Imagine standing on the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, feeling the Mediterranean breeze, and tasting the rich flavors of homemade pasta with ragu. That's exactly where Steve takes us in this episode of the Foxhole Symphony Podcast, as he shares vivid stories from his recent trip to Italy. From the crystal-clear waters of Tropea to the invigorating cold plunges, we embark on a journey that emphasizes the joy of authentic experiences and the warmth of genuine male community.
At the heart of our discussion is the delicate balance between spiritual focus and the constant distractions of daily life. We recount personal struggles of maintaining a consistent connection with God amidst the chaos, often humorously sharing moments when distractions crept in even during prayer. Insights from Tim and John of the Bible Project lend depth to our conversation, stressing the importance of meditation and spiritual retreats. Through laughter and humility, we explore the significance of stillness and finding solace in spiritual truths, despite the unending pull of modern-day multitasking.
The journey doesn't stop there. We delve into the nuanced relationship between comfort and spiritual integrity, where we reflect on how self-awareness and accountability can guide us toward healthier forms of solace. Food, a recurring theme, serves as both a communal blessing and a potential crutch, sparking discussions on how we navigate our comfort zones. Embracing discomfort for spiritual growth, we share heartfelt anecdotes and biblical teachings that remind us of the importance of aligning our actions with our faith. Concluding with a sincere prayer for hope and healing, we invite you to connect with us, ensuring you never walk this path alone.
We have BIG plans at Foxhole Symphony and sure could use your financial support. Would you prayerfully consider a small monthly contribution to support us in our mission to catalyze transformation in the hearts of men? Support Our Mission
Imagine standing on the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, feeling the Mediterranean breeze, and tasting the rich flavors of homemade pasta with ragu. That's exactly where Steve takes us in this episode of the Foxhole Symphony Podcast, as he shares vivid stories from his recent trip to Italy. From the crystal-clear waters of Tropea to the invigorating cold plunges, we embark on a journey that emphasizes the joy of authentic experiences and the warmth of genuine male community.
At the heart of our discussion is the delicate balance between spiritual focus and the constant distractions of daily life. We recount personal struggles of maintaining a consistent connection with God amidst the chaos, often humorously sharing moments when distractions crept in even during prayer. Insights from Tim and John of the Bible Project lend depth to our conversation, stressing the importance of meditation and spiritual retreats. Through laughter and humility, we explore the significance of stillness and finding solace in spiritual truths, despite the unending pull of modern-day multitasking.
The journey doesn't stop there. We delve into the nuanced relationship between comfort and spiritual integrity, where we reflect on how self-awareness and accountability can guide us toward healthier forms of solace. Food, a recurring theme, serves as both a communal blessing and a potential crutch, sparking discussions on how we navigate our comfort zones. Embracing discomfort for spiritual growth, we share heartfelt anecdotes and biblical teachings that remind us of the importance of aligning our actions with our faith. Concluding with a sincere prayer for hope and healing, we invite you to connect with us, ensuring you never walk this path alone.
We have BIG plans at Foxhole Symphony and sure could use your financial support. Would you prayerfully consider a small monthly contribution to support us in our mission to catalyze transformation in the hearts of men? Support Our Mission
Welcome to Foxhole Symphony, a podcast about the transformational value of men in authentic community.
Speaker 2:
In our foxhole. Men are equipped to build relationships that foster belonging, accountability and growth.
Speaker 1:
Stop believing the lie that you can thrive in isolation and instead join us on the journey from broken to whole.
Speaker 3:
Hello everyone. They call me the maestro and we are back in the foxhole where we actively pursue belonging, accountability and growth through authentic relationships. No masks, no agendas, just iron sharpening iron. Steve and Mark are back in the foxhole and ready to get this party started. How about you? It's time to open our hearts and minds and see what God wants to share with us today. Settle in and fire up your favorite notes app, because here we go.
Speaker 1:
Hey, welcome back to the Foxhole Symphony Podcast. I am, mark, here with my co-host, my Goombara Chi, my Paisan, my good friend Steve Sargent. Hey, forget about it.
Speaker 2:
I mean listen, an introduction like that. The only thing you left out is my Nobel Prize, your Nobel, your Nobel, my Nobel Prize.
Speaker 1:
Nobel.
Speaker 3:
Prize right, it's N-O-B-L-E.
