Wonderings--March 30

Finishing my morning devotional reading from Matthew, I slid my Bible across the desk and read a chapter from a book I working through. This book is an easy read and I come back to it often. The book contains a number of essays and stories from a doctor who spent her career caring for all types of people. 

At the end of the first story was the following sentence: "Our expectations may actually blind us." 

Stop and think about that for a moment. . . As I sat at my desk, I nodded slightly as I thought about her words. Let me share some of my morning with you: 

Today at 3pm I will meet with my knee surgeon. This appointment is the 6-week checkup that I have been looking forward to. All of my work, my struggle, my exercises and therapy built to this appointment (and I am not being melodramatic). So knowing this, I decided to press a little bit. . . 

Having placed my backpack and coffee down in my office I took a deep breath and left the office. I walked past the church and down the driveway toward the cemetery. Slowly I took each step and watched to insure that I was properly bending and flexing my new knee. Reaching the street I turned around and walked slowly back to the church. 

I looked down at my Apple Watch to note my per-mile rate and sat down. . . I was slow. Very slow. Before surgery my mile pace was close to 17 minutes. I hobbled and walked to the best of my ability. Now after surgery my pace is much slower: 24 minutes. 

Sitting down I shrugged. While I expected to walk further, and wanted to walk further, that extra little bit was enough. 

We always expect to do as Christians. We expect better stewardship, better evangelism, better . . . better. But I wonder if what you do, and how you serve, and how you encounter God, could that be enough??? 

I am sitting here having walked a slight bit more than normal, at a slower pace, and yet I feel God. I am proud and happy. God only expects us to do what we can. . . He will do the rest. 

Blessings

Rev. Derek