Bursts

So I have these idea bursts now and again—ok, if I’m honest, every two weeks or so.

For example, I was having lunch with a colleague who was talking about how it’s important to have good relationships in business, of course, but it’s also important to demonstrate that you’re technologically savvy, that you’re with it, that you’re up on things.

That got me thinking about how badly I’ve been wanting an iPad but don’t want to dip into our savings to buy one. So I took a few mental steps back and thought, “OK, how can I come up with $500 or so, $500 that I normally would not have?” I thought about taking on a freelance project, but honestly I’m already strapped for time.

And then the burst came. I have a triathlon-level bicycle that’s been hanging in my garage for five years. I bought it for $1200 ten years ago. Suffice to say it’ll be on ebay in a few days.

Now that’s not crazy brilliant or anything, but it’s likely to land an iPad in my hands without my having dipped into my savings account.

So lately I’ve been thinking, How can I have these bursts more often? Is it possible for them to become a daily phenomenon rather than a biweekly one?

Spiritual Formation Is Not Optional

I’m reading John Ortberg’s book The Me I Want to Be, and on p. 29 he writes something I’ve known for a long time, but for some reason it really hit me when I read it this morning. Every single one of us has a spirit, and therefore “spiritual formation” is not optional. Your spirit is always being formed, whether you like it or not, just like your body is always being shaped by what you do or don’t do.

This has enormous implications, I think, for friendships, evangelism, personal devotion, parenting, and on and on.

I’m especially intrigued with the idea that we can be an influence for spiritual renewal with a person who does not profess faith. A person who does not have faith still has a spirit. What if evangelism is doing our best to care for the nonbeliever’s soul or spirit, doing what we can to help them shape their spirit in a healthy way. And what if this is the essence of being a good friend and a good dad? What if this is what psychological therapy is all about?

What if we should go around thinking, “How can I help her spirit?”

Afterlife

Here’s my idea of what would be the best first moments in the afterlife.

I wake up and am walking on a beautiful path in the woods. For a while I simply enjoy walking in nature. Up ahead I see a little house, made of stone from the area, small but cozy.

I walk up to the door, and it opens inward. An old man with deep creases in his face, God, stands before me in slippers, jeans, and a flannel shirt. “Come in,” he says. “I just brewed some coffee.”

We walk to the kitchen and have a seat at the table there. “Black, right?” he asks and sets the mug down in front of me. “Yes.”

And then we proceed to have a long—very long—conversation. A key moment would come when I would ask, “Where were you, God? I mean, were you there? There were so many times when I felt alone and afraid.”

“Oh child,” I want him to say back to me, “I was always there. I was right there beside you every step of the way. In the wind, in the music, in your son’s smile, and even more personally than all that. Trust me, I was with you through every pain, every anxiety, every guilty feeling. I sat beside you and walked with you every moment along the way.”

And I hope I’ll say back to him, “I knew it! I knew you were there. I mean, I didn’t always acknowledge it, and you could have made yourself a little more apparent at times, God (!), but I had this sense you were with me. I just needed to hear you say it. Thank you.”

Too Easy

You don't need a company to help you tie your shoes.

I've had a business idea for a while. I would call it Tribe Builder, and its function would be to help anyone develop and nurture their own tribe. But I realized all this company would do is point people to tribe-building means that are already available:

- Start a blog and post every day.
- Capture email addresses so you can notify them about new things you're doing. Use this very carefully.
- Give stuff away to your tribe.
- Basically, love on your tribe and keep after it for a long time.

So there, that's my business idea. But you don't need a business to help you do this. You simply need to do it.