Speaker 1:
Hey, happy spring bro. Yeah, you too. Now I get to see you back from Italy. Just want to. Yes, I have to plant there just for a second. Oh yeah, I was going to buy you a Sal DiRiso t-shirt. Oh, sal, yeah, good old Sal, I know I hope we can have him on the podcast sometime. That would be cool.
Speaker 2:
Because you know why we do it in person.
Speaker 1:
He'll bring pastries. Sal bring some lemon bombs. No one has any idea what we're talking about.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so Sal de Rizzo's is a beautiful Italian pastry.
Speaker 1:
Basti Chidi.
Speaker 2:
In the town of Minori, just south of Amalfi, on the Amalfi Coast, right there on the water, and it's beautiful, and Mark and I have both visited Mark much more than I as I look at his waistline Wow, I'm just teasing, you, I got it. Listen, I'm only saying that because I found way too much comfort at Sal de Rizos and all throughout. You know our our travels in Italy. I sought comfort in all the wrong places and things.
Speaker 1:
I think those are some good comfort zones.
Speaker 2:
Come on. No, some of it is, some of it is like. So I'll give you a couple of examples. Okay, the the, you you know, cold plunge.
Speaker 2:
I mean, listen, it's spring, right, so the water along the amalfi coast is, uh, not warm, right, but the water is so beautiful and clear, I mean just crystal clear. In fact, uh, we went to tropea, which is, um, a collaborative calabrianrian beachfront town. Not a whole lot of tourists, although there's more and more tourists going there, but down in Calabria there's not that many but went there for an overnight and the town sits above the water. So you look down, right down at the beach I mean it's just cliff side right you look down and there's people swimming and you can literally see the ocean floor. I mean it is unbelievable how clear that that water was. And so I'm like, oh, we're going. I, you know, run, run down, get down to the the water and put my toe in and it's literally like the hair on the back of my neck just goes boing so cold. But once you're in, oh, man Body regulates.
Speaker 1:
Oh, it's so beautiful. If I'm swimming off the coast of Naples and Amalfi, it's the Turanian Sea. If I go a little further south, it's the Mediterranean Sea. Is Tropea Adriatic or is that Mediterranean?
Speaker 2:
as well. No, no, that's still the. Uh, yeah, that should still be the terranian. Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely and people don't know it.
Speaker 1:
I mean, there's a lot of beautiful things when you think of the amalfi coast. In those places, it's all the pictures you get from the water to the land, because everything's beautiful colors. Right, it's built into the cliff sides and it is, but the, the water is amazing.
Speaker 2:
Oh, and the colors. I mean the green, you know, there's a grotto right, there's a grotto for every color the green grotto, the blue grotto, the whatever pink grotto. You know that, just it's, it's amazing. So, and of course, the food right. So you know, um, it's just a great segue to to talk about where we?
Speaker 1:
where did the term comfort food, by the way? We are going to talk about seeking comfort today.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
Comfort food.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Where did that? Isn't it all comfortable?
Speaker 2:
I don't know, but the picture that just came to mind was meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
Speaker 1:
Okay, I'm thinking Maria's beef stew.
Speaker 2:
Okay, nice chunk of.
Speaker 1:
Italian bread crusted on the outside, soft on the inside. Yeah, of Italian bread crusted on the outside, soft on the inside. Yeah, a little little nice butter, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Oh, do you hear an angel singing? So I mean, honestly, meatloaf though, yeah, but the probably the best meal that I had best meal that I had. So we're with Christina's family down in Calabria and Reggio and with her cousins and they we get down there the first day. And what do you want to eat tomorrow?
Speaker 1:
You know what's your favorite and you think yes.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, anything right, fresh homemade pasta. I said let's make homemade pasta and with a nice ragu. Did you make pappardelle? So tagliatelle, oh, and a ragu that I mean just the pork and the beef and just on the bone. Here's the sauce, here's the ragu, like just melts.
Speaker 3:
Melts, and it's simple.
Speaker 2:
You don't need to chew, simple Right, oh gosh, but the, I mean just.
