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
Thanks to
PresbyCan Daily Devotional
