Both my husband and I are quite fond of our comfort zones. We value our time out, our time together and our time alone. We are quite fond of having some evenings free each week, and a weekend day free together. One thing the Lord is teaching us (over and over!) is that our time is not our own. We have had to let go of our ’schedule’ and our desire to divide up our time into ‘ours’ and ‘others’. It has all become ‘His’. This means that as we have let go of more of ourselves, the Lord has plopped opportunities in our laps that we just weren’t open to before. It is as though He now trusts us with a lot more responsibility. Let me give you an example.
Last Sunday afternoon, I was on my way to church when I had to stop for petrol at the station round the corner. The guy behind the counter started chatting to me, and I chatted back, even though I didn’t have a lot of extra time.
Petrol guy: So, are you doing anything special today?
Me: No, not really. I’m just off to church, actually.
Petrol guy: Church? Where do you go to church?
Petrol guy and me: General chit chat about church and suburbs and localities. He is from India or Sri Lanka, I think.
Me: Hey, do you go to church?
Petrol guy: No, I’m not really into church.
Me: I’m not really into ‘church’ either, but I’m really into God.
Petrol guy: What do you mean? What do you mean by ‘into God’?
Me: Explain a bit about why I go to church, Jesus, God’s love. A bit amazed by how easy this all is. Invite him to church, but he works every Sunday afternoon. Tell him about how church is not just for Sundays, but that we do other stuff during the week too. He is intrigued by this, and really likes the idea of helping others, particularly the Single Mums thing we’re getting going at church.
To cut a long story short, my husband and Petrol Guy have been ringing and sms-ing, and he was supposed to come and hang out here tonight, but had to work late. He is coming next week instead, and I am amazed at how all this has come about. I know it has a lot to do with releasing our time to Him, and being prepared to step out a little more than usual. This is so not me; inviting strangers into my home, but Jesus is all about loving the stranger, and it all feels right and good. I’ll keep you posted.
One of my favourite movies (at least when I was a teen) is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The phrase that is often coined from this film is ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you may miss it.’ It occurs to me that we often do a lot of living and not a lot of looking. Writing is my way of stopping to have a look. Pausing for a moment – to think, contemplate, reflect, evaluate. Not to mention a time to sit for a while!
I think I’d like to get back to blogging. My aim for this blog is that it will be a little more open, a place where I don’t mind being ‘discovered’ by those in ‘real life’. If you are from real life, welcome! Old friends and new, welcome.