Speaker 1:
Simple, right, oh gosh, but the I mean just we were talking and walking the other day. You know the four. The Italians can do something with four ingredients, absolutely, and just make magic. Yeah, I'm sure they could do it other places in the world. Yeah, you and I happen to enjoy what they have figured out to do in one of the most beautiful places in the planet. Yeah, even though we live in a beautiful place in the planet, absolutely, I'm comfortable here. Yeah, I do seek comfort in the garden. I do it's, yeah, it's, it's not a bad thing to do it's just appreciate creation and watch things grow yeah, so we'll talk.
Speaker 2:
Let's talk about that a little bit so so you're, yeah, so you're in the garden. You seek comfort there. What you know, it's not necessarily a bad place to seek comfort you know, and um, what is it? What is it that you're seeking and what is it that you find?
Speaker 1:
Oh boy, um, I've learned the value you and I have talked about so often, about the pace of the world, the noise of the world, the quieting right. So comfort to me means less stress in my head. It's an equation, right? If I can get comfortable I'll have less stress. I don't know that that's true or not. I'm sure if anybody has a psychology degree they're going wrong, mark you know. But it's okay for me.
Speaker 1:
We do a lot of outdoor activity around the house in terms of landscaping, but the garden has a gate and you got to pass through the portal. You got to open, slide the thing over. And I'm telling you, it's cathartic sometimes Because when I go in it closes behind me and I'm in. It's a big enough garden where you I'm not saying you can get lost, but you can find a corner, sit down, do a little weeding, tend to the plants, or you're sowing seeds or doing what I'm doing, but I'm seeking aloneness. There are times I go in there. I'll have the Bible project in one ear fob so I can hear the world, the birds in my other ear, in my other ear, but every now and then it's just quiet.
Speaker 2:
It's it's just me, marie is not, even she's not around sometimes. What are you going to say? It's beautiful because you're, you know. You said you're seeking comfort, but what I hear is you're seeking solitude, right, seeking peace, right, quiet from the noise right and you're connecting with your creator, you know, and his creation at the most foundational level, with your hands in the soil, right, and that that's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2:
I, when you talked about going through the gate, it made me smile. I was remembering, you know, years ago we had a a little little place at the beach down in delaware, the delaware beaches, where you know we would go, and it was a weekend trip, right, and it's a four-hour drive, three-and-a-half four-hour drive. We couldn't make it in three ever, even though that's what it was supposed to be, and my kids would make fun of me, because there was one bridge that we got down. It was about three hours in. I knew we had an hour left and the kids knew there was about an hour left when they heard the big sigh from dad and it was like at the top of the bridge and something would just happen.
Speaker 2:
It was the portal, it was exactly and that was the spot. It was the spot that my entire being, the piano strings unwind. Everything just went and you know, my kids, my kids, made fun of me, but it was like it was that moment. Everybody knew, okay, dad's a better human and we're about an hour away and this is going to be good, right, and that and that was. That was the portal's funny.
Speaker 1:
That was the gate Same. And, by the way, bridge story. You know we've been driving up to Maine for 32 years. Neither one of my younger sons are even that old but there's a bridge upon entrance into Maine called the Chautauqua Bridge. It's a old green iron bridge and for some reason when the boys were very little I mean car seat little we'd open all the car windows and everybody would stick their hands out the window Like welcome to me, I love it Right.
Speaker 1:
And to this day, every time, even if I forget I'm driving a tire, it's nine hour, drive Right. And you drive through the night, yeah, the night.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, not anymore, I can't do it, but you'll hear the window.
Speaker 1:
The window goes down.
Speaker 3:
Jack's got his arm, grant's got his arm out the window.
Speaker 2:
And the sunroof.
Speaker 1:
We'd open the sunroof and put our hands out. But, it's a passage, it's crossing over something to comfort and again, not sure how it all fits, but there's a power in stillness. Right, there is yeah, and there always wasn't yeah.
Speaker 2:
Well, you know, yeah, somebody might say boy, you're getting old. You know the Bible verse this morning we were just talking about it. You know, in the Bible app this morning, psalm 4610, be still and know that I am God. And you know, you reminded me about that, those words be still and the original meaning right the writer, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:
The pastor who spoke about the verse said. The original translation of the words that we have as be still is stop striving.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and we've talked about that a couple of times, even recently. And then, michael Cusick, you know, ceaseless striving and April of 2022. How about that? Yeah, yeah, and two years ago, man does. It still resonates, and I think that's what you're talking about. You know, you, you go through that gate of the garden, you drive over that bridge and there's no. The obligations go away, the requirements, the needs of others, the you know, all of these things that we're striving for on a day-to-day basis, kind of just take a back seat, basis, kind of just take a back seat and we give ourselves permission to slow down, to quiet our hearts, quiet our minds, quiet our bodies, quiet our spirits and find and embrace solitude and peace in the stillness and the joy of retreat from the striving Right. And in that space, god refills us, refreshes us, washes over us and gives us newness.
