Deep and Wide

I’m sinking roots this week. I’m savoring long walks, soaking in scripture, taking time to finish my sentences and to ask questions. I’m even slowing down long enough to listen for the answers! I’ve been given a priceless gift. Thanks to my parents, I’m writing from a palm-tree flanked patio and admiring the sapphire blue sky of Palm Springs, California. Not only did Mom and Dad “gift” us their extra travel club points so Rob and I (and our 9-month old side kick) could stay at the Lawrence Welk Desert Oasis this week, but they also offered to hold down the fort with four kids while we were gone (now that’s TRUE GENEROSITY! And if you’re wondering- No, my parents are not “up for adoption!” We’re keeping them ).

For five days, I’ve been given the rare gift of “stepping out” of the daily grind. While my parents manage the high-speed chaos of car pools, spelling lists, piano practice, chore charts, homework help and toddler tantrums, I am slowing down long enough to recharge, refresh, and re-evaluate. A mere 24 hours into my vacation, I am amazed at what slowing down can do for the soul. Despite the fact that I began my day at 4:00AM this morning (little Maggie’s “body clock” hasn’t shifted to the Pacific time zone), and I jumped out of bed to tend a screaming baby nearly a dozen times throughout the night (my fifth born has a repulsion for cribs, darkness and sleep in general), I still feel amazingly refreshed. As I ponder that paradox, I am convinced that there is immeasurable value to eliminating the HURRY of life now and then. Could it be that God created our souls for more than rich cups of coffee and noble to-do lists? How, in the multi-tasking demands of each day, can a mom “Be still and know that [He] is God”? Psalm 46:10

As I strolled Miss Maggie up and down the quiet streets of the neighboring golf course community this morning, I began to hum the song “Deep and Wide.” In simple tune, this church-camp favorite celebrates the “fountain of salvation” to which we have access as believers in Christ. The lyrics simply say, Deep and wide; deep and wide; there’s a fountain flowing deep and wide… With the rugged brown mountain peaks silhouetting against the blue sky, I mused on the idea of living deep and wide. It seems to me that one of my greatest challenges as a mother in this generation is to somehow raise children who know how to live with both depth and width. The width seems easier at this point. Our children are growing up in an era rampant with “opportunity.” Raising well-rounded and “successful” children has become the primary goal of many American families. We want our kids to experience life to the fullest, and we have countless avenues that lead to such an end. With good intentions, we design a family life that is bursting with WIDTH. We seek out schools that boost our youngsters’ achievement and churches that boost their character. We make the most of the varied opportunities that allow our children to “try new things.” We sign them up for music lessons, dance class, sports leagues and scouts. We long for our children to develop skills and talents that will “take them far” in life; perhaps secure their admittance into a great college, lead them to a satisfying career or pave the way for achievement when they leave our homes for good. While “width” is not always an unworthy pursuit, a wide life can not stand without depth. For without deep roots, even a broad and beautiful tree will cease to bloom; worse yet, when the storm comes, even a mighty tree will topple without roots that run DEEP into the soil below.

And so here in Palm Springs, as I step away from the wide and crazy life I lead on a daily basis, I am plagued by this question: “Am I teaching my children to live DEEPLY or simply to live WIDE?” While wide living seems to happen quickly- we just move from one opportunity to another, from one season to the next- deep living happens more slowly. Growing roots takes time. And time is at a premium these days. I’m beginning to believe that DEEP living simply cannot happen by default; it must be developed deliberately. Christ’s life was a beautiful picture of both width and depth. His days were full but not frantic; deliberate but not draining. He engaged in much- healing the hurting, preaching to the masses, standing for justice, challenging the political and religious systems of his day, and feeding the hungry. He reached WIDE and ministered to many. Yet, our Savior lived DEEP as well. He rose early to spend quiet time with His Heavenly Father, He fled the crowds in order to refresh his weary soul, and though he had come to save the whole world, he chose a mere twelve men in whom to invest his time and energy. While He was well aware of all the “opportunities” within his reach, Jesus did not seize every one. He did not heal every person who was sick, nor challenge every person who was wrong, nor encourage every person who was downcast, nor visit every town that He passed. In the words of Ann Kroeker, author of the book Not So Fast, “Jesus never seemed to be in a hurry. When I look through the Gospels, I see that He was attentive to people’s needs and deliberate about His actions. He was responsive and busy, but not frantic. He was occupied, but not frazzled…Jesus’ actions seemed to flow from His purposeful and decisive heart, a heart that was focused on and yielded to the Father’s will…” (p 105).

If I want my kids to be like Christ, I cannot raise them to be merely WIDE, but I must teach them to be DEEP as well. How else will they develop a “heart focused on and yielded to the Father’s will”? If my true goal as a Christ-following parent is to send Christ-following children into His world, then I must make choices NOW that will enable them to stick to God’s path later. As the one in charge of our home schedule, I need to ensure that we have some white spaces on the calendar; time to engage with one another, with the Lord, and with His world. We need gaps in our “going” so that we can share conversations that move beyond “How are you?” or “What time do I have to pick you up after practice?” We need some margin in our lives so that we can bring supper to a sick friend or visit a hurting neighbor in the hospital. Basically, we need some unplanned time so that God can insert His plans into our day. If my day is already bursting at the seams, how will I respond to God’s quiet nudges without being late to the next scheduled event or maxed beyond measure?

As I mused this morning on a deep life, I kept picturing God’s word as the soil that will enable my “precious fledglings” to grow strong and confident. In the words of Jeremiah 17:7-8: Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit. Oh, that my children would live like that- deeply rooted in the Word of God and spreading His fruit to the whole WIDE world! Deep and Wide. Wide and Deep.

Today’s Treasure: “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how WIDE, how long, and how DEEP his love is.” Ephesians 3: 14-18

Written Monday, October 19, 2009

Deep and Wide

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