For Goodness sake

When I went to India in Dec 08, I became suddenly aware of just how self-oriented we can be as Americans.  I’m not just talking about being selfish, but self-oriented. It seems that if we are unaware of it, underneath the majority of our activities we have ourselves in mind.  We seek friends to add enjoyment to our lives.  We look for a raise to add to our financial status.  We can serve others while being motivated by the good feeling we get when we do it.

Through the rapid process of building intense relationships with these wonderful people, I realized this by contrast.  I saw the hearts of those we lived with and laughed with.  I became aware of how they were more others-oriented than I had ever been.  It seemed that at the bottom of their actions of kindness was a genuinely selfless love for others. I felt like they were better people because of it.

What would Jesus say…

water cooler conversations…

…without the water cooler.

Yeah, we have one here where I work, but this talk wasn’t anywhere near it.

Yesterdays, todays and tomorrows

Like many I suppose, I live in a tension between pursuing the bigness of God’s will for my life, and doing daily chores that seem to have little to do with it.  I’m not all that bright, and I don’t see how some of the mundane things I do have anything to do with a grand purpose, plan, or direction.

I literally woke up this morning with a different perspective.

Pencils and Highlighters

[Jesus] sat down and summoned the Twelve. “So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all.” – Mark 9.35 (MSG)

In my world and from my perspective, the people who rock, who are doing the most important work on the planet, are those employed by the church.  They endeavor to spend their human energies communicating the most paramount message in human history: Creator God loves His Creation. 

It’s how I see the world. 

pencils and highlighters

Dent

When I got my first car, I drove it to TU and someone opened their door into mine.  They left a dent.

That’s not the kind of dent I’m writing about.

When we live our lives, our convictions lead us to decisions  Our decisions lead to actions.  Our actions lead to patterns and choices.  And the totality of who we are becomes a reputation.  A reputation leads to a legacy.

We leave a dent.

I’ve been thinking about mine…