Speaker 1:
Right, right, new spirit, new energy.
Speaker 2:
And finding new focus.
Speaker 2:
And finding new focus, you know where God, in that moment I believe in those moments says you know, set your eyes on me, refocus right, reorient your view, reorient yourselves to me and the life that I have for you and my creation, and the joy and the.
Speaker 2:
You know everything that we find in him. And when everything else washes away and it starts with our thoughts, starts with our thoughts, because our thoughts stop racing about everything that we need to do, about everything that we need to be for whoever Right do, about everything that we need to be for whoever right, All of these things kind of go away in the stillness of our mind and we find this new focus and it's where he wants us to be, it's where he wants us to live on a daily basis. And so you know, I'm reminded that you know, when we come away from those things, when I come back from Italy, when I come back over the bridge from Delaware, when you come back over the bridge from Maine and through the gate from the garden, you know back into living it's a reminder that he equips us for what we need to be that person and to live that life amidst the noise and amidst the chaos and amidst the, and it is so hard it is so hard.
Speaker 1:
Oh bro, I've got a knot in my stomach. I have such tension about what you're talking about. I mean incredible tension.
Speaker 2:
And, little by little, there is freedom, there is freedom available to us there. He wants to unwind that knot, he wants to take that knot, he wants to, you know, loose it, yeah, loose the chains, you know, and because it is, it's bondage a bit, you know wherever that knot resides, whenever it is, we feel that knot and we should take note of that, whether it's relationally, whether it's, you know, intrapersonally, interpersonally, you know, interorganizationally, you know, is it, is it at work, is it with others? Is it within us? Is it, you know, when does that not show up? And it's a pretty good indication of what it is that God is looking for us to surrender to him and again.
Speaker 2:
that's a lifelong transformational journey.
Speaker 1:
Well, that's just it. I'm just imagining, as I often do and I've told you about it God talking to me. I see my father and I'll get distracted. I'll be doing something good, quote unquote either praying, meditating, something like that, and talking to God, and I, I squirrel right, I'm off, I'm getting something on the list done and I can just see my Abba, father, going. All right, I'll be back tomorrow.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
I got a plan for you. Go ahead, go ahead, go finish that. I'll be here when you come back. Yeah, and that's what my day, my day, is like. I can see Tim and John from the Bible Project talking over and over for years in my head about meditating right, sticking with it Stay. If you feel something's from God, stay there.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
And it's so not my nature. Yeah, stay there. If I get it, I want to tell five people, first of all, hey, epiphany, I want to share it, share that joy, share that love. Could be a song, could be a verse, could be something. But you know, as far as stopping and journaling and meditating on it, they just constantly talk about hey, we're thinking about doing something on the Sermon on the Mount and we're going to meditate on that for a while and we'll get back to you and that's what they're saying in their podcast.
Speaker 1:
A year later year, they're like hey, you know, we did, we sat down, we thought about this, we got quiet, we were still. We've been processing this over the last year or so. We're ready to come out with our and I'm thinking, and there's my tension. Yeah, I'm not joking bro. I was praying the other day about my distractedness, my ability to pivot and to do the squirrel and just multitask my way through a day and pat myself on the back and I just asked God. I said could you, could you take some of that away from me? Could you let me just, can I just be with you? And I'm looking you in the eye and telling you I got distracted. Praying about being distracted.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I get it.
Speaker 1:
I literally went off into I don't even know where I went and I laughed at myself out loud in the yard going you are just hopeless.
Speaker 2:
And listen. God's laughing with you. I'm convinced, I'm convinced, I'm convinced.
Speaker 1:
Praying about not wanting to be distracted and did a left turn.
