Upstream Battle

A good friend of mine asked me to write a post about the phenomenon we call 'upstream battle'. Defined: An upstream battle is when you feel like you're just another fish trying to swim along like the other fish.


First off, the upstream battle is a flat out lie. I think it's something planted in our hearts to make us feel bland or boring. This planting is premeditated and has a desired effect. We hear these whispers of 'what are you even doing here?' or 'you're no different than the next schmo who's trying to make it happen'. The one I hear a lot is 'no one cares about what you think or what you have to say, so get busy shutting up'.


A lot of times we respond to the above lies by taking matters into our own hands. We decide since we are getting blindsided by these thoughts and low self-esteem that it's time to prove the voices wrong and 'be somebody'. We put incredible pressure on ourselves to be a good Dad, a good son, or a good 'enter your identity here'. These thoughts put us in a pressure cooker where failure is not an option.


I think this is a scheme to distract us from where we really need to go. To our maker. He has some very different things to say about us and who we really are.


1 Peter 2:9 says:


⁹But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 


This verse has been floating around in my head for a while now, and it keeps popping up in bible studies, sermons, or casual conversation. What Peter is trying to show us here is how Jesus sees us. We are precious. A few verses later Peter refers to us as 'Beloved'. I can't think of a more endearing salutation than - Beloved.


Matthew 5:14 says we are the 'light of the world'. Think about that. Of all the things in the world, we are the brightest. We are the 'IT'. But it's not because of anything we've done, it's because we have a father who Loves. With a capital 'L'.


Next time the upstream battle phenomenon occurs just remember, you are the beloved. Jesus is so crazy in love with you that all he wants is for you to sit with him. He wants to marvel at the light you are.

Frontier

Each table in our dining room has 24 sweeteners; 8 sugars, 8 sweet n' low, and 8 splendas. Sugar faces the salt so that everything is uniform. Glasses are set right above the knives - center cut, not to the left or right. Tables in the dining hall are set with excellence.

I haven't experienced this, but heard that sometimes when the accumulated snow starts to get dirty we vacuum it. Not to remove it, but to make sure the lawns are completely white. Trash bags are placed in the cans and then tied tight. The knot is hidden so that the trash can looks more presentable.

Blankets are folded on beds so that you only see a clean fold. Ribbon side up with the fold facing the door - always.

We do these things to create a place where people meet Jesus. Sure it's great to have camp presentable for guests, but that's not why we do what we do with excellence. It all points back to the cross.

Maybe life would be a ton easier with less distractions. What would it look like if I treated my heart like we treat Frontier Ranch, and prepared a place so that I could meet Jesus? Time and time again in scripture we see Jesus seeking his 'mountainside' for prayer. More times than not this mountainside precedes or follows a miraculous event. I could learn a lot from this.


 Ecclesiastes 4:6 says: Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.