Doing Nothing, Part II

Let's see (she said as she pondered "doing nothing"), I think I'll finish my blog from yesterday...

One of my little peeves is the phrase “I’m busy.” The phrase itself doesn’t bother me, because, let’s face it, we are all busy. What bothers me is the instances of when it is given as an excuse for not doing something you know you should be doing. I’ve done it. You’ve done it. We’ve all used the “busy” card to not just explain, but to excuse ourselves out of doing something important or from doing something you know you shouldn’t avoid.

If something is really important, you usually find a way to do it. People don’t normally say things like “I was too busy to go to work”, “I was too busy to pick up my lottery winnings” or “I was too busy to watch the Rockets from my courtside seats.” However, I have heard comments like “I was too busy to visit my neighbor who’s been sick” (after you just heard about the shopping trip that occurred that same afternoon) or “I was too busy to go to church” (when you know they were really at an Astros game) or “I was too busy to help with the youth meeting (and they’ve shared that “their program” is on TV that night).

What does it really mean to do nothing? What does it mean to do nothing for others? What does it mean to focus on doing things that benefit yourself first and foremost?

I’m not talking about the “nothing” that we call “rest” or “recuperation.” I’m talking not talking about the “busy” that encompasses working hard to support one’s family or the act of giving your time in helping those who are less fortunate. And, I’m not here with the answer to those questions. I just submit to you the reality of how we humans, we busy, busy humans, too often surround ourselves with “busy work” that does absolutely “nothing” for the benefit of others or even, in many cases, for our own well being. We fall into the chasm of self-centeredness that allows our “busy-ness” to keep us from being the people that God created us to be.

We were created by God, the One who loves each of us unconditionally. We were created to reflect God’s love… to reflect it back to God and out to others around us. When “Busy” begins to crouch near my attitude and thoughts, I know that I have to keep “Busy” away from my vocabulary and refocus on stepping past the temptation to do nothing. But you know, “Nothing” is so boring, and “Busy” is exhausting, but the adventure of following Christ (and learning to love like he loves) is something not to be missed.

Doing Nothing, Part I

Let’s see (she said late this morning as she sat up in bed to stretch), I think I’ll write for my blog today. Yea, that’d be a great idea, except…

… I just got back from traveling and I’m dog tired, and this pillow is comfortable

… I’m kinda busy washing clothes, well, at least thinking about it

… I need to call my daughter to check on plans for Sunday, but my phone charger is across the room

… I need to pray about what I sho… Oh look! Over there! Something shiny!

… I need to get up and have a bite to eat, but the kitchen is so far away

… I’d type but my fingers are too cold and need a manicure

… I’d make myself a note about finding a quote to use but my pen is the wrong shade of blue

~ ~ ~

“To do nothing is in every man’s power.”
-Samuel Johnson (18^th century writer)

~ ~ ~

… I’d write something, but I’m highly offended that Samuel didn’t say “person’s” or “gender-non-specific humanoid’s” instead of “man’s”

… I’d write something, but I’m too tired from being sarcastic, and this pillow is so very, very soft and fluffy and comfortable and …ZZZzzzzz

(shhhh… don’t wake the sleeping non-blogger… perhaps part II will be printed above this tomorrow…)

Grumbles and Hope, part II

After having read part I (see below) one might get the picture of Pollyanna happily skipping through life and oblivious to the crumbling society on either side of her hopskotched décored sidewalk. I recently was amused by the post I read on a forum where Pollyanna and hope were discussed. I admit that I am a hopeful person, but that doesn’t mean that I blindly move along, ignorant of the reality of the world. When one has hope, does it mean that you must keep your head in the sand, or hope for unrealistic things? Does God intend for us to be mindless robots who trudge along with painted on smiles and singing the party line in a joyless monotone?

