If I had a super power

Dear Cam and Scott

This has been some week. In London, the super powers of the human race have been on display. Muscles stretching and bulging and throwing and rowing and fencing and jumping. Riveted, the world is watching on couches – fingers flexing as channels are flipped. You two were even inspired to try some intriguing gymnastics sequences in Granny’s lounge. Cam, you were wearing a dress at the time. Quite memorable.

Looking at these athletes you get the sense that they have it all. For sure, you are growing up in a world where you’ll be told you can have it all. And be good at it. It's not true. No one can have it all. Not men, not women, not Olympic athletes. And if we’re trying to have it all we’re certainly not going to be good at much of it. No one has super powers, really. But the world promises us a bunch of impossible opportunities and then raises disparaging eyebrows when reality pans out differently.

You might find that Christians also have unspoken super power expectations of what our lives should look like. I’m not talking about wanting to honour God with a life of obedience – having a heart for holiness. I’m talking about an unreal picture of perfection that doesn’t necessarily translate into warm-bodied lives and isn’t necessarily, well, necessary.

As a mom I sometimes see this phenomenon. It’s like, if your kids are at the ER so often they contact the social workers, or potty training has become a series of wet disasters in shopping malls, or your twenty-two month old is waking up nine times a night (can’t think where I came up with that last example) then you might not feel free to share that. Because other moms (and their kids) seem perfect. And so you end up perpetuating the super power pretence when some honesty might be just the thing to crack open the compassion and accountability and loving advice. Some honesty might also be just the thing to make Christians more approachable, and more believable.

I want you guys always to have the courage to be honest. Never let fear of people’s disapproval force you into an unrealistic super power mould. Moulds are very uncomfortable if you don’t fit into them. Courage will cost you: you’ll be vulnerable. But vulnerability earns you permission to enter people’s lives and make a difference; pride and pretence slam doors in your face. Also, have the courage always to receive other people’s honesty with supernatural grace.

So I wrote this poem for you. I was kind of experimenting with performance poetry. So picture some prancing about and stuff. Do the actions. Whatever J

If I had a super power

If I had a super power

It wouldn’t be

Web-spinning flame-flinging shape-shifting.

If I had a super power

It would be

(To climb out of time.)

The world wouldn’t miss me: frozen in one

Tick

Of the clock while faster than thought I could

Get Stuff Done.

Then I would slide smiling back into tick-tock time –

To-do list

Ticked.

If I had a super power

It would be

To see myself through God’s eyes

And be horrified and humbled –

O happy day – Jesus washed my sins away!

If I had a super power

It would be

Perfect discernment

To speak hope into every come-and-go heart I might momentarily

Hold

In my hands

If I had a super power

It would be

To ask of everything I chase with time – tears – tension:

Really? Is this life?

And then abandon these for super-pursuits

If I had a super power

I wouldn’t be a super-mom

But I would fling wide my super cape

To cover from condemnation tired-moms trying hard

With superiority raining down in snide remarks

I don’t have a super power.

But I’m filled with the Spirit of Power

Who speaks galaxies into light

Holds the lambs tight

Hushes the waves

Loves with unblinking gaze

Leads where the water parts

Breathes life and softens stone hearts

‘All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.’ – 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

Cam the engineer

Dad came up with the brilliant idea that we should have a theme every week. So this week’s theme was pirates. You said ‘Aaarh!’ a lot.

The pirate ship – sleeping quarters.

(Another) pirate ship, rowing to land and frying the catch of the day

Amber visited this week with Amani, Thomas and Maia. Cam, Scott and Amani were playing on my iPad – too quietly. I said to Amber, ‘Let me just check what they’re doing…’ Cam – exasperated – countered, ‘Mom I’m not buying apps!’

Craig’s 5^th birthday party