Personal Mantras

I vividly remember the day.  It was July 1990.  I was in the pristine parsonage kitchen with white tile floors and white wallpaper in Quincy, Massachusetts.  Kirk and I were co-pastoring but he was gone in order to be “pastor of the week” at our church Bible camp.  This meant that I was the solo pastor at church and at home with our 20 month old and 4 month old sons.  It was supper time and both were crying to be fed, one in his high chair throwing everything on the white tile floor and the other in his baby seat, hysterical by my lack of attention.  It was then that it came to me - a mantra that has kept me sane from then and until now.   “I am a sea of calm in a world of chaos.”   I remember saying it.  I remember shouting it.  I remember singing it - on that day when I picked up food off the floor and got some favorite finger food on the highchair tray,  while I tried to calm myself in order to feed the other son,  and on many other occasions since then.   “I am a sea of calm in a world of chaos.”   After a few years of saying this to myself, I could even visualize stormy waves turning in to still waters -the waters receding and gentle ripples just lapping at the shores of my life.

I believe in the power of personal mantras.  They are a way to guide us - to give us focus when the world seems to be out of control.   There have been many times in my last 30 years that my perspective has been turned around by this particular phrase. “I am a sea of calm in a world of chaos.” I have said it over and over again to myself until it became true.   At some point, I would suggest that everyone create their own personal mantra that fits for them and they can claim for a lifetime of situations.

This, however,  is a new season in my life.   I no longer have children in high chairs or baby seats screaming for attention.  I still want to abide in peace and calm but I am beginning to have a new mantra.  It is less familiar and I’m not sure if I even like it but I’m trying it out.  “It is good to learn new things.”   Like the old one, I have to say it over and over again to myself.  I’ve shouted it a few times.  I’m trying to learn to sing it, often with a bit of disbelief and skepticism.  When I’m visiting people at windows with a white board for conversation, I say to myself, “It is good to learn new things.”  When I’m uncertain about how all this social media thing works, I say to myself, “It is good to learn new things.”   When I’m setting up my new laptop computer because my old one is too archaic to run all the programs I currently need at home, I say to myself. “It is good to learn new things.”  When I consider what the future might mean, I say to myself, “It is good to learn new things.”

Yes, there are days - days when I say to God, “What are you doing?  I thought I had 5 to10 more years before all these changes would be happening in ministry?”   Days when I say to God, “Why is this happening now and what am I supposed to be doing with my limited talents and resources?”  And in those days and others I am learning to say, “It is good to learn new things!”  God is always stretching us and we are always growing.  That is the nature of the Christian life.  Whether you need to be a sea of calm in a world of chaos or need to learn to new things in a changing world, God is with us.   Speak your personal mantra into the situation and above all else say, “Thanks be to God!!”