MICRO-EVOLUTION

Hello Friends!

I hope your fall is off to a “best-of-all-seasons” start. Ah, the red leaves, orange pumpkins, and brown liquids (PSL’s & Cider)! Why is it we celebrate death this month again? I know, but I think I feel the most alive during these months.

Speaking of alive, I heard a definition of life recently that was quite thought provoking. If you are alive then you “have the ability to change.” That sounds like the line from a sermon, but it turns out it’s scientifically true. Change is hard for everybody, though certainly more so for some. When we visited my great aunt, I could walk through her house with my eyes closed because nothing ever changed. My mom is a little less that way but still a long way up on the “don’t change that!” spectrum. But it turns out so am I. So it’s a good thing I married Stacie, though my shins don’t think so. A late-night raid of the kitchen can be painful. “Ahhh! When did you move the couch (again), babe?!” For those of us allergic to too much change, we must simply remind ourselves that it beats the morbid alternative! Cue The Thriller . . .

Despite my tendencies, however, I’m happy to report a number of positive changes in my life in the last few years. I have evolved, it seems. They’ve not only been positive, but positively significant for me. It began roughly three years ago when I began the weekly practice of Sabbath, as I’ve talked about several times. This has been the best of all changes for me in every way: spiritually (of course), emotionally (most significantly), and physically. It has not only changed one day out of the week for the better but has changed the way I live every other day, too. I can’t recommend it more! Along with this has been embracing the other 8 practices from John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way, and my discovery of the morning, noon, and night Lectio 365 resource. How was I ever able to live any another way?

The previous examples have been some of Jay’s “macro” evolution. I learned the difference between micro and macro evolution from my college Biology professor. Macro evolution means a species will make radical changes over time, like losing gills and growing legs, or losing the claws and fur and gaining bad hair days and glowing skin. This form of evolution takes a lot more faith to embrace. Micro evolution means a species makes small adaptive changes based on environmental factors. Such as deeper skin tone in the South Pacific versus Scandinavia, or an affinity for nuanced coffee in the Pacific Northwest or for tiny bubbles in the wine, in Hawaii. I think that’s how Professor Randolph taught it. 

My point is, life-giving changes in our lives can come in both evolutionary varieties. The macro-changes almost always involve divine assistance, but they are possible. It’s called transformation, and the Spirit is quite adept at bringing these to those with only a little bit of faith. But the micro-changes can be tremendously life-giving as well, as I’ve discovered more recently. In chapter 10 of my upcoming release, A Taste of the Kingdom, I’m writing about my new obsession with candles. I know, another man-card issue has crept in, but stick with me. I have started lighting candles in our bedroom and master bath around bedtime and it has been an unexpected game-changer for me. As I’ve also confessed before, anxiety is an ongoing concern and almost daily struggle for me, and my oh my how this simple practice has helped. So stop laughing, Kyle & Calvin! Bad boys. Some other micros have been showering at night versus morning (yes, by candlelight), and practicing gratitude while driving versus listening to the meathead sports guys. Try it! 

Well my oh my but this blog has gotten a bit long. I’ve been trying to evolve in this way too, but it will require more divine assistance it seems. So don’t give up on me. But for the record I missed last week, so my weekly average is still much lower after my recent re-start. So there, Darwin!

Drafty and candles don’t go together very well, anyway . . .

JAY