Harder Assignments

All across the nation children and families have one thing on their mind:  it's back to school time.  Some schools have already started and others will start very soon.  For some young people and their families, this year represents a very significant back to school transition: starting full-time kindergarden or first grade, starting middle or high school, or heading off to college.  These transitions are, of course, big for both the young people and the parents. Last year, the Washington Post interviewed some kids regarding their thoughts and feelings about going back to school.  Here are three quotes from students of various ages:

“I am so scared, because I don't know what it's going to be like in kindergarten. I won't see my Mom when I am at kindergarten. I want my Mom to hug me a lot when I come home after school. I want to hug my Mom a lot, too.”  Brian Mason, age 5.

“I have mixed feelings about my first year in middle school. I'm excited for the novelty of switching classes, but though this may sound juvenile, I am going to miss my 15-minute recess, because it was always a nice break from the monotonous school day.”  Zachary Stevenson, age 11

“When I go back to school, I like to shop for school supplies. Sharp pencils and clean notebooks make me feel like a new person. I dread to hear how big I've gotten. Growing up is too scary. But I love having harder assignments. I like to take on new challenges.”  Abigail Clark, age 9

In honor of the millions of people that are going back to school this time of year, I would like to offer a thought for those of us who are not taking formal classes this fall, as well. This is a great time for those of us whose formal schooling ended years ago, to remember that all of life continues to be a classroom, if we are but willing to be open to the learning.  Life is constantly presenting us with new problems to be solved and new lessons to be learned. In the quotes above, Brian, age 5, is worried about dealing with separation from his mother.  I have news for Brian:  learning to let go of people we love is a lesson that we are faced with at every stage of our life.  Our relationships throughout our life are an ongoing dance of connecting and letting go.  We are always learning anew how to graciously let go of what has been in order to embrace and live fully into what is today.

Zachary, age 11, is quoted as saying that he is going to miss recess now that he is entering middle school.  This is a challenge that we all face as we get older.  Life gets more serious and yet if we are not mindful we can minimize the importance of play in our life.  Adult recess time is vital, not just for one's personal wellness, but also for one's relationships with friends and family.

Abigail, age 9, says, “Growing up is too scary. But I love having harder assignments.” Growing up is scary.  The assignments do indeed get harder.  As a pastor and a therapist I have people come and talk to me everyday about the “harder assignments” that they have been given.  These harder assignments include illness, a job loss, marital difficulties, worrying about an adult child, financial worries, depression, aging, spiritual emptiness, and the death of a love one. Learning always takes place in community with others.   As adults, we need to create our own “schools” to work on these “harder assignments.” In these schools we need to associate with other students who are working on similar assignments--it's not a good idea to try and learn important lessons on your own. We also need to find wise teachers and guides that can help us along the way.  In fact, in these adult schools, we are all students and we are all teachers at times--we take turns being teachers to one another.  We will also benefit from a having good curriculum, which might include a variety of spiritual writings or participation in a faith community.  One of the primary functions of a faith community is to be a school for people of all ages.

What lesson is life offering to you right now?

What are you being asked to learn?

What other students and/or teachers do you need to connect with to support your learning and for you to learn from?

In the spirit of this time of this back to school season, may all of us, children and adults alike, approach our lessons with curiosity and excitement.  There is still much for each of us to learn on this amazing journey we call life.

Time Away

I am just beginning ten days away in beautiful Door County, Wisconsin, where I will be spending lots of time exploring the back roads of this beautiful place on my bicycle.  Many of you have taken or will be taking time off this month, as well.  Time off is a great time to explore the back roads of our lives, to reacquaint ourselves with the less visited places of our hearts and souls.  However we do this, whether on a bike, at a beach, taking a walk in the woods, spending time with friends and family, reading a good book, watching the sunset, or all of the above!--may we remember the importance of rest and play in our lives. Many of you, as well, are going or will be going through significant transitions this month as children of all ages return to school or leave home to go away to school.  The balance of your life, as you have known it, is shifting.  Be sure to make time and space for your heart and soul to feel what you are feeling.  Avoid the temptation to fill any void you may be feeling too quickly.  At the same time though, keep moving forward.  Keep moving ahead, not knowing what's around the next bend, but trusting that in time, a new sense of balance will emerge.

