute Doesn't Open

I suppose God can speak to you through the most unlikely of people. You could guess that God might speak to you through your pastor, your Bible study leader, or even your friend. The truth is, he can use anything or anyone.

Today, I heard God speaking to me through a game show host. Yes, that’s right. Steve Harvey had a word from God aimed right at me. In his words (and they are powerful words), "You Gotta Jump."

The heart of the message, really, was to make your life count, to not merely exist but to pursue your dreams and engage your gifts. It's what I was talking about in my recent blog on dreams.

Well, the truth is, I did jump. I jumped right into pursuing some of my dreams. I jumped right into the unknown, right into nothingness, right into things I may not be qualified for nor prepared for.

And guess what? My parachute didn't open.

Instead of soaring into the great unknown, exhilarated by the sensation of achieving my goals, I instead was dashed upon the rocks. Discouragement formed like a wall blocking my path, daring me to rise. Raising myself up bloody and bruised, intimidated by the wall in front of me, I went back to my starting place. I remembered some of God's promises. I gathered my courage. And I jumped again.

My parachute didn't open. Again.

After the second attempt and the subsequent failure to launch, I was just about ready to shelf the very things that had given me hope and vision -- shelf them until some undetermined time in the future. 'This must not be God's will or his timing,' I thought.

Now, I do need to say that these 'interruptions' that short circuited my journey were not minor. They affected me deeply. They threatened my resolve. They stole my resource. They sidelined me.

I was struggling to get back on track when a letter came from a dear friend. She shared with me her hopes and dreams for this season, and how my words had encouraged her. As I read the letter, her words became life right back to me, inspiring me yet again to take the plunge. I began to see that my expectations of unimpeded progress were not realistic. My pursuit would require much more time, effort, and perseverance. I began to realize that I had gotten a little bruised through a couple of setbacks, but I didn't die. Neither had my dreams.

When you jump into something new, it is rare to succeed the first, or even the second time. Normally, there is a fall, and you gather some injuries along the way. The cuts form scabs that heal, and the skin toughens itself to withstand more the next time.

Many times, the parachute doesn’t open. The doors don’t open right away. The grace isn’t always there at first.

Sometimes opposition is in direct correlation to the dream. The roadblock can be a loss of finances, time or other resources needed to fulfill the dream. Other times, it’s merely a distraction, usually a big one, that takes your time, focus, and energy away from pursuit of the dream. You may face obstacles of discouragement. Intimidation. Unbelief. Hopelessness. Reminders of past failures. Do remember that we have an enemy. He really likes to try to kill things when they are small, in their infancy and growing.

I believe, though, that there is a pushing through, a 'get yourself up and get a move on' attitude that can eventually make for some successes along the way, and progress towards the goal. In addition, we must remember that there are times when we need support. We need help. We need other people to help us re-enter the race. We are not meant to be islands unto ourselves, but a functioning body that works together.

Nothing that comes quickly or easily endures. The seeds that sprout quickly have shallow roots. Radishes are among the fastest sprouting seeds, and likewise they can be easily uprooted anytime in their development.

My daughter planted a redwood seed at the beginning of the year, and we are still waiting patiently for that seed to germinate and grow into one of the strongest and tallest plants in existence. It takes patience. It takes constant effort. It takes a relentless hope. It takes time.

So I've picked myself up from 2 different falls, and I'm heading back to the edge to jump again. And again and again. Each time, I'll be stronger from the last jump. I'll be smarter. My roots will be growing deeper. My commitment will grow stronger. And eventually, my parachute will open up for me. My gift, my dream will make a way.

Come on. Jump with me. If you already have jumped and fallen, then jump again. If you have jumped and succeeded, then jump higher. Eventually, our dreams will open up and carry us.

Dedicated to my friend, Debbie, and others who are jumping along with me. 

dream.

Do you know the place that is just between asleep and awake? It is a place where possibility exists. It is the place between what could be and what is. Sometimes it is the place between a sweet sense of utopia and a stark contrast of wearisome reality. In this place, the lines become blurred.

I believe the transition between one year and the next is a little bit like that. There is a sense of hope and newness that awakens our senses. We start to forget the drudgery of daily tasks, we slow down, and we take time to believe in possibility, to express gratitude, to consider. We think of ways to better ourselves and our situation. We leave some things behind. We start anew. 

