There are less than ten days of school left this year. It’s quickly coming to a close, but I am glad for Memorial Day and the chance to stop and appreciate what others (especially Jesus) have sacrificed so I could be free.
Stopping and appreciating aligns with the Habits of Mind we have been developing at school this year. They are in addition to continuing to pursue Capstone career readiness and 21st century skills. A couple of the habits deal with thinking. Metacognition which is thinking about your thinking involves knowing what you know and don’t know, as well as, reflecting on your thoughts, feelings, and actions and the effect they have on you and others. Another habit, Thinking Interdependently, shows how we need each other. Interacting feeds our hearts, minds, and souls. Learning to work with others by listening, contributing ideas, accepting feedback, compromising, and empathizing helps us grow as people, achieve goals, and solve problems.
These habits aren’t just for school, we should integrate them into our whole lives. God emphasizes these habits using slightly different terminology. The Bible encourages us to meditate. What it means is different than what some people first conclude. When they hear “meditate” they might think of yoga and the eastern religious practice of emptying your mind in order to connect with the universal life force that supposedly resides within you. Meditating according to God is completely different and much more beneficial. To meditate is not to empty your mind, but rather to fill it. It is to think deeply with a willingness to act. We should develop the habit of thinking deeply about who God is, what he says, what he does, and how we can join him. Then we should act in his strength to do what he tells us.
Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” To followers of Jesus the apostle Paul writes, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).
In a sense every day should be Memorial Day. Our remembering and meditation should draw us closer to Jesus, for he is the one who encompasses all of God’s character, works, and words. We see the glory, splendor and awesomeness of God in the face of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:). All of God’s promises to us are fulfilled in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Many times obstacles keep us from meditating, but we can work around them. When we are busy or self-centered we need to slow down and put our focus back on God. When we feel distant or forgetful, we need to pray, recall, and praise God for what he has done in our lives. When we lack faith or understanding we need to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus promised that those who do will be answered and the door will be opened. God will share his wisdom and his Holy Spirit who is a comforter, counselor, and guide (Luke 11:9-12; James 1:5). When we worry or are ungrateful we need to give thanks. God has actually commanded us to do so (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) because he knows it will calm our hearts and realign our thinking so we can then trust that he will act in our best interest and accomplish his purposes as he so faithfully and lovingly does.
There are many fun ways to enjoy meditating on God. We can walk, hike, photograph, pray, observe outdoors, reflect, star gaze, play or listen to uplifting music, sing, dance, draw, paint, create, memorize scripture, journal, remember, cloud watch, ask questions and listen for answers. Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day throughout the Garden of Eden. What a beautiful, peaceful picture of intimate friendship. I want to walk with God not just on Memorial Day but every day–to know him better, to learn from him, to honor him, to please him, and to grow in joyful love for him and others. Have a happy Memorial Day.