The Reader For Leaders Seminars, articles, and musings by Paul D. Casey

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“Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” –John Lennon

It’s easy to get irritated with the things that come at us in an average day that were unanticipated, that made us “take evasive action” just to keep our equilibrium. But maybe God threw a chew-toy in front of us to get our attention: to make us more grateful, to test our faithfulness to Him above any other desire on earth, to give us an opportunity to minister to someone, to knock us off our grand-plans to align us with His.  More reason to stay in the moment and ask Him, “How do you want me to respond to this stimulus, cuz You let it into my radar screen?”

“A good man is empathic..he naturally flows out to others..Empathic men…listen and stand beside you, and in their presence you have an uncanny feeling that you have been given permission to be yourself.”  –Sam Keene

I desire to be such a man: available, a listener, a responder, empathic, flowing out to others, making people feel comfortable. I seek to get behind others’ eyes to see where they are coming from, where they are hurting or rejoicing. Where others can tap into my strength and health, and have it not deplete me. To be safe for all to share with, allowing people to be their best, most loving, selves through my authentic friendship..

“Here it comes a beautiful collision is happening now. There seems no end to where You begin and where I end now. You and I, collide.” –Beautiful Collision (David Crowder)

I want this said of my relationship with Jesus Christ: seamless, so integrated that it’s impossible for others to see me apart from Him.  There’s only one way to get there, and that’s to seek to know Him so well that I can anticipate what His desires are for me, so that I’m in step with His will, always in the photo frame with Him.

“When we love well, others grow–and we grow, too” –John Townsend

It comes up on my cellphone message when I turn my phone on: Love Well. It’s a reminder to do a difficult thing each day. Sure it sounds easy, but not when you really know the definition of love: doing what’s best for the other person. That forces me to be selfless instead of self-centered, but the results…well,…God can use me to make the day of others, to be Jesus with skin on, to be a growth-engine for those who come in contact with me.  And for me, I get practice doing the right things, living out the fruit of the Spirit that God hard-wired into me at salvation–hopefully, making it more natural than unnatural, though it will always be counterculture, across the grain.

On my 37th birthday 20 months ago, I came up with a list of things I want to be characterized by, for the 2nd half of my life; in part, what I want to be known for at my memorial service someday. Maybe it’ll inspire you to make your own list and pursue it daily.

• Inner peace/calm/less striving/more being–less doing/contentment/simplicity/margin
• Gratefulness/celebration (for life, for beauty, for people)
• Intense introspection/regular solitude that leads to deep growth
• More give–less take in relationships/high touch (less self-centeredness)
• Trying new things (a Pilgrim)/adventure (in life and thought)/spontaneity/savoring pleasures
• Physical maintenance
• New relationships–especially outside the “bubble” of church
• Questioning/living life consciously
• Abiding with Christ/surrendering all to Him
• Less passive–more acting out of conviction/authenticity

“I know You’ve washed me white, turn my darkness into life. I need your peace to get me through, to get me through this night. I can’t live by what I feel, about the truth Your word reveals. I’m not holding on to You.” –East to the West (Casting Crowns)

I’ve hung around more people in pain in the last 2 years than ever before in my life, and I’ve seen a lot of hurt. A lot of those people have trouble going to God because at some level, they were responsible for a share of the painful situation they were currently in. And even if they confess to Him, they don’t FEEL forgiven, despite reading the promises of God in Scripture and deep-down knowing His character. Maybe it’s unbelievable at some level. And maybe it’s us who need to forgive ourselves. Maybe that’s the obstacle to cross to get to basking in His unconditional forgiveness. A place where the Evil One can keep us down, ineffective in life in Kingdom-purposes. But I think even if we have a blindfold of the lack of self-forgiveness on, we can still reach out for Him and He will be found–and we can still pray for His peace.