I may be retired, but sometimes, I fear that I will lose myself in the midst of
it all and drown in a sea of "gotta do's".
I'm not alone. It seems as if everyone that I talk to is like that, at whatever
stage of life they are. Perhaps it is a tactic of the enemy to keep us from
doing the important things. So, I'm having a dinner party for my neighbours
tomorrow. In the middle of winter, we don't see each other much. I look forward
to the singles and couples who will be here. It's not a big group — small enough
to chat and catch up, to sense where they are at in their lives. One couple who
moved to the neighbourhood this past summer are young, very busy "marrieds", no
kids. They are so busy that I'm not even sure of his name, although I heard it
in passing. So I look forward to building some community.
Connecting with people is so important in our world, be they brothers and
sisters in Christ or not. It is an opportunity to reach out and draw out some of
the people who are so busy that they haven't time to think or breathe. We never
know where it will take us. I think of Jesus in the marketplace, talking to
ordinary people. He always had time for them:
Luke 10:38 – Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman
named Martha received him into her house. (RSV)
Luke 11:37 – While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he
went in and sat at table. (RSV)
Luke 14:1 – One sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who
belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him. (RSV)
John 4:6-7 – Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his
journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a
woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (RSV)
I pray that He might start something among us in our time. It is worth the risk.
Thought: Am I so busy with "stuff" that I am missing something?
Prayer: Lord, the world is such a busy place. Help us to be busy about Your
business. Amen.
Nan St. Louis Durham, Ontario, Canada
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