Speaker 2:
What was I just praying about? So reminds me of a cartoon. Type A person and a type B person are walking down the street together and the type A person's walking real fast, going come on, come on, come on. You got to keep up. And the type B person's saying you got to slow down, just slow down, why do I have to slow down? Type B person says you got to slow down, just slow down, why do I have to slow down? Type b person says you got to stop and just smell the flowers. And then there's a. There's a picture of the, the type a person shoving flowers in his nose. And the next, next picture, the last picture, is the type a person with a box of flowers on his head like a crown, and it says flower smelling champion. That's my pee person just shaking their head.
Speaker 2:
You still don't get it no.
Speaker 1:
So comfort? I'm into distraction and meditation, but where we seek comfort, yeah, and listen, these are positive things.
Speaker 2:
I are. This is comfort that I believe God's calling us into. You know the, the, the, the, the, the, the retreat. You know the, the gardens, the. You know the stillness. Right, you know there's, there's, that is the, the comfort that God provides. Then there's the other side, there's the other end of the spectrum, then there's the other side, there's the other end of the spectrum, and that is you know we're not running to the garden, or you know over the bridge, or looking for stillness. You know we're no can put up in all the wrong bases.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, thank you, buckwheat right seeking comfort in the wrong spots millennials just went what? Yeah, all right little rascals not even allowed to watch that is that right, alfalfa, what isn't?
Speaker 2:
that grass, oh my goodness. But you know, hey, listen, thankfully, um, I believe you and I are running to those places for comfort. A heck of a lot. Less and less and less and less and less and less and less over the years, right?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, because my awareness is up. My awareness of where I seek comfort that I shouldn't be is higher, so I do it less. Yeah, and I have accountability partners. Yeah, and I want to be faithful in everything to my wife and family and you. And I want to be faithful in everything to my wife and family, and and you. And so that those are all my reasons to not, but I still do it, sure.
Speaker 2:
You know, but less, yeah, yeah, yes, and that is, you know, of course, our human sinful nature, and so, um, countless places that we can go, you know, seek comfort, and it's probably the first thing that comes to mind. Right, it's not, it's not. You know, the first thing that comes to mind for me is not typically not, I got to just get in the word, I got to just go pray, I got to just, you know. You know, no, that's not the first thought, no, you know, that's the, that's the second, third or maybe 12th, you know thought I'll get to that tomorrow.
Speaker 1:
Well, let's circle all the way back to Sal and go to food.
Speaker 1:
Oh bless you. Comfort in food to some people is bad. We often slow down. We eat a family meal. We have a dinner at 6.30, between 6.30 and 7 in our house every night and we slow down. It may only be 20 minutes, but food is the catalyst for us to gather, which is biblical right, to talk in community of my family biblical, and enjoy, sit there for just a couple minutes before I jump up and jump to whatever the next thing to do is that night. But food is one of those places that you can go to see comfort and I think that resonates with a lot of people. We all do that our own way.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, absolutely, and some go to Italy.
Speaker 2:
There's a community, you know a community aspect around food that's very good, very healthy. I mean, like you said, all of the you know, listen, anything that we run to to see comfort has been provided by God to be a blessing that we have turned into a curse, right, I mean at the end of the day period, right, sex, sex, you know, food, alcohol, whatever I mean, whatever it is right, it's blessing and a curse, right.
Speaker 2:
And you know what god, you know, created for good, you know has been, unfortunately, you know, used for for evil in many respects, and so, um, you know, used for for evil in many respects. And so, um, you know we, we taint these. You know um these good, good, honorable, you know, gifts from God, um and and and Um and and, you know, they become, um, can become sinful crutches that we turn to for comfort rather than, um, you know, um, enjoying them in the way that God intended.
Speaker 1:
Makes me think of uh Matthew 6, 19 to 21, treasures in heaven. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys these. Do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is there, your heart will be also, and that's the verse that just popped into my head about those things that I seek. I've got my hands cupped together. Fill me up, lord, but I am and we are.
Speaker 1:
The Vespers are so blessed in so many ways, yet I still see comfort in the wrong places too often. I mean once is too often, but I know that God knows I'm bent but not broken, and I'm sinful, but I still go there and I'm joyfully turning away from those things more and more. Just to your earlier point. I mean, if I'm going to lead, if I'm going to be a sage, you know, if I'm going to live out my purpose that I feel God has called me to, I feel compelled to set a good example, starting with my heart. What am I thinking about? Not just what I'm doing, but what's in my head.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and what's in our head about comfort is really, you know, a a an interesting and critical topic, right, because just the idea of seeking comfort and needing, needing that, wanting that you know, is dangerous, right it it it comes from it comes from this place of avoiding discomfort, right, I mean, think of it in terms of that. How often do we seek discomfort? But that is the life that we are called into.
