I recently took a trip down to Southern California. That is one long drive! When I finally decided to go, a great excitement rose up within me for this fun adventure awaiting me on the edge of the horizon. When the hour of leaving finally arrived, my giddiness hit a new level. I mean, this was different than normal humdrum life. I had sights to see, friends to catch up with, and lives to be inspired by.
After driving an hour though, my excitement wore off. If you’ve ever driven down the middle of California on I-5 you’d understand. I-5 is pretty boring. At least the hills were green this time, but that was only interesting for an hour or so.
After a while, every mile seemed like the same one I’d just driven. I had my music and my thoughts, but honestly, when you drive, you just sit. I literally sat in the same spot hour after hour - mile after mile. This was the exact opposite of exciting. I knew I was making progress, but it didn’t feel like it. It was just plain boring.
The middle is boring.
I’ve taught a few people how to play guitar. Nothing special, just where to place their fingers and how to strum the strings. I’ve always told students to play five minutes every day, even if they don’t want to, because the discipline of “doing” will eventually help them make progress. I’ve also told them to beware the “plateau” times because that’s when people give up. A plateau is a moment within learning where there appears to be no progress. In guitar, there’s a steep learning curve at the beginning, but then, suddenly, the plateau appears, and thoughts like “I’ll never learn that, it’s too hard” or “this is pointless, I’m not getting any better” start to appear. And the humdrum of “the same thing over and over again” gets the better of us. Tons of people give up. Partly because it’s boring. When things feel pointless, they become meaningless. Meaningless and boring are not a good combination.
Stuck in the middle.
So, here I am in the middle of Lent. I chose to do three things. I gave up meat. I thought this would get easier as I went, but - no. I dream of steak! I don’t even eat steak that much, but now it’s all I can think about. Ok - I’m being a little overdramatic, but not by much.
The second was to post a blog every day. This has been fun - but I’m stuck in the middle. I’m driving down I-5 and I’m stuck in a “plateau” with this thing. It went from joy to obligation without me even noticing. And now I fight with it. I’m punching my screen as I type. really. k - not really. But - I am imagining it.
The third is posting a photo on Instagram. This turned into obligation right away because I’m not creative like that. However - looking back, I’m glad I’m doing it. The joy is only in hindsight.
I wonder if the benefits of discipline can only be seen in the rear view mirror. I mean, those “pointless” hours of guitar practice helped me to play almost anything I hear now, and I’m so grateful. And my drive down I-5 eventually got me to the beaches of Santa Barbara and San Diego.
I had to endure the middle in order to reach the goal. And, even though it didn’t feel like it, I made progress. I made progress in the middle of the boring.
Sometimes Christian disciplines are boring. Studying about Jesus can be like a drive down I-5. Some church services I’ve attended are worse than driving I-5 - I'd rather be sitting in my car!
But I wonder if there’s progress we make that we don’t see.
I think, much of this life is lived in the middle. Maybe that’s why many people find their life meaningless. Well, maybe that's one of the reasons.
The “middle” makes me want to give up. I didn’t post yesterday. Fail. The temptation to give up while traveling in the middle is super strong. Excitement is gone. The end is not in sight. Boring...
But I know end will be great. I know, looking back, I'll be super happy I completed this task. So I write today.
My fail will be yet another opportunity to practice grace on myself. And I’ll keep working - moving - plodding along - until the ultimate day of freedom: Easter - the goal.
I'm pretty sure I'll be happy looking back. Well, I know me - and I know I will be - especially with that first bite of steak that hits my mouth.
But discipline to fight through boredom - I wish somehow it were easier!
Have a great day!
Jer
No comments:
Post a Comment