I Wonder--April 24

In the rush for productivity, we often rush too quickly. . . We rush to be effective and be thorough. But in doing so, we might just miss the opportunity to Be the Church that Jesus asks us to be. 

I wonder when was the last time you interrupted your well-laid, well-thought out, plans to reach out to someone and share good news with them? When did you last put aside productivity and to choose to dwell with the other person?

On each Wednesday at noon I have a zoom meeting with a group of ministers. We meet for 1 hour to discuss the sermon text for Sunday and talk about general worship plans that we are making. During that meeting my iPhone rang on the table next to me. I saw the call and I read the transcript of the voicemail sit came in. The transcript told me that there was good news waiting for me--but it never said what the good news was. It was up to me to call back. 

The meeting ended at 12:50pm and I got back to work while forgetting the voicemail which I imagine is a temptation that you might fall into. After all there are things to do, and tasks to work on. Yet something in the back of my mind kept reminding me "check the voicemail. Make the call."

It was only when I did that I heard the good news--and it was well worth it! 

I felt my heart swell and my spirit lift during that call. The entirety of the call was less than 2 minutes. But I had a choice to make. I did not have to call back. I could have waited; I was busy. 

Perhaps you have the same choice running through your mind today as you read this post. 

But I encourage you to resist that temptation. You are not too busy to interrupt your day and let God break in and change you, and by extension change the other person. Make the call. Listen to message. Be the Church. 

I Wonder--April 15

As I was reading today I came across the following entry that made me stop and think. 

Yes, today is Tax Day. And yes, I do not enjoy today either. It is a day that I too complain about. But perhaps these words that I share with you below might give you a reason today to pause. They might give you a chance to think differently as you seek to live out your faith as a member of the Body of Christ. 

While thinking about Tax Day, Ryan Holiday wrote:  

"Everything we do has a toll [or price] attached to it. . . Rumors and gossip are the taxes that come from acquiring a public persona. Disagreements and occasional frustration are taxes placed on even the happiest of relationships. Theft is attack on [the] abundance and having things that other people want. Stress and problems are tariffs that attached to success. And on and on and on [this goes]. . ."

There are many things we can complain about in life and many things that we cannot escape. Instead of just complaining or bemoaning them, as we are tempted to do. Perhaps today, we have the chance to notice where our energy rests, where our attention lies. 

And as we notice this could we focus our attention away from poor choices and back toward living and acting as God intends for us? Maybe the price that we need to pay is one of following the cost of discipleship?