Sometimes, we begin to dream.

2016 is a year to dream. It is a year to start seeing dreams become reality. For me, the conception of this potential began in early December 2015 at a ladies Bible study. One of our table leaders, my dear friend Brenda, passed around a tin of handmade gifts. They were simple bookmarks that included a single word. All the words were visionary, fun, and inspiring. I searched through the box until I found my word.

dream.

Wow. My word was a verb, not a noun. Actually, it was a command.

My momentary enthusiastic energy quickly waned throughout the course of the day, and I brought home the bookmark and deposited it on my desk. My desk... well, that is the place where random mail, notes and trinkets can fall into the sea of the forgotten. Many important items eventually end up being stored near here, but in the purgatory of disorganization, the judgment seat of things that are ultimately cherished or discarded, some items become, in a sense, lost. This seed of a dream found its way into that pile. And there, it waited.

A few weeks passed, Christmas whizzed by, and I sat anticipating the next major holiday: New Years Day. That's when the nighttime dreams began. I was a little shocked because I haven’t had any substantive, memorable dreams for a long time.

First came one very clear dream about me, an inspirational man I admire, and my glaring insecurities. He believed in me in the dream, despite my inability to believe in myself.

The next night another very clear dream came. This dream revealed some things from my past, several emergency situations, and my confrontation with fear. I was victorious. Don’t you love it when you win in your dreams?

Each time I dreamed, I related the dream, and took note that something was happening.

The third night another dream occurred that was directly related to a very real and current situation I was struggling to walk through. The images and symbolism were clear and very easy to understand. This dream helped to specifically navigate a very delicate circumstance with what I felt was wisdom directly from God.

The next night, I did not dream, but instead I spent part of my day inspired to dream of my future and to write it down. This continued for 2 more days.

Finally, last night I dreamed again. It wasn’t a complicated dream, but it included my youngest daughter and a friend of hers, happily interacting. It was an image of spontaneity and fun.

My four dreams communicated some very important principles:

1.  Others believe in you, even when you don't believe in yourself. We need each other.
2.  You can overcome your mistakes, your past, and your fears. You can win.
3.  God is always ready to give wisdom and help, even when we forget to ask.

4.  Joy is a critical part of our existence.

Incidentally, while I was dreaming of my daughter, she was dreaming too. She came downstairs this morning, excited, eager to relay her dream to me. She began telling me the dream, while simultaneously recording it on her phone. Fifteen minutes later, after extremely detailed scenarios and sometimes seeming randomness, she completed her retelling. 

‘What do you think it means, overall?” I asked her, sitting at my desk and separating out junk from treasure.

She told me, in one complete and succinct sentence. Stunned, I realized that she was relating an exact topic her dad and I had discussed the day before about a future plan we were considering. Her interpretation of her dream represented a family dream we have had for several years.

Instantly, I remembered the bookmark. Digging my way into the piles, I found it. It was just as full of potential as it was the first time I chose it. Then I knew. Things could not have been more clear if they had been written on the wall.

This is a year to dream. This is a year to give expression to those dreams. This expression will access the power for dreams to be realized.

A dream will continue in the realm of fantasy, shrouded in misty potential, until finds expression. An expressed dream has inherent power within it to become a reality. It is a seed. The expression of a dream is like giving sun and water to a seed. The seed of a dream can then germinate and begin to take on life.

“And then God answered: ‘Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message [or dream] is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming – it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.” (Hab. 2:2-3, MSG)

Before you attack the resolutions and the responsibilities, and before the busyness of 2016 begins full force, take some time to dream. Dreaming isn't about things you should do. It is not about things that will likely already happen. Dreaming is about what might be, what you hope for. It involves faith. It also involves courage to move those dreams into reality. 

In the precious time before you are fully engaged and awake -- that space between what is and what could be -- dream. And then, express your dreams. Write them down. Tell someone.

The dreams, and their subsequent expression, will carry with them the life and potential necessary for fulfillment. 

Happy 2016. 

“There is a point when you stand at the edge of hard evidence, look across to what lies on the other side, and step forward. Otherwise you wind up going nowhere.”  
                                       -- Jodi Picoult