The Messy Middle

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The Church Year

Out of the mouth of a UPS worker

Friends, can we chat?

These Advent posts aren’t meant to heap anything on you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by them or a sense that you’re not good enough, please know that is not from me. That’s from an Oakland Raider’s fan! Hahaha. Broncos Fans spread love and joy and dance in freedom.

A friend wrote on Facebook how she’s not doing all the candles and the readings— like Amy Young. What the what?! I am turning on the Christmas tree lights and reading FB updates. I have never done less advent reading than this year. But I’m not sweating it and I don’t want you to either.

Instead, I’m trying to tune into our advent words: Wait, Prepare, Hope, and Joy.

Asking, how is God using them to shape me, shape us during Advent this year.

joy isn't happy

Yesterday I was standing in line at a UPS store, waiting to mail a package and one of the employees was on a phone call. When he got off, he said to a fellow co-worker, “Man, Joy is not happy.”

I nearly lost it and laughed out loud. No one else in line seemed to notice it.

Really?!

What is wrong with them?

In the past week joy has been broken and now joy is not happy. Oh my word. I truly believe God giggles (we’re made in his image after all). I love life. I love how when you tune into a word or concept, it starts to show up in unexpected ways and slows you down enough to ask, “Can joy be unhappy?”

This year has been calm and peaceful. I’d say joy and happiness are easy friends. But I know it’s not that way every year, and may not be for you.

Unbeknownst to us that a UPS employee would have the line of the week, Britta and I talked about joy and the relationship to messy lives. Lives that are big enough to hold joy and sadness. If you’re reading this in an email, you can watch the video here.

 

What great lines have you heard this week? Or lines that made you pause? Anyone else thinking of the movie Inside-Out?! 

I almost want to stand in line to mail another package just to hear what life lesson God may have for me. But standing in line is where I am often most annoyed with humanity, so I’m afraid the lesson would be about peace. I don’t know about you, I, however, find it very hard to feed my annoyance when God is talking to me about peace :). Maybe one lesson from a line is enough for this week!

See you Monday.

With joy, Amy

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2 Comments December 18, 2015

About Amy

My name is Amy and I live in the messy middle of life. I have been Redeemed from permanent muck and live with the tension of the Already and Not Yet.

Comments

  1. Jody Collins says

    December 18, 2015 at 9:47 am

    Oh, you make me smile….Funny how the world is tuned into the expectations of the season, too.
    I’ve got a Beth Moore quote for you (via picmonkey) I think I’ll post.
    Thank you for this honest look at our world that God giggles at.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      December 18, 2015 at 2:48 pm

      And now YOU have made me smile :). So glad God gave us giggles!!

      Reply

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