sayable

There are eighteen attributes of God posted on the walls of the Kids Village rooms at The Village Church. Learning those attributes, committing them to memory, and pulling them out whenever I have doubted the character of God throughout the past six years has been one of the most life-changing disciplines of my life. After I posted this photo, several people asked for the full list or a link to the posters. A few of the guys in the Comm department told me they'll think about getting something up in the next year, but until then, I asked for permission to reprint the complete list. It was written by Anne Lincoln Holibaugh, the director of Kids Village for years and one who worked hard to create a well-oiled machine in that area. She's brilliant. If you know her, tell her (and all the Kids Village/Little Village people) thank you today.

Here are the attributes in list form. Below, if you click on the image, there's a high resolution image I put together that you can print out and put on your fridge or frame or wherever it would be helpful for you to visualize the bigness of God on a regular basis. I really mean it when I say committing these characteristics of God to memory has been one of the most life-changing disciplines for me. They're easy to remember, they remind me I am not God, and they speak to nearly every lie I am tempted to believe about Him.

God is:

Wise: He knows what is best Generous: He gives what is best Loving: He does what is best Good: He is what is best Unchanging: He never changes Creator: He made everything Provider: He meets the needs of His children Holy: He is completely perfect Just: He is right to punish sin Glorious: He shows his glory and greatness Sovereign: He has the right, will, and power to do as He pleases Compassionate: He sees, cares, and acts when His children are in need Merciful: He does not give what His children deserve Attentive: He hears and responds to His children Worthy: He deserves all glory Deliverer: He saves His children from wrath Refuge: He provides places of safety for His children Almighty: Nothing is too hard for God

In Texas they build homes with north facing windows, which is the exact opposite of the North, but which is a very sensible thing to do here. The only window in our home that gets any direct sunlight is the laundry room and so I have found my morning coffee tastes best in here, so long as I can keep lint dust from getting in it.

Our washer has a leak. It isn't the rushing sort, where all hell (or whatever the equivalent of a watershed would be) breaks loose and our laundry room becomes a pool of its own; it's the drip, drip, slowly drip sort. It hovers on the line between good morning music and Chinese water torture, depending on my mood.

Today it is a steady and slow drip, passing time more like the second hand on a watch and less like the constant pour of an hourglass, slowing the pace of my half hour of dryer sitting time.

I am grateful for that.

Last night a singer/songwriter/speaker/author (I slash those because I'm not sure what she does primarily and I'd hate to mislabel) spoke to a handful of us at my church.

I can't tell you much about the night except it wasn't long, but it felt long. It didn't go late, but it felt late. It felt deep in my soul and it made me hungry for depth in a way I haven't let myself feel in a long time. She talked about walking around with prison garments on and I nearly stood and shouted, "Me too! me too."

We know we're free, but the prison garments feel so normal, so comfortable, so us.

A friend sent me an email yesterday and I'd like to say it was unprovoked, but it wasn't. I sent out an email to a handful of friends a few weeks ago, asking for prayer about a project I'm undertaking that feels insurmountable, but I hadn't really followed up with any specific requests. His email was simple: I'm in your corner, but I'll do a better job if you tell me what to pray for.

It reminds me that no matter how much I think the battle raging on in my head is the most important battle I'll fight, the truth is that the bigger battle is going to be asking others to join in it with me.

Time, prison clothes, and bigger battles, these are the things I'm thinking about today.

What about you?

What slows your time down or hurries it forward?

What prison garments are you trying to shed?

What battle do you need to ask others to join, or do you need to join with someone else?