Hello. I typed that word and then I took an enormous, down-to-the-belly-button breath. Shall we try it together? Inhale. Wheeeee. Exhale. Schwooooooo. A friend of mine recently said that it seems like everyone he talks to literally or figuratively has their hands on their needs. Like excuse me, August, (and also every other month since December 2019) can we have a MINUTE?
Life feels like a lot of starts and stops, and if we try to catch our breath, this happens:
Is it just me, or do you feel it too? The in-between and the uncertain are really getting us good. But this feels like I’m getting ahead of myself, so here we go.
Welcome to The Paradox Paper, a monthly newsletter that honors paradox in the every day. If a friend forwarded you this email, click here to subscribe:
In this edition:
One book I’m enjoying
One podcast episode I appreciated
A sermon that gave me hope
A snippet about transitions
Links to the latest podcast episodes
A prayer for rest
Books
The Body: A Guide For Occupants, Bill Bryson
Here is the thing. I enjoy reading to learn. I love me some fresh info. But at the moment everything feels big and important and it all needs to be discovered and applied RIGHT NOW. My TBR list keeps getting longer and longer with important-for-this-moment-in-time books, and I really do want to read them. But I’m tired. The urgency of it all is starting to feel a lot like an overdue pile of homework.
This book has brought me back to the joy of learning. The author goes through every part and system of the body, starting at the top and working his way downward. It’s the kind of book that makes you stop and say to the person next to you, “Did you know???” every five minutes. (Trevor adores this. I am a joy to live with.) Bryson is a brilliant scientist, but he’s also a gifted writer with a sharp sense of humor, so this book reads less like a textbook and more like you’re sitting with an exceptionally intelligent friend.
Podcast
That Sounds Fun, Q&A: Singleness
This episode is made up entirely of questions from single people and/or about singleness. As a woman who got married at the approximate age of twelve and has never so much as visited an online dating forum, I found it insightful and encouraging. It’s too easy to let a difference in life stage keep us from loving each other well. Listening to this conversation helped better equip me for that.
When I was small, somewhere in the seven to nine range, I adopted the phrase “Go climb a tree.” It felt so grown up and sassy when a little boy had said something little-boyish to roll my eyes dramatically and sigh “Ugh, go climb a tree.”
Listen. This Delta variant situation can go. climb. a. tree.
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but I’m tired. It’s eight-hours-in-to-a-twenty-hour-road-trip tired. We’re so ready to be done, but the road ahead is still so long. At least in the road trip metaphor you know when it will end. We don’t even have that.
There’s just a long, lonely road lined with conflict, sickness, loneliness, and loss, all the way to the horizon. I’m tired. I’m weary.
I don’t think I’m the only one.
A few Sunday’s back our pastor spoke to our collective weariness, and it was a timely comfort to me. (So much so that it inspired this month’s prayer.) I’m including it here believing his words might encourage you too.
A Snippet
My parents visited us for the last two weeks of July. Immediately following their departure, we visited Trevor’s family in Michigan. We arrived home on a Tuesday, jumped back into work and daycare on Wednesday, had a back to school open house on Thursday, played catch up through the weekend, and then started our first ever first week of school.
Somewhere in the middle of last week Trevor said, “Why am I so tired?”
“It takes a long time to get used to new things.” I said.
Transitions are hard, even the relatively small ones like getting back from a trip or going back to school for the fall. Be kind to yourself.
The Small Group Show
It has been lovingly pointed out to me that I constantly use the phrase “I feel like” during podcast episodes. This is almost certainly because I’m scared of making someone mad, and it has the unfortunate effect of making everything I say sound like I only believe it a little bit. It seems that in podcast world, just like everywhere else, I need to work on actually saying what I actually think. I hate it, but there it is.
Here are the episodes that have come out since I was last in your inbox:
Ep. 15 - Purity Culture vs. Christian Sexual Ethics
There’s a lot of picking on purity culture going on right now, and a lot of subsequent confusion about what God thinks we should or shouldn’t do with our bodies. So we did an episode about it.Ep. 16 - Christian Buzzwords 2
We decided to do another edition of our very first episode. This round we cover the words and phrases, “Word of God,” “Unspoken,” “Hate the sin, love the sinner,” and “I don’t have peace.”
Thank you for listening to our little show, and for continue to be such a warm and encouraging audience. If you enjoy the show, would you consider leaving a review in Apple podcasts? That helps other folks connect with us. In the event that technology gets the best of you, an actual word of recommendation from your actual mouth is an excellent way to help as well.
It is a true joy to write for you each month, and I always love to hear about anything you tried and loved or anything that stirred your heart. Simply reply to this email or leave a comment to let me know.
Until next time, hold the paradox, don’t panic. Love you.
-Steph
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