The 7th Year- Week 5: Space

This week’s layer makes my life scroll stand 6 layers high. I found security while working through this layer as it asked me to describe God during different times in my life. It was comfortable, but my mental list of adjectives is suffering. I wish my word-smith skills were stronger. 

In addition to my life scroll layer, I have been thinking more about space. Just this morning Gil read our Lent devotion to me- Psalm 31. 

I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; 

You have made know the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hands of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. (vs. 7 & 8)

One of the phrases jumped out to both of us...you have set my feet in a broad place. We clicked on “broad place” and learned that it is synonymous with spacious place, wilderness, and openness. It’s found a handful of times, a few of the places being scriptures I have already written down; 

I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter the wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you... Live openly and expansively. 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (MSG)

He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:19

He brought me out into a spacious place. 2 Samuel 22:20

Here is my brainstorm list:

A spacious place is peaceful. 

A spacious place is free. 

A spacious place is wide. 

A spacious place is living. 

A spacious place is life-sustaining. 

A spacious place is filtering. 

A spacious place is welcoming. 

A spacious place is calming. 

A spacious place is roomy. 

A spacious place is healing. 

A spacious place is teeming with life. 

A spacious place is beckoning.

A spacious place is stable.

When you think of a spacious place, what do you think of? 

But this seems to be a linear, a flat-lined, horizontal view of space. 

What if spaciousness is thought of in a 3-D view, a broad and X-Y-Z axis type of picture?

It would be impossible to list all the ways God is spacious in a 3-D view, a broad and X-Y-Z axis type formation, but here are a few I can think of; 

• God is spacious in his grace and love for us- it is large and unending. 
• God is spacious in his movement with us- he allows us to move at our pace while inviting us to move at his pace. 
• God is spacious in his healing- he lavishly provides the space in time and growth for true healing. 
• God is spacious in his presence- he offers contentment and peace amidst our cluttered world. 

What are some other ways God is spacious in his personhood?

So, if space is so wildly wonderful, why do we- and why did the Old Testament believers- not abandon everything to find it? 

To enjoy space, you have to look up, glance around and soak up the surroundings. You have to look up from the plow, so to speak. You have to stop what you’re doing and take it in. I forget to stop, raise my head and appreciate the space. I get too busy trying to do it myself- checking off the to-do list, finding my satisfaction in accomplishments. 

The 7th Year- Week 3

Safe Space

This week Alicia asked us to add another layer to a map we have been creating over the past weeks. The detail and personal moments aren’t something I’d like to share with the current and future world via the internet, so I will keep those to myself. However, I was struck by another part of the reading this week. 

Alicia mentions three points about the biblical 7th year; rest the land and hear the law, release slaves and cancel debts, and make no profit and give generously. Can you imagine being commanded to do these things? This type of leadership model doesn’t sound like it would work in our economy. But that’s exactly it. This isn’t a command given to work within “the system”. God’s ways aren’t bound by our ways. 

I can not begin to imagine what it would feel like to take a year to simply listen to the Word of God being spoken over me. 

What about my school loans? I seriously would not know what I would do if I got a letter from my lenders stating that my college loans had been cancelled. Yes! Bring it on Deuteronomy! 

And since my loans would be paid off and we would no longer have a mortgage, living profitless and giving generously...well, that would just be fun! 

Imagine what it would be like. Imagine the freedom. Imagine the weightlessness. Imagine the possibilities of movement, change, growth. Imagine looking up and enjoying the view rather than keeping eyes down to the plow. Imagine taking it all in. 

Imagine the space in your mind- the uncluttered thinking. 

Imagine the space in your time- the freedom to rest and enjoy. 

Imagine the space in your heart- the healing that’d take place. 

Alicia writes that space is telling. 

About a year ago, I began thinking a great deal about space. 

My understanding is that space equals freedom. Freedom to move about, explore, grow. Freedom to challenge yourself in all areas. Freedom to wiggle, experiment, stretch

But I also understand that space requires trust. Trust that someone else has all danger at bay. Trust that appropriate and safe boundary lines have been established and marked clearly. Trust that responsibilities will be tended. 

I think about this idea of space quite a bit. 

I think about fish needing a bigger tank to grow. 

I think about risking it all to tackle something bigger, harder, different, unfamiliar. 

I think about my husband wanting to ice climb (is that what it’s called?), cycle for more miles than I care to think about it, summit tough mountains, and race harder/faster than he’s ever done before. He wants to challenge himself and push past his current experiences. He wants to explore. 

And I dream of a place where I can drop the worries of my world at the road and enjoy safe space, true freedom, deep rest, utmost protection.