The Living God that I know would be bored out of His perfect mind with robotical responses to all that He is doing. Yes, He wants us to act in faith and trust in the hope that He offers, but He gave us minds and talents. He gave us the ability to reason and create. He gives us the freedom to experience His love and trust His plan to care for us. Because I trust in His love for me and all creation, I have a constant hope that, however it happens, everything is gonna workout… somehow… don’t know how… but it will.

Does that mean that I think God will wave His magical wand and make all MY plans happen the way I want them too? Do I have hope that the evil forces of the world will suddenly wake up tomorrow and decide to do good and caring deeds? My realistic side says, “Of course not” but there is that part of me that has a continual hope that they will choose to do so. I have no real expectation that the drug dealer down the corner will have a sudden epiphany tomorrow, discover that Christ loves him/her, and become a generous and loving person. That is hard to imagine. But I do have hope that new life and joy is possible for that person, because I know Christ is ever present around that person, loving that person, and waiting for that person to recognize his/her need for a better way of life through Christ. I do know that we all have struggles, but Hope is that thing that helps me put one foot in front of another. In Romans, we read:

"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

"There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" (Romans 5:1-5, The Message)

The NIV puts it this way, that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Sometime we suffer ourselves, or suffer along with someone else’s circumstances. We learn to persevere through doubt, through roadblocks. We grow in character, not mechanically compliant but ecstatically energetic and creative. And out of all this, we gain a perspective on being hopeful and trusting that God will guide us and keep us moving forward on this adventure we call life. So enjoy this day and the next by trusting in the hope that God offers and the invitation He gives you to walk along beside Him.

“I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope” (Acts 2:25-26 NIV)

Grumbles and Hope, part I

It was Sunday. I was driving from Houston to Dallas for a two week stay. I was happily driving up I-45, moving easily through the light traffic, listening to great tunes, cool and comfortable and ready for the adventure ahead of me. Only one hour into the trip, traffic came to a standstill. Thirty minutes later, I had to stop for gas. Ten minutes after that, my air conditioner quit and the windows opened to the hot Texas wind. Thirty minutes after that I had to roll up my windows because of the thunderstorm that hit…

I know how to grumble. My family can tell you that I have been the self appointed Community Thermometer (“It’s too hot”), Activities Director (“This game is lame. Let’s do something else”), and the Future Forecaster (“I don’t want to go to the concert. It’s gonna be boring”). But thankfully, I’ve experienced (and am still experiencing) the journey of maturing in my faith and my attitude, and have left behind at least a few of my undesirable habits of yore. It’s not that all of a sudden I have the proper consumer label on my forehead (“New and improved. Now with 75% less grumbling”), but I have something that fills me so full, that I find fewer moments to spend on purely surely griping. I have Hope.

I tell you this because, well, I know me. I know the difference between being wrapped up in the straightjacket of complaints and the freedom of having no worries. I may have concerns about things, things that deserve one’s full attention, things that require time, discussion, debate, and the voices of a community, but worry? With Hope becoming my constant companion over the years, throat-tightening Worry just doesn’t have the authority that I used to give it.

David (of David and Goliath fame) wrote Psalm 25 and speaks about his take on having hope.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Ps 25:1-2a,3a,4-5 NIV)

If God is in control and I live my life trusting in the hope that he offers, then I just don’t have to let life’s problems overwhelm me. Because I have hope:

… I was content and happy to be driving to Dallas. When traffic stopped, joy- I found a better road that helped me avoid the grinding halts. I had to stop for gas, but joy- the place I stopped had inexpensive gas and a spot opened up just in time. My A/C quit, but joy- the wind blowing through my hair kept me cool and the great tunes lifted my spirit. The thunderstorm made me lose the wind, but joy- I tried the A/C again and it worked. As I encountered each presumed setback, I knew that God was revealing better paths for me and giving me exactly what I needed, when I needed it. So then …no worries when your hope is in God. I’m just enjoying the ride.

(tomorrow: Grumbles and Hope, part II)