Altitude Shift

April 24, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I live in a valley area. I don’t have to go far to find a high place where I can look out across the surrounding region. The beauty of the view is awe-inspiring and, from that perspective, I see the community I live in from a different point of view. Many of the imperfections are hidden from that height. I can see way beyond my little rural city (I didn’t even know that was a thing until I lived here!) and, except for some roads and a river, most of what I can see involves the tops of trees! I can breathe in a new outlook on whatever is going on in my life from that vista. Then, heading back down into normal life takes on a whole different atmosphere. I bring some of the upper air with me and I breathe differently back among the building ands vehicles. I carry some of that peaceful perspective into whatever comes next.

It’s amazing how a shift in altitude can shift my attitude. And God knows my attitude often needs shifting! What about you? With all that is happening around you right now — your family issues, our national challenges, a global pandemic that has yet to come to an end — what’s your attitude? What is guiding your responses? Could you use an altitude perspective that shifts your attitude?

Here’s a jolt: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” What?! The same attitude as Jesus! That’s what the apostle Paul told his friends in Philippi. What is Paul saying? Let’s take a few minutes to investigate that little loaded sentence.

Toilet Paper Tragedy? Really?

April 17, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Toilet paper. It is one of those things that everybody uses, but isn’t in everyday conversation....until the pandemic of 2020. Suddenly, what everyone uses became unavailable. How was toilet paper related to lockdown? Well, I am not an expert and I am not going to speculate on supply and demand and the broken supply chain. At the heart of the toilet paper shelf-clearing were some purely human factors: fear and selfishness. People reacted to the prospect of an indefinite shutdown by rushing to take care of themselves first in fear of what might not be available later.

Maybe you were not a part of the TP scramble. I shook my head, dumbfounded as I looked at the empty shelves. I am not a hoarder and I don’t like to crowd my home closets with more stuff than I need right now. I had enough and was not really worried about running out, but, when a friend offered to pick up a package for me I consented, just in case. I guess that made me a part of it.

What about you? Maybe you ran out, but I’ll bet someone helped you. See, my friend didn’t just think of herself. She looked out for me as well. And if you ran out, there was probably someone willing to look out for you, too. Am I right?

No toilet paper may not be a life and death issue, but every home has some. Our culture has concluded that we need it, and fear of not having something needed motivated a selfishness that emptied the shelves at the store. But what would be the worst that could happen if you ran out? Does it really matter?

You and I want to live for what matters, right? In order to live for what matters we need to decide in advance what is most important to us. When we decide in advance, we don’t react in fear. We tap into our faith. It isn’t a moment by moment decision. I settle in my heart what matters and then respond accordingly as situations unfold.

How Will Your “Three-Day Story” End? He Knows

April 10, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

(You might remember me writing about this a year ago. We still need the reminder!)

Saturday. It means a lot of different things to different people. Maybe for you it’s a day to sleep in. No school. No work. Perhaps it’s a day to catch up on home chores. Or meet a friend, or visit family. Maybe for you Saturday is a day for a new adventure, a day trip or the start of the vacation of a lifetime. Just over a year ago, my mom and dad spent one of their Saturdays at sea waiting for a place to come home from.

Sometimes, the world news touches home. As the world watched the coronavirus pandemic unfolding in February of 2020, you may remember the report of a cruise ship that had been denied entry to ports because the ship had picked up passengers in Hong Kong where cases of the virus have been reported. My parents were among the passengers boarding in that city. No one on the ship was sick, but because of so much unknown about COVID-19 and fear of spreading the virus, no country would allow the passengers to dock and tour, or even to disembark and go home. Dad said the cruise line did it’s best to make the best of a bad situation, but the cruise as planned was cancelled and the one goal became to find a place from which to let the passengers go home. What was supposed to be a cruise to sites in Asia became a different kind of adventure, one for which the conclusion remained uncertain for quite a while.

The truth is that we are all in the same kind of adventure. In your life and mine things rarely go as we have planned them, right? You are in the middle of a situation right now where the end is still unclear, aren’t you?

Silent Saturday: Counting the Cost of the Cross

April 3, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

This post was first published on Saturday, April 20, 2019. The title has been changed.

“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” ‭‭ Hebrews‬ ‭12:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is Saturday of Holy Week. Good Friday has passed. Easter Sunday is yet to come. We wait in anticipation of that joyous celebration. But what did the disciples do on that Saturday after the crucifixion? They did not know that joy awaited them. They observed the Sabbath in obedience, but that day of rest from work was most likely anything but a day of rest in the mind. How could they do anything but continue to relive Friday’s horror and wonder how they would ever face, not only Sunday, but every day after?

It is in human nature to avoid the painful, but what if you and I took this Saturday to relive some of Good Friday’s pain? Might it increase our joy of the resurrection?

No Fear

March 27, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Only one thing concerns me: Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ. Then whether I come and visit you or am away from you, I will hear that you are standing strong with one purpose, that you work together as one for the faith of the Good News, and that you are not afraid of those who are against you. All of this is proof that your enemies will be destroyed but that you will be saved by God.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:27-28‬ ‭NCV‬‬

Everyone is afraid of something. One thing I have come aware of is how deeply ingrained fear had been in my life. It’s a part of my family history, just like my Italian relatives coming over from Italy on a boat or my Irish relatives being established in the US before the Revolutionary War. Fear informed so many actions and reactions in my family. Fear doesn’t always look like cowering in a corner. For me, fear might be procrastination and indecision, not making any choice for fear of making the wrong one. Or fear might be constantly trying to “help” loved ones, constantly informing them of the “right” way to go or the best way to live. An uglier word is control. Yuck! I hate that in me!

