Today, for some odd reason, I think about how many times I stir throughout the day. I stir my coffee or tea, I stir the oatmeal, I stir the batter, I stir the juice, I stir the sauce as it simmers. Stir, stir, stir. Maybe it's the Italian Mama rubbing off on me, but I have a spoon in my hand most of the day.
I stir because the good stuff settles at the depths, and my quick spoon riles it up and mixes it back in.
I'm in church, praying that God would stir up good things in me. I want passion stirred, hope stirred, and the kind of faith that moves mountains stirred. It's in there, settled at my depths. Stir me!
Later, I go home to look up that beautiful verb. Unfortunately, it's often associated with negative ideas. We stir up dissent, controversy, and drama. We stir up anger, bitterness, and jealousy. In the book of Proverbs, I find that every single use of the verb stir warns against rousing up these negative traits.
I don't want to be a person who stirs up the wrong sorts of things.
I want to stir up goodness. I want to leave a wake of peace, joy, hope, and faith. Once you spend time with me, I want to have stirred up love and happiness in you--not conflict or anger.
Living with flair means I trust God to stir up good things, and I, too, stir my environment to mix in every wonderful element I might.
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Journal: Am I a person who stirs up controversy or leaves a wake of peace?
Dr. Holleman! How in the blessed world are you?? Nice blog, nice format--beautiful! What's with the NPR thing? Are you on radio too?
ReplyDeleteThought you might also be interested in my blog--The Scholar Redeemer.
Http://scholar-redeemer.blogspot.com
Cheers!
With certain people it is difficult to stir up good things - they resist it at every turn, it seems!
ReplyDeleteI guess all we can do is keep trying.
Great analogy! God stir my heart for the lost, for the needy, for the wandering this week!
ReplyDelete