I don't think it is just a coincidence that many people go on vacation in August.  It's not just because they are trying to get their time away in before the warm weather changes.  I believe at some intuitive level they know that their hearts and souls need to be cared for in preparation for the changes that often come with the fall season.

So here's to time away, however we may take it.  Here's to restoring balance.  Here's to strengthening our hearts and souls as we move ahead to embrace all of the changes that life has in store of us.

     The Words of Wellness column will return in two weeks, after I have returned from my time away.       Scott Stoner 

Inspiring Others

My wife, Holly, who loves swimming laps was at the pool yesterday and witnessed a powerful example of just how important role models can be.  Three ten-year old boys were getting ready to jump into the pool to race each other to the other end.  As she watched them, she noticed that each of the boys was bending over and warming up by doing the Michael Phelp's arm flap.  And of course, being ten year old boys, they immediately began to argue over which one had the right to pretend they were Michael Phelps.  The life guard threw out the names of other famous swimmers in an attempt to settle the disagreement, but they all wanted to be Phelps.   Clearly these boys, like many of us, have been avid fans of the summer games in London. Excellence is contagious.  When we witness it--when we are fortunate to be close to it--it rubs off on us.  It inspires us to want to be excellent, too.  This past weekend I had the good fortune to be surrounded by excellence and it has inspired me throughout the week.

My wife and I rode in the Wisconsin MS Bike Ride this past weekend.  The ride is a two day fundraising event involving 1,400 riders who travel up to two hundred miles across Wisconsin from Milwaukee to Whitewater on Saturday and from Whitewater on to Madison on Sunday.   This year riders once again raised over one million dollars to help eliminate MS.  This was our second time participating in the ride and I can say it was, again, one of the most inspiring experiences I have ever had.

There were definitely some amazing cyclists participating in this fundraising event,   men and women with exceptional skills and stamina.  Throughout the weekend as they rode by me I would try to pick up some tips on form or on drafting and, like the boys my wife witnessed at the pool yesterday, I would try to imitate some of their habits in an attempt to improve my own riding.  Their skills and physical excellence were contagious indeed.

As inspiring as the physical excellence of my fellow riders was this past weekend, they are not the people that continue to inspire me five days later.  There was another show of strength that I was privileged to witness up close that I have also been trying to imitate this week.  The weekend bike ride for MS provided me with numerous opportunities to talk with people who are battling MS and/or their loved ones who are supporting them in their battle with MS.

The emotional and spiritual determination, courage, and strength of the people I met with MS, along with supportive friends and family, was as inspiring as anything I have seen in the Olympics.   Having lunch with four young husbands of women who have MS and listening to their stories of commitment, love, and devotion to their wives was transformative.   I found the strength of character that has been both developed and revealed while both battling MS and supporting a loved one with the disease to be contagious.  I want more of what they have. I aspire to the emotional and spiritual excellence that I see in them.  I want to imitate their emotional and spiritual strength as much as those ten-year old boys at the pool want to imitate Michael Phelps.  They are true role models for me.

Who inspires you to excellence, whether it be physically, emotionally, or spiritually? Who are you in a position to inspire?   This past weekend reminded me that we all have the capacity to inspire excellence in others in a variety of unique ways.  In our families, our friendships, our work teams, and our congregations we have many opportunities to inspire one another. Nancy, Dee, Judy, and Mary are four of the people that inspired me this week. Upon finishing the MS Bike Ride on Sunday, these four MS survivors, sitting in chairs waiting to sign each rider's bib number as a sign of appreciation for participating in the event, each gave me a hug and autographed my number.  (See photo above).   At that moment those autographs meant more to me than one from Michael Phelps or any other Olympic athlete because they are the quiet heroes who face adversity each day and keep bravely moving on.  I share their story in hopes that their strength might inspire you as much as it has inspired me.

To Be Fully Alive

I am not much of a TV watcher and so it is unusual for me to spend as many hours as I have this past week in front of the TV screen--but I simply cannot get enough of the Olympics.  Watching the Olympics has become my spiritual practice these days.  Watching the athletes pushing themselves to their limits, striving for excellence, whether individually or as a team, helps my heart and soul to feel just a little bit more alive. In the second century, an early bishop of the Church named Irenaeus, said, “The glory of God is the human person fully alive.”  This is what I see when I watch the Olympic athletes.  I see people who are fully alive in what they are doing.  This is why the athletes compete.  Of course they would all like to win medals, but the reality is that most of the athletes who compete in the Olympics know they have little to no chance of winning a medal, but they continue to practice and compete anyway.  So why do they do it?  Because pursuing excellence in their sport is what makes them feel fully alive.  This is the true essence of the Olympic spirit.

