Power Spikes and Brown Downs

Often in our journey with Christ we get stuck. We loose focus. We loose power. We just can't seem to move out of sick cycles that keep us bound.

Use it or lose it... We've all heard it. Are we living it? Our Lord taught it. As passionate Christ followers, we either use the gifts, time and talent our Lord has given us for the Kingdom, or we will loose them. We will find that if we stay stuck inside our own issues that we will never break free from them. Sick cycles, repeating cycles and dysfunction will follow us. Our Lord in Matthew's Gospel reveals that He will take away our gifts we neglect and give them to others who are willing to put them to use.

Is this God's idea of tough love? Must every issue with God be a struggle? Are we always either "Power Spiked" and fired- up or in a "Brown Down" power loss? Do we have to "feel" motivated to use what our Lord has given us?

I've often marveled at the human mind and its ability to compensate. As an educator, I've had the opportunity to work with a variety of students. Often those with learning differences in one area will have gifting in another. Just like in the Body of Christ-- our Lord gives us "Power Surges" to offset our "Brown Downs". Glory!

I had the pleasure recently to work with a special needs autistic student. In a miraculous way he was able to calculate complex three and four place division with remainders in his head. Yet, when it came time for creative writing, "I don't feel like it" and "I don't want to" was the answer... The whole process was a grind and a struggle. Finally I asked him, "Will you a least try?" He said, "If I have to." Sounds like us with God sometimes?

As we finally began to work on writing, the assignment was to take three items and write a joke. The example items were: garbage truck/four wheels/flies= ie: "What has four wheels and flies?" Answer: A garbage truck. My student read this outloud and then I read it to him.

Without missing a beat he looked at me and said, "That's not funny." His dry response and the quick timing was funny-- and true! Yet, he could not comprehend the humor. He achieved the objective in a way that was not as expected. Our Lord enables us to achieve His objectives -- often when we do not fully comprehend the dynamic --when we are willing to "try."

Our Lord gives us Power and then the wisdom we need to do His will -- not just in "our" head, but through a "hands-on" reflection of His heart. "I'll try" is a guaranteed way to move from the "brown downs" and the "power spikes" into a consistent Right Connection! Try "I'll Try"-- you'll like it! "I'll try"... Here I am Lord-- send me.