No Divisions

March 20, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Only one thing concerns me: Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ. Then whether I come and visit you or am away from you, I will hear that you are standing strong with one purpose, that you work together as one for the faith of the Good News,” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:27‬ ‭NCV‬‬

2020. Thankfully, it is now a very recent memory. But something is going to happen as time goes on. We are going to look back and see how the effects of the global pandemic acted like a magnifying glass, exposing the tensions and splits that have long been at work in our nation and in our individual lives. When you were locked down at home with your family, did underlying conflicts come to the surface? Did what was already difficult in your relationships seem to intensify? We saw that on a national level, didn’t we? It was painful, very painful. And, unfortunately, we also saw it among our brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead of working together for the faith of the Good News, we quibbled about masks and whether or not churches should re-open. Here’s a challenge: Did your reactions during lockdown honor the Good News of Christ? Did you amplify unity or deepen division at home or nationally?

NO DRAMA!!!

March 13, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Do you have a no-drama policy? My husband is now a pastor and was the leader of a non-profit ministry at one time. In those positions he has become quite proficient at leading board meetings and guiding those boards along the bumpy roads that come with any kind of leadership. He has had the opportunity to work closely with a lot of really quality people. A member of one of these boards once quipped a phrase that has become a policy: No Drama. It has become Tom’s goal as a leader that every problem be approached with a no-drama perspective. Those two words have brought peace and clarity in the midst of some really sticky situations. What about you?

So, what does “no drama” mean? Well, it means that I don’t let someone else’s high-emotion reaction to a situation charge my reaction. If someone else is upset about something, it does not mean that I have to be upset. No drama means I look at the problem and deal with the actual problem, not the other person’s emotions.

Here in 2021, we live in an emotion-led society. Just take a moment to think about some of the events that have already happened in this young year! So much drama! So much emotion! What if those involved stepped back and dealt with the issue at hand with a no-drama policy? What would that have looked like?

What’s Your Perspective On Priority?

March 6, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“To me the only important thing about living is Christ, and dying would be profit for me.” Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭NCV‬‬

Priority. It’s a word that we throw around a lot. We talk about “priority customers” and “priority relationships”. “Putting your priorities in order” “Getting my priorities straight.” “ What are your priories?” Is that something you’ve ever considered? Have you ever taken intentional time to evaluate your priorities? Maybe you sat down and listed all the things that are important to you and then numbered them. There, now you have a list of priorities and number one is the most important, right? Well...maybe not. It’s important to understand what we are really talking about when we say “priority.” What is your perspective on priority?

Did you know that the word actually means "one thing"? There was not a plural form of the original word. It meant one important thing. So that list that you and I were challenged to write of our priorities? Not a thing. I have been thinking about the Apostle Paul recently. To Paul only one thing is important, only one thing matters. Paul was able to persevere through hardship because he focused on what mattered and in his letter to his friends n Philippi he invited them to follow his example. Paul’s perspective enabled him to persevere with joy, peace and contentment. God is inviting you and I to learn to do the same.

What was Paul’s “one thing”? You guessed it! Christ. Only Christ. Always Christ. To Paul, “the only important thing about living is Christ.”(Philippians 1:21 NCV) Wow! Christ was Paul’s priority. Christ Himself and all that He is. What did that perspective do for Paul? What were the results of making Christ his priority and how can we get the same benefits? Paul demonstrates that living a life of fulfillment, purpose and peace is possible as we live for what matters and let go of what doesn’t.

To Live IS Christ?

February 27, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 NIV

The Apostle Paul. He challenges me! Yes, he wrote much of what we call the New Testament of the Bible, but have you ever stopped to consider Paul as a person? He wasn't just a character in a Bible story. He was real, with real feelings, challenges and choices just like you and I. I have spent quite a bit of time with the Apostle Paul in the last few years, taking time to learn from him as I have thoughtfully read through some of his letters. He had a perspective on life that put Christ at the center of everything. In fact he declared without question or reservation, "to me, to live IS Christ." What a confident claim! What did he mean? Could I say that?

What’s The Story of Your Life in 2021?

February 20, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” ‭Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I am a reader. I have been since childhood. When I was about middle-school age a family member gave me a bookmark that said, “My books are friends that never fail me.” That sums up my childhood relationship with books. I depended on that steady friendship.

At one time, reading was my method of escape and adventure. I could go places in my imagination that weren’t possible in my real life. I could imagine myself as the bold and daring lead character in the story, rather than the scared and timid girl I was.

Later on, reading became my way to learn about the world and then about being a Christian. One of my favorite types of books to read is biographies. I learn so much from reading about people. Reading about great Christians of the past inspires and challenges me. Somehow those people lived for Christ in the midst of great difficulty, at great cost and accomplished great things for Him.

I don’t think anyone will ever write a book about my life, but I want to live that way. Their inspiring stories challenge me to wonder: What does it mean to live for Christ in 2021? In the midst of a global pandemic? Let’s think about that together.

It means to live without fear. Living without fear...at all? Fear is a natural reaction to danger. God made us with the ability to fear for our own protection. So, no fear at all is not really the goal. But, there is a difference between healthy fear for our protection and the kind of fear that keeps us from really living for Christ.