joy

Campfires.

moremarsh2 Comments

There is something incredible about sitting around a fire in the middle of nature with good friends. And if you find yourself at a campfire in the middle of nature with a group of strangers, I have no doubt that they too will soon be your good friends.

Campfires bring out this desire to sit, watch, listen, and rest. You cannot be hurried around a campfire. (That is, unless you are building a campfire on the brink of a storm and you only have so long to cook the food you brought before the inevitable downpour. And I’m not writing that out of experience or anything.) When you sit around a campfire, you enjoy talking, asking questions, hearing stories, and sharing stories. I’m convinced that there is something within us that was made for this.

I often think about the Israelites and how hard of a life they had. They went through a lot of ups and downs, but especially a lot of downs. They spent 40 years in a desert. They had a system of sacrifices they had to perform in order to be right with God. This group of people constantly had to build fires. These fires would have been used for food preparation, warmth, and sacrifices. (Side note: Do you think they got tired of their clothes smelling like campfires too?)

We don’t know everything about the Israelites and their way of life. So, I often wonder if they sat around campfires at night, sharing stories from the day and remembering the faithfulness of God. I wonder what things they thought were funny and what stories they enjoyed telling the most. And I wonder what it was like to build a fire in a desert every single day for 40 years.

I also think they were probably all really good at getting fires started and keeping them going. We often “cheat” this by bringing fire starters, lighter fluid, torches, matches, etc. This is a skill I’m still trying to master. But back to the point.

Campfires may be one of my favorite things. I think a big part of this has to with them being in nature, which I love. It is a joy to sit around a fire and stare up into the tall trees around you, hear the leaves crunch under your feet, smell the bark and sap of the forest, and gaze up at the stars. But the other part is that campfires bring people together. They allow people to sit, rest, and chat. They provide a place where everyone has a chance to talk and share because everyone has the time to listen. You may find yourself around a fire with some people you don’t know very well, but somehow, by the flames of the fire and with the reality that there is no place to rush off to, it allows you to feel invited in and known. The flames themselves provide light in the darkest of nights, creating an invitation to sit and savor for just a moment or two. The flames dancing in front of you allow you to forget about the rest of the world for just a moment. And there is peace. Rest. Joy. Delight.

If you haven’t enjoyed a campfire in a while, I encourage you to make one soon and enjoy all that it provides. Invite some friends you know well or some friends you want to know better, and then just sit and relax together. Enjoy the sounds and smells of nature. Talk about the past and the future. Make a smore or two. Be reminded that the God who created everything around you is so big and so kind to give us small glimpses of heaven. And sometimes that comes through something as simple as a campfire.

Being Grounded in Gratitude.

moremarsh1 Comment

We are all in a season of loss. There are lot of things around us we are losing amidst “shelter-in-place” orders, sickness, and uncertainties of the future. Some of us may be experiencing more loss than others, but we know the feeling of loss well, especially right now.

Maybe the loss you are experiencing is present…loss of connecting with community, loss of physical touch if you live by yourself, loss of sanity if you are now both mom and teacher, or loss of a job. Maybe the loss you are experiencing is future oriented…no future securities, postponed weddings, or canceled vacations. But whatever the losses you are experiencing are, they are significant and the Lord sees those things that you have had to give up or have been taken from you over the last few weeks.

I was listening to a study on anxiety the other day and they were talking about how the brain works… which, side note, I think the brain is fascinating and if you have any good books that are not super technical, I would love to read those!! Anyways, they were saying that the pathways used in our brains that indicate anxiety, worry, and stress are the same ones used for gratitude and thanksgiving! So it’s actually impossible to be anxious and grateful at the same time.

I started to think about that, and was curious, “Is that really true? Can I experience a feeling of anxiety while I’m also experiencing gratitude?” And as I thought I about this, I came to the conclusion that this is true!

Now I know that there are a LOT of types of anxiety and that anxiety can also be a clinical diagnosis which requires medication and professional help. I think medication and professional help are both good and right places to go in the midst of anxiety. And I encourage my friends who experience this deep, clinical level of anxiety to use those good graces given to us for help. This is good and right.

I also think that there is something behind the science of our brains and that gratitude is a really helpful thing to consider. We can be grounded in gratitude because it reorients our minds to focus on the things that are truly important. We are forced, in gratitude, to look beyond our present situation or circumstance. We are required to shift our emotions to be grateful, even if it’s just for a moment.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

So in this season of uncertainty and loss, I encourage you to be grateful. Begin and end each day with writing down something you are grateful for. Try to be specific. Instead of being thankful for “another day” be specific about what you are thankful for. Maybe it’s that the sunshine feels warm on your skin. Or maybe you are thankful for the time you have today to watch a movie with your roommates and relax with them. Maybe you are thankful for the trees that are blossoming outside your window because they remind you that God is still at work and continues to care for even the trees and flowers.

Be grateful. And let your mind, emotions, and experiences in this world be grounded in gratitude. Spending time in thanksgiving does something to your brain, and through I don’t know all the specific scientific terms and chemistry dynamics, I know that change happens because I experience a changed mindset and renewed perspective in the midst of gratitude.

So if you feel anxious today about another day doing the same things again in your home, or you feel that deep sense of loss as you cancel yet another plan you were looking forward to, stop and take a moment to be grateful. Let gratitude ground you in what is true as the Lord of heaven and earth refocuses your mind on His eternal Kingdom and forever reign!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18