Here’s a thought…

The other day I got home from work, sat down with a snack in front of the TV and watched Sportscenter on ESPN. This is a pleasure in which I seldom partake. The topic of discussion was the NFL draft and the impact that each person picked will have on his perspective team. I was pondering this and I realized that we, as a society, are placing so much meaning in this event because it has implications for how well our favorite football team will do in the coming season. For those of you who are in Alabama, think of it as the signing day for college football. These players coming out of high school will have an impact on these teams in the future, for good or bad.

Let’s put this in perspective: it is a game. I know I am committing heresy in the South by reminding people that football is only a game, but it’s the truth and leave it to Northerner to say it. (That’s actually why I care more about NFL than SEC because college football is not all that big a deal in central NY – SU country.) Sure, there is a lot of money at stake and team owners invest a lot of money in a team that will do well, fill the seats and perform well in the playoffs, but the fact remains that it is the players’ JOB to ENTERTAIN us. They may be disappointed if they lose, and we will be disappointed too, but the sun will still rise tomorrow.

What is it in our lives that we place so much meaning in that we forget what is ultimately meaningful, namely God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, and this reality that He/they created. I know that in my line of work in academia there are professors and researchers who hold up their research and their work as ultimately meaningful and wonder why one would ever think their work is boring and don’t you ever refer to me as anything other than Dr. so and so. Maybe we do the same thing in church when we haven’t hit our quota for serving in the nursery, or hosting Bible studies, or however else you are involved in the local church. We find our meaning in what we do rather than who we are.

What if we put all of that aside and clung to what was ultimately meaningful and real? What if we focused on the One we serve and then let how we serve pour out of our love for Him.

I know this sounds a lot like my last post, but I think it is something that is on my heart now because it is getting close to summer (or actually, is summer) and recent summers have been the times when God has drawn me closer, and He’s doing it again this summer. Earlier in the spring I had a data collection job lined up, I wasn’t going to need financial aid; I had my summer pretty well planned. Well, that was shot to pieces and now I won’t have a job so I’ll have a bunch of free time to work on school stuff – unstructured time, which in the past has meant full mornings of just me and God…wonderful times. I know some of you are thinking laaaazzzyyy, but it has been these times of closeness that have sustained me in the storms of the school year, anchoring me to the Rock.

I’ve been reading Hind’s Feet On High Places, by Hannah Hurnard, again, and I just ended chapter 8 that ends with the Great Shepherd saying, “now shalt though see what I will do,” and that’s about where I am. I’ve come to the end of myself in so many places that I have nothing left to do but wait upon Him and see what He will do. I’m excited and anxious. I need to remember to just take it day by day, minute by minute.