Imperishable

I found myself in tears this morning, completely unraveled thinking about what 1 Peter says about human potential. Imperishable. Speaking to other Christ followers, Peter says that God has an inheritance reserved for believers that is imperishable. I’ve been avoiding 1 Peter. Peter says that I am imperishable. He says that my spirit is imperishable. He says that my inheritance is imperishable. He says that I have an imperishable relationship with heaven in heaven with God.

Living on a few hours asleep a night, caring for our baby, doing all the chores, teaching emotional disturbed humans (teenagers), and not getting any younger, I don’t feel imperishable. I feel anything but imperishable. Living in Suburbia where disconnection is the norm, the tyranny of achievement and the urgent rule, and shiny, happy cars disguise the darkness, I feel anything, but eternal security. Knowing my own shadows and imperfections while seeing my baby boy’s joy and innocence, I feel anything but close to heaven—close to God. Peter calls us aliens and strangers scattered about in a strange land. Indeed.  Ironically, I revel in the midst of my greatest accomplishment, my baby boy, and I feel everything but great and accomplished. Ironically, my greatest accomplishment required the smallest of effort by me.
 

Calling is Irresistible and Effortless

What if our glory doesn’t come from our own efforts? What if glory is more of an attitude, a choice of the will? What if glory requires nothing but acceptance—as in the acceptance of an inheritance, a birthright? What if your greatest dreams are right before your eyes, right now, today, always available? “You are the first one of your kind. And you feel like no one before and you steal from under my door…everywhere you go you shout it, you don’t have to be scared about it. No.” sings Bono in Original of the Species. I believe Bono sings about Adam and Eve and alludes to the uniqueness of every and each human being. He reminds me of the perfection of the Garden, the goodness of man. Adam and Eve had the choice between contentment with things as they are and knowledge of things as they could be. Unfortunately, they could only be worse, darker. The only way to change perfection is to make it imperfect.
 

How do I know if I am called?

What if you pursued dreams according to your true self and not according to the American Ego? What if you chased successes according to your birthright, your imperishable inheritance? Fellow blogger, Scotthyoung advises, “If the path you are on currently is giving you the greatest growth, passion and fulfillment it doesn’t matter whether you ever reach your destination.” He suggests that the process is more important than the goal. Success for success’s sake leaves us empty. He suggests that we choose the experience we want rather than the goal.  My friend Kit says that the true measure of a warrior is the size of his adversary.  The challenge and consequent growth is what’s important in life not the end goal.   And an imperishable inheritance implies security and strength to face any adversity. True callings and true strengths don’t disappear even in the darkest, hardest times, and nor in the loneliest places. True characters persevere. Callings persist. Strengths grow. And with time, passion increases as challenge increases.

 

Meditation:

Put aside the American Ego, The Suburban Delusion, the need for approval from others, the lies of media and celebrity royalty. Wrestle through and put aside the emotion. Put aside the weighing of pros and cons, the endless strategies and options, the confusion of the limited mind. What is left? What does your true self desire? Put aside the lie that life is supposed to be easy and fun. What do you do when life gets hard? Who are you when the darkness hits? What would you do if you had a limited amount of money, time, and energy? Cause you do. What would you do even if it is expensive, costly, and hard? What would you do even if no one else would do it? What would you do despite the sacrifice?  For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross…When I’m at a true rest, I want secure, trusting relationships. I want unconditional love and acceptance. I want reality. I want heaven and perfection. I want to love and help people. I want safety for all people. When I’m at true rest, I listen and challenge. I fulfill all these desires through teaching, writing, and family. Calling easy. Following is not. It’s sacrificing. And it’s satisfying, refining—purifying. What is worth the sacrifices to you? I don’t think it’s vision that holds you back. It’s courage—courage to be who you truly are, courage to claim your birthright—courage to be singularly imperishable in a world that perishes.  Who are you?

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