The Lazarus Experiment - Day Five

When you have extra anything to play with, it's worth having some fun. 

If you have a little extra money at the end of the month, it makes sense to enjoy yourself. 

If you have a little extra snow in the yard (and almost any snow is extra snow) it makes sense to throw it at somebody. 

If you have a little extra water - a river or a lake or a pond or a pool - it makes sense to dive in. 

Spontaneity is seizing extra time and having some fun. 

I know what you just thought: Extra time?! Yeah, sure! Show me some of that! I don't have "extra time" - can you find some for me? 

Here's something to ponder: all the time Lazarus had once he came out of the hole he was in was extra time. 

Extra time gives us time to play with, time to do something silly, outrageous, fun. 

Extra time provides the space for something unexpected to happen. Extra time gives a big fat green light to spontaneity.

But you're still back there, looking at your watch, wondering when I'm going to finish up this little rant so you can get on with all the stuff on your precious to-do list today. Right? Right. 

If you claim to have new life because of Jesus, the terminus (end) of your life has been removed. "Where, O death, is your sting?" Death no longer has power. The end of our lives is not the end. Jesus brings this to you, in his wonderful package of salvation bennies: eternal life. 

Do you understand what that means? You have extra time.
Something tells me Lazarus would not have fished his Daytimer out of the trash can and begun filling it with appointments and lists. I think he would have left it alone. Or burned it in effigy. Lazarus would have considered every moment a gift, and he would have jumped at the chance to do something wild for and with Jesus.
Spontaneity means jumping on the bed without asking. Rolling down the windows without worrying about your hair. Grabbing your husband and skipping across the yard. Or grabbing a shopping cart and riding it across the Walmart parking lot. (Yes - it's been done!) 

What keeps us from spontaneity? The feeling that we just don't have the time. But Lazarus-types have all the time in the universe. It's a gift. 

And yet - you're still reading this instead of playing with the time you have.
Go do something! 

Suggested Scripture For Today: Matthew 6:25-36 

Suggested Ideas:

Ask Cyn [a wonderful member of our group who is particularly lively and an amazing spirit] about how to ride a shopping cart! 

Combine yesterday's note and today's and plan some intentional spontaneity. 

Do something you haven't done since you were ten years old. 

Call a friend out of the blue, pick them up in ten minutes, and head out without a plan. Tell us about it!

Question of the Day: How would Lazarus have looked at time differently? How would the 24 hours in a day be changed because of his experience? 

What?! You're still here?Ron

And my Day Five response:

Day Five: Hope - what a great word and such a difficult thing to hold on to. I have hope that I continue to always remember to keep my eyes and heart upward. I have hope that I have an unwavering faith regardless of whatever situation I am facing. I have hope that no matter what, God will help me meet my needs. I have hope that He has always got my back.

I have hope in so many things for my children, my friends, my family. Unfortunately, I also realize that I can pray for them for all the things for which I hope but I can't help them have hope, or faith for that matter.

On Thursday I had hope that Dalton would no longer feel hopeless. We got up and got going early and were in a borrowed vehicle doing some yard work. As a result, I didn't carefully check the clock against my own time (my phone) and we were an hour late getting to our appointment. Obviously the lady with who we were to meet wasn't available any longer. But God works in mysterious ways. I wasn't aware of it, but an old friend who had moved away from our area about a year ago was standing at the door watching me intently. When I turned I recognized her and we hugged. She explained how it was they were back in the area and then smiled and said she would be working with Dalton. I was immediately comforted! As was Dalton. It was wonderful. She and Dalton (and I) talked for over an hour. We go back again in two weeks and are so thankful! She gave him a little homework assignment and I am helping him keep it up. Each time someone says something ugly or disparaging - he is to repeat to himself - I am not what they are saying to me and I am not what they are describing. I am a great person, worthy of praise. I am a great friend and they are the ones mistaken and missing out. I will rise above all they say and do to me because I'm just that awesome!

Love it. Hope - it is so powerful...