Eating the Elephant

Bishop Desmond Tutu once said,  “The best way to eat and elephant is one bite at a time.”

I have to be reminded quite often that all the “elephants” we face in our immediate future can be dealt with, one “bite” and one day at a time.  My friends who are in recovery all will testify that the only way they handle the gargantuan challenge of staying sober is by doing it (with lots of help from God and their friends) one day at a time. I might even break that down a little further  to “one moment at a time,” (or even, "one bite at a time!")

So often we co-opt our present for the sake of imagined fears. Many times, (in my case, especially) our main fear is the fear of failure.  As we encounter challenges our doubts cause us to question our ability to succeed.  Questions like: "Can I be organized enough?" "Am I disciplined enough?" "Do I have enough follow-through?" "Am I faithful enough to be a leader?" often plague those of us called to do the seemingly huge tasks set before us as leaders.

I know that If I stopped at those questions, however, I would be sunk before the ship even takes to the challenging seas spread out before me! 

Scripture is refreshingly familiar with the human propensity for anxiety. Paul says, in his letter to the Phillippians  (who apparently were a very anxious bunch!):

“Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.”  (4:6-7, CEB)

Jesus also tells us, in Luke 12:22-25:

“Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. There is more to life than food and more to the body than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither plant nor harvest, they have no silo or barn, yet God feeds them. You are worth so much more than birds! Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?” (CEB)

God recognizes that to be human is to worry, and yet God also confirms that worry is a waste of time. What a relief that God understands our preoccupation with the future!

I am finding a healthy reliance on some of the “old stand-bys” of Anglican religious practice like The Daily Office (Morning, Noon and Evening prayer and Compline) , Lectio Divina (sacred reading) and Centering Prayer are proving to be very helpful. Even people in other traditions vastly different from our own  are beginning to recognize that our form of Daily Prayer is a healthy way to allow God to help us with stress and anxiety.

Peter Scazzero, an evangelical pastor, writes in his book, “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality,” that:

“The Daily Office and the Sabbath…. offer us a rhythm so powerful that they anchor us from whatever catastrophic blizzard that may be blowing in our lives so we can feel the rope (that is, God himself) and make our way home…” (pg. 156).

I encourage you, as you face challenges that seem “elephantine” here at Incarnation and in your lives to begin handling them first by stopping, praying and (finally) knowing that these challenges can be handled “one bite at a time.”  The more that we rely on prayer, God’s word, and the love of our community, the less anxious we feel (and the more “elephants” we consume!)