ZPCBlog

About the author: Darin is married to Gretchen and they are approaching 25 years of marriage. They have been members of ZPC since moving to Zionsville in 2011, and they are the proud parents of ZCHS/MS students Luke (senior), Kyla (sophomore), and Teagan (6th grade). Darin is a non-sitting Elder who volunteers mainly within discipleship opportunities. Darin & Gretchen have been ZPC home group leaders for several years. Incidentally, the name Stalbaum, means “strong tree” in German.

I used to occasionally pause in the midst of my good, but hectic life and think something like, "man, wouldn’t it be great if God changed the rhythm of the world? Made us slow down. Made us set aside activities, stay at home for a while, and do family dinners together again?" "If that happened," my thoughts continue, "I would spend more time with my loved ones; we would do family devotions and pray together. I would exercise more. I would serve others more, and most importantly, I would spend more time with God."

How is it, then, after 8 months of varying levels of quarantine; no travel (HUGE change for me personally); and working from home while our kids mostly schooled from home, I felt farther from the daily disciplines I desire rather than closer to them? With that background, enter the onset of this Advent season and a 40-day challenge to spend time with God and specifically “to meditate on his law day and night” per Psalm 1:2b. This challenge personally met me at a "I’m ready for this, and I need this" time. 

I am not a morning person, but experience has taught me that if I do not set aside time for God first thing, it rarely happens. Week one was Psalm 1. I read the verse multiple times, wrote it down in my journal. STOP RIGHT HERE, journal? Yes, be impressed for a moment, but please realize, in full transparency, there are MANY failed attempts, and many more non-attempts to journal in my nearly 30 years of following Jesus, even though it is often suggested and seems like something that would be beneficial. I’d all but given up on journaling, yet this time I felt called to give it another shot. 

The past few years I have been on-again, and off-again at reading through scripture, by myself and with small groups, while highlighting passages and taking notes within a paper Bible. That broad view of his law has been incredible, but I have started to recognize that the roots are not deep from this approach. There is not a lot of meditation going on there. This time, I went in energized to slow down and meditate on the same few verses over multiple days and dig deeper. 

It took a couple of days of meditating on the same Psalm 1 verses for God to really strike me with deeper meaning and application to my life. I was challenged by the "meditate day and night" charge in Psalm 1, ”wait a minute…the deal was ONE 15 minute time slot,” but I found that those meditative minutes captured and revisited my mind throughout the day. It was later, on an outdoor walk, when Psalm 1 remained in my thoughts that God said, “Darin, you are the tree. Trees go unnoticed in a forest, but when you stop and study one, they are unique and impressive. Sturdy creatures, created by me, that are full of life that weather harsh storms and long winters. Set your anxiety and your busyness aside. Set your concerns about whether or not you are doing enough aside, and realize in me you are a Psalm 1 tree, planted by my stream of water. You will bear fruit in season (something I desperately want!), and you will NOT wither.”  WHOA!  He also reminded me I am not an impressive tree because of my abilities or who I am, but BECAUSE OF HIM…his living water. Truth, folks. Perspective altering and correcting truth, which came about through grappling with and revisiting these words for a few days before that walk. One read through would not have gotten me there.

Wouldn’t you know it that unbelievably stressful circumstances came my way later that SAME day. I literally got up out of my work chair and freaked out for a moment, but then “you are the tree” came to mind and I was able to smile, relax, and realize this too shall pass.

It is midDecember, and the trees are mostly barren now, prepared for winter. Isaiah 35 starts with images of bursting blooms, the same expectation we have for the coming spring which serves as an annual reminder of God’s faithfulness and the life he gives. The theme of Isaiah 35 is joy, and I eagerly look forward to what will be revealed as I continue to meditate on these verses. I wish the same revelation from his law for you.

Wishing you peace, his perspective, and emerging joy as Christmas approaches, even this 2020 Christmas.  

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