Another wonderful quote about being fully alive is from Howard Thurman, an influential American author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader who in the in the mid-twentieth century said, "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."  As we see in the Olympics, some people come alive when they swim.  Others comes alive when they are fencing, or rowing, or riding a horse, some when throwing a shot put, or performing on the balance beam.  And here is something that at first may appear to be a paradox.  Even when we see an athlete experiencing a heart-breaking disappointment, we are still witnessing a person who is being fully alive.  That's because being fully alive is not about winning.   Being fully alive is about being fully present, being "all in" with your whole heart, soul, strength, and mind.

When do you feel most fully alive?  In what endeavors in your life do you pursue excellence?  What is it in your life that is so important to you that you pursue it with passion, excellence, and determination?  Most likely your  endeavors will not qualify you as an Olympic athlete, but that is not what is important. What may make you feel most fully alive may be being a parent, or loving your partner, or being a great friend. It may be tending a garden, or spending time in nature, or giving back to the community.  It's different for each of us because there are indeed a variety of gifts amongst us all.

For most of us, there are neither Olympic sports nor bronze, silver or gold medals in the pursuits that make us feel most alive. But when we are actively pursuing what makes our hearts and souls most alive, medals or recognition from others is not necessary nor are they the greatest reward.  The joy of being a “human person fully alive” is reward enough. So to all the Olympic athletes I say, “Go for the gold!”  To the rest of us, I say, “Let's go for what makes us feel fully alive,” as the world needs more people who are fully alive.

Living Water

I awoke last night to the sound of rain.  My reaction was similar to what I would have experienced had a close friend, I had not heard from for a long time, called me in the middle of the night and woken me up.  At first I felt a bit annoyed at being awakened, but that feeling soon gave way to the joy of hearing from an old friend.  It felt good to reconnect.  Here in Wisconsin, just as in many other parts of our country, it's been a long time without rain.  The heat and drought of 2012 has been devastating to farmers and to so many others who either work outside, do not have air conditioning, or are adversely affected by heat. There is much to be learned from this summer's drought regarding wholeness and wellness, believe it or not.  The first lesson is the importance of balance.  In northern climates, we wait all winter for the warmth and sunshine of summer.  We long for hot, sunny summer days.  And yet, now that all that we have are hot, sunny days, we now find ourselves longing for cool, rainy ones.  Anything in excess--even something as wonderful as warmth and sun--will eventually compromise our wellness. Working in excess will eventually compromise our wellness.  Excessive busyness will, too.  Even exercise--a very good thing in and of itself--if taken to extremes will break down our wellness.  Excessive religiosity can also do the same.  Nature needs the balance of sun and rain, and we need a balanced focus of heart, soul, strength, and mind in our own lives.

The fact that there will always be seasons in our lives when things that are happening to us are beyond our control is the basis for a second lesson.  Droughts come in many forms--in body, mind, and spirit.  The loss of a loved one.  A scary diagnosis.  A dark night of the soul.  A relationship growing cold.  A job loss.  Bad things happen to farmers and other good people as well.  Droughts are humble reminders that we do not control as much in our lives as we would like to think we do.

We do, however, have control over how we respond to the droughts in our lives and in the lives of others.   Proud farmers everywhere are having to ask for help this summer.  Some farmers who have been blessed with more rain are inviting farmers from hundreds of miles away to move their livestock to their farms for better grazing.  Some states are opening public lands from which farmers can temporarily harvest hay for their cattle.

Asking for help, doing things we would never have dreamed of before to get along, and coming together as a community serves everyone well, whatever type of drought we are experiencing.  And if we are blessed to be experiencing greener conditions in our own lives, we can reach out to someone we know who is experiencing a dry season in his or her life right now.  We can provide the living water they desperately need.

To everything there is a season.

A time for sun and a time for rain.

A time to ask for help and a time to offer help.

A time for abundance and a time for scarcity.

A time to for green pastures and a time for patience.

A time to sleep soundly and a time to be gloriously awaked by a rain storm.