Speaker 1:
It is. It is. How is your pain threshold? How would you describe your pain threshold?
Speaker 2:
Oh God, it is so low, so low. What's the lowest One is the lowest one, is the lowest zero. Am I negative? No, dude, low. I do not do well with pain.
Speaker 1:
Okay, all right, nope, well, think about it. That's just a. We talk about that. It's a measurement people use. Well, think about it. That's just a. We talk about that. It's a measurement people use. Well, what's the? He has a high pain threshold. I think about football players and what they put themselves through and how high their pain threshold is, and, shocking, my pain threshold for splinters and like things caught between my teeth is zero.
Speaker 1:
Little things annoy me crazy. Like I've got to get the splinter out. I got to get the floss right away. Now it just it will distract me to the point where I'm. I can't function. But my pain threshold for heavy yard work, digging holes, lifting heavy rocks and this and that planting trees just the heaviness things that could be painful.
Speaker 2:
Because it's productive.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, banging into stuff doesn't bother me so much. So that's where I'm coming from. Yet when I think about seeking comfort, I've learned this about myself this year Each spring I learn my pain threshold and what comfort I need and what level Comfort can be a warm bath and to a leave after a three or four hour planting event where my back has just said you can't do that anymore and I'm waiting till you get old, you'll see. But it's, it's interesting how I could do a day, and I think, back 20 years. This weekend we are, you know, cutting down trees now three or four hours and it says, okay, god's sending a message is like, okay, you can do that for this long now and then you need to chill, you know rest.
Speaker 1:
So he, he actually is building me and, I think, many people to exert yourself on whatever it is you're doing and then, rest yeah and that exert rest cycle is very interesting to watch now, yeah, for me I will say I've become much more open to um embracing discomfort.
Speaker 2:
So I mean, aside from pain, but just like you know, uncomfortable, being uncomfortable, being in a place of, you know uncertainty, you know just the, the, the pains of, you know circumstantial life events and, and you know I look back over my life and there's been a number of those. But I can easily see how, you know, I'm so drawn to God's presence being so palpable in those times because of my desperation seeking him Right. And so I, I I desire to seek him in the comfort you know. I desire to seek him at this with the same intensity, seeking comfort as I have in the, in the times of discomfort.
Speaker 1:
Sure.
Speaker 2:
No, I get it. And because he, you know he's in both Um, but it's, it's in in. In our, the times of comfort, I mean, think about it. When things are going well, life is good, Things are, you know, we're just humming along. I don't know about you, but I'm. But oftentimes my flesh is a lot less aware of God's presence, my need to be connecting with my Father, Right?
Speaker 1:
Because your little engine is.
Speaker 2:
It's a lot less evident, but it's in the times of discomfort and disaster, and it's like when we're brought to our knees.
Speaker 1:
Well, that's the average. Look the life metaphor. There is our prayer life. Sure, out of 10 prayers, how many aren't? Please help me. I'm uncomfortable with blank yeah and I fill in the blank. Help me, I'm uncomfortable with blank yeah and I fill in the blank. Oh, as opposed to where I mean. I do this more now, but it's a learned process to go to God with joys and grateful heart and thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you each day.
Speaker 3:
As opposed to help me, help me, help me, help me.
Speaker 1:
You know I've had a great life example exactly what you're talking about the dichotomy of being uncomfortable and knowing at the same time God's in it and many men will hear this and relate a marked men P1 weekend. There's no other time right now in my life since I've stopped with my boys in scouts 15 years ago where I get four to five hours sleep two nights in a row in a bed that's not mine, in a moldy room occasionally you know where, where it's just it couldn't be more uncomfortable. I hate it.
Speaker 2:
yet you won't, you won't miss it.
Speaker 1:
No, not for a million. And when I'm in it I love the environment, I love being with my brothers serving, I love watching what the Holy Spirit might do to some of the missioners there. But I got to tell you, come three in the afternoon on Saturday. I'm so tired yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Tired. I couldn't be more uncomfortable.
