Stumble Prone
I love backpacking. You could say that after God, my wife, and child (and dog), backpacking is probably one of my greatest loves. The opportunity to disconnect, to explore, to challenge myself, all feed my soul. The chance to acknowledge God's presence in the smallest of creatures to the largest of mountains restores my soul. The blessing of wandering and wondering through forest and field, valley and peak, wading through streams and rivers helps my soul to runneth over. Taking in the world as it was created to be reminds me that I (and you) are part of the grand design.
I love to look around when I hike. To see the flowers twirl and sway, to watch the streams curl and tumble, to watch the trees dance and move. I love watching the birds soar and the squirrels hop tree to tree. I love seeing the wandering deer or elk as it moves silently while I tromp. I love watching fish glide through the water regardless of the current and flow. However, in this looking up and around, I often find myself tripping and stumbling over roots, loose rocks, and my own two feet, or getting smacked in the face with a tree branch. That's the cost of focusing up sometimes though, the stuff below can catch you off guard and throw you off balance. Sure I could look at the ground, I could spend my hours outside watching every step but I would miss all the glory of the creation around me that feeds my soul.
Well another week has gone by and my desk is still a mess. In fact, I am pretty sure, it's a little deeper now than it was last week but you know what, it's all still there. Just like it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. Work to be done. Now I sit here thinking over the last week and the Gospel lesson we had on Sunday. Peter the rock, now a stumbling block. Again I find myself identifying more and more with Peter. Like when I hike, I am really good at stumbling and, if I am being honest, sometimes I'm a stumbling block to others.
Ever taken someone's head off for something they said but didn't really mean the way you took it? Yeah? Me too. Stumble.... Ever been short with someone just because you're tired and want to be left alone? Yeah? Me too... this week in fact.... stumble..... Ever floored it, cut someone off, brake checked the guy behind you?....me too.... stumble.... Ever ignore that homeless person standing on the corner, well because it was easy, or I don't have anything, or I have something but don't want to give it up.... stumble.... Ever been so excited about something you are doing that you miss the suffering of others... stumble.... I could do this list with 1000 examples but you get the point.
There are lots of things that cause us to stumble and cause us to trip up others. Yet we are called to take up the cross. This means we are focused upwards. We are focused on what God calls us to be and to do. That also means those earthly things are going to tangle our feet, slip out from under us, or smack us like a tree branch. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes we may fall, but we take up the cross anyway. Peter was focused on saving Jesus, on preserving his belief of what the messiah came to do, focused on what he wanted Jesus to do here on earth. Christ rebuked him because he had lost his upward focus. When he lost his focus up, he became the stumbling block, but with Christ he is the cornerstone.
All over again I see myself in Peter. In less than 10 verses he goes from being the cornerstone to being a stumbling block. Yet Christ found value in him, reminded him and all the disciples to pick up their crosses. He reminds me that the work we are called to do gives glory to God and that work isn't always what we want it to be. Sometimes it's dirty, dusty, and involves death. Yet if we can focus upward we can be a firm footing, a solid foundation, a cornerstone.
I hope you can find your "up" this week. That you can avoid those things that make you stumble and instead find those things that feed your soul. That you can be a cornerstone and not a stumbling block.
I love to look around when I hike. To see the flowers twirl and sway, to watch the streams curl and tumble, to watch the trees dance and move. I love watching the birds soar and the squirrels hop tree to tree. I love seeing the wandering deer or elk as it moves silently while I tromp. I love watching fish glide through the water regardless of the current and flow. However, in this looking up and around, I often find myself tripping and stumbling over roots, loose rocks, and my own two feet, or getting smacked in the face with a tree branch. That's the cost of focusing up sometimes though, the stuff below can catch you off guard and throw you off balance. Sure I could look at the ground, I could spend my hours outside watching every step but I would miss all the glory of the creation around me that feeds my soul.
Well another week has gone by and my desk is still a mess. In fact, I am pretty sure, it's a little deeper now than it was last week but you know what, it's all still there. Just like it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. Work to be done. Now I sit here thinking over the last week and the Gospel lesson we had on Sunday. Peter the rock, now a stumbling block. Again I find myself identifying more and more with Peter. Like when I hike, I am really good at stumbling and, if I am being honest, sometimes I'm a stumbling block to others.
Ever taken someone's head off for something they said but didn't really mean the way you took it? Yeah? Me too. Stumble.... Ever been short with someone just because you're tired and want to be left alone? Yeah? Me too... this week in fact.... stumble..... Ever floored it, cut someone off, brake checked the guy behind you?....me too.... stumble.... Ever ignore that homeless person standing on the corner, well because it was easy, or I don't have anything, or I have something but don't want to give it up.... stumble.... Ever been so excited about something you are doing that you miss the suffering of others... stumble.... I could do this list with 1000 examples but you get the point.
There are lots of things that cause us to stumble and cause us to trip up others. Yet we are called to take up the cross. This means we are focused upwards. We are focused on what God calls us to be and to do. That also means those earthly things are going to tangle our feet, slip out from under us, or smack us like a tree branch. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes we may fall, but we take up the cross anyway. Peter was focused on saving Jesus, on preserving his belief of what the messiah came to do, focused on what he wanted Jesus to do here on earth. Christ rebuked him because he had lost his upward focus. When he lost his focus up, he became the stumbling block, but with Christ he is the cornerstone.
All over again I see myself in Peter. In less than 10 verses he goes from being the cornerstone to being a stumbling block. Yet Christ found value in him, reminded him and all the disciples to pick up their crosses. He reminds me that the work we are called to do gives glory to God and that work isn't always what we want it to be. Sometimes it's dirty, dusty, and involves death. Yet if we can focus upward we can be a firm footing, a solid foundation, a cornerstone.
I hope you can find your "up" this week. That you can avoid those things that make you stumble and instead find those things that feed your soul. That you can be a cornerstone and not a stumbling block.
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