Pastor Andrew Vickery

Associate Pastor

Feeling Overwhelmed?

I recently listened to a TED Talk by Anne Lamott, who just a few days before her 61st birthday, decided to write down everything she knew for sure to be true.  The spark that lit this fire was a conversation with her grandson.  Evidently he had asked her some pretty tough questions!  What Anne ended up with was a list of 12 truths--her rebuttal to a popular culture full of "fake news" and "alternative facts."  Most of these truths are HILARIOUS!  And they are meant to be!  If you're feeling overwhelmed with life, watch her entire TED Talk at:

https://www.ted.com/talks/anne_lamott_12_truths_i_learned_from_life_and_writing#t-37713.

I won't spoil it all for you, but I wanted to share a couple of her maxims:

1.  Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes...including you.

"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you."  (Deuteronomy 5;12 NLT)  How often do you ACTUALLY take a Sabbath day?  Unfortunately, we as Christians, think this is the one commandment that it is okay to break.  But God puts it on the same level as these verses in Deuteronomy 5:

Verse 17 - You must not murder.

Verse 18 - You must not commit adultery.

Verse 19 - You must not steal.

Verse 20 - You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

2.  Earth is forgiveness school.

"Then Peter came to him and asked, 'Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?  Seven times?'

'No, not seven times,' Jesus replied, 'but seventy times seven!'" (Matthew 18:21-22 NLT)

Earth is full of sin, disappointment, pain, suffering, beauty, and wonder--all at once!  As Anne Lamott puts it, "[Life] is filled simultaneously with heartbreaking sweetness and beauty, desperate poverty, floods and babies and acne and Mozart--all swirled together."

There are things on Earth--in this life--that we feel cannot be forgiven or people that we feel cannot be forgiven.  Or maybe we feel that God can forgive anyone, but maybe you can't.  There are probably people on Earth that you cannot forgive.  And you're probably related to them!  I want you to think of that person right now--that person that makes your blood boil, and when you begin to feel the heat, read these verses from Ephesians 4:31-32:  "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."  Forgiveness is HARD WORK, but as Anne Lamott puts it, "You might as well start at the dinner table.  That way, you can do this work in comfortable pants."

Andrew