Speaker 3:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
And I just want to retreat to my comfort zone. But you stay in it, you get energized, a song comes on or somebody says something, and then or you're leading and, right, god is just reminding me hey, mark, it's okay. This too will end and if I think about for some reason this has been on my heart lately about my last breath, I came out of the last phase. One experience, and one of the things I wrote down in my notes for myself, is to start measuring the words I use with Maria and my boys and watching the edges of how I communicate, for fear that they might be the last words they ever hear from me. I know that's a whole different episode, right, but that's what I came out of. The uncomfortable situation of the P1 is just listening to softness, listening to the chances we have there to be, still to find comfort in him, in his word, in the practice, in the doing right, where it's not frenetic doing, checking the list. You are just pouring. You know. We are pouring out our hearts, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. So, you know, I think, for me I mean to summarize the whole thing it's, you know, we, we, we kind of opened with this idea of seeking comfort and we talked about, you know, seeking the seeking discomfort.
Speaker 1:
Uh, in in that, in that way, in that example, you just, you just signed up and paid for that, by the way, exactly.
Speaker 2:
And yet I don't think it's about seeking either one right. It's about seeking him in all things, in all circumstances, seeking him in the comfort and if we do, we find ourselves in the gardens, on the coasts, you know, in these, these, these beautiful places of solitude and peace, as opposed to seeking, truly seeking comfort. If we're seeking him in in our comfort, it's a, it's a holy place, right, it's a sacred space. And you know, listen, we're always going to be challenged to seek discomfort. But if we're seeking him in our discomfort, again that becomes a holy, sacred space. So, at the end of the day, it's just about seeking him.
Speaker 1:
I get it and shout out to our old friend, charles Stanley, who I mentioned to you this morning. I didn't know that he passed away last year at 90 years old, but he reminded me of exactly what you're talking about. It's really about my focus, right when my focus isn't on being uncomfortable or comfortable, it isn't on my life's challenges. It shouldn't be on my life's challenges. It should be focus on the Lord in whatever I'm doing. Yeah, it's exact, and he's exactly in agreement with what you just said. Um, that is a challenging thing for me to do, but I want to acknowledge my Lord and savior and say I'm in it. I'm, I want to be focused on you, lord. Yeah, I, I it. I want to be focused on you, lord. I feel that that desire is strong in me and I've surrounded myself with brothers who want the same thing. I believe and we are. You know, our victorious together group is marching together, focused on him, seeking him, being in his word and doing what we can do.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and people are saying how do I do that? And you know what it starts up here in our thoughts. It starts with our thoughts that become our actions, that become our habits, that become our character, that become our destiny and our legacy.
Speaker 1:
Right and what people see in us.
Speaker 2:
It starts with our thoughts right. So take every thought captive.
Speaker 1:
Amen. We'll pray about that for everybody who's listening. We thank you for spending time with us this morning about seeking comfort, the power of stillness. I'm reminded to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger, because that helps me. If I put that in my head, I can slow down just long enough to not let a squirrel distract me from what God's plan is for my life. I can't wait, I really truly cannot wait, to meet him and say was I on by the end? Was I on track? Was I headed where I was supposed to be? That'll be a good day. Amen. Peace my brother. Peace, peace my brother.
Speaker 3:
Peace, seeking comfort that God calls us to, versus seeking comfort in all the wrong places. I think about the importance of being able to pause and think about what my comfort choices are going to be. Am I seeking comfort that's aligned with my mission, my goals, putting my best foot forward, or am I seeking to feel pleasure at any cost, just serving myself without any other considerations? What about you? Are you allowing yourself to rest and enjoy comfort? Are you staying on mission during those times? Lord, please continue to use this podcast to impact the lives of all who listen. I ask that you would bring hope and healing to each and every one of them. Meet them right where they are and reveal yourself to them like only you can do.
Speaker 2:
In Jesus' name amen, help us get found by others who could benefit. Find, follow and like us on your go-to social media networks by searching Foxhole Symphony or visit foxholesymphonycom to make it super easy to find us. Drop us a line with feedback, questions, topic requests. Who knows, maybe you'll be a guest on a future episode. In the meantime, prepare to move, embrace discomfort and just be you.
