Ordinary Days

 Good afternoon and welcome to a, at least in our neck of the woods, chilly Thursday.  This morning early the temperature was in the mid 60’s.  Now with the passage of a strong cold front, it has dropped to the 40’s and is forecast to stay there during the day for the next week to 10 days.  Lows at night are expected in the low to mid 20’s.  So it seems a foretaste of winter has indeed arrived in Kansas.

 Life and work are what one makes of them, I’ve often heard.  And I suppose that’s true for my life and my work at an urban church in Wichita, Kansas.  My days often run the gamut of emotions and life situations.  There is often in every day an element of boredom, contentment, excitement, surprise, learning, accomplishment, satisfaction, apprehension, and other emotions and feelings interspersed into the day.  Here are just a couple of things that have happened recently which could probably be put into one or more of the above categories.

 I made it a point some years ago to always have a Bible in my office that I could give to someone who requests one.  And, I wanted a Bible that was nicer than just the inexpensive, five-dollar kind that often are given out.  So I ordered several with a leather-look cover, extensive aids and helps, and is in an understandable, readable version.  I’ve had three of those Bibles on my shelf for a couple of years, one of which is a large-print version, with no one asking for one…until yesterday when an unknown man came to our church door and asked for a Bible.  I gave him one and he went on his way.

 Today, another man came to the door with a similar request.  That may not seem like much to you, but I was genuinely surprised that two Bibles in two days went out the door.  I have to wonder if they talked to each other, or if there is something going on on the street…these guys were homeless individuals…that I’m not aware of.  I’m now ordering a few more.

 Yesterday was election day nationwide.  I don’t know how you voted, and that’s really none of my business.  However, I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied that so many people went to the polls and expressed their opinions through the ballot.  And, although not all of my candidates won, I was generally pleased with how things turned out.

 I had been somewhat apprehensive as the day approached, and made a conscious effort to distance myself from social media and television ads because of all of the hype.  That tactic seemed to work, along with the confidence that God ultimately has the final say and that I have no idea who really, really should be in or out of this or that office when it comes to the will of God and His plan for his creation.

 I received an email from a friend earlier this week asking me to list several books I would want to have in my library if I could only have those books and not have access to others.  I enjoyed thinking back to books I had read and was happy to recommend several of them to her.  In turn, she asked to borrow some of them, which I am pleased to do for her.

 That exercise in recalling books also got me to thinking about times past of which these books were a part.  I was excited to answer her question about books and equally pleased to be able to take a trip to the past, even if for only a brief time.

 Monday, however, was really a slow day at the office.  Not much in the way of phone calls, people at the door, or needs that could be met.  And after I spent an hour or so at the beginning of the day answering emails and catching up on things I had to do, the rest of the day stretched out in front of me.  So I picked up a couple of books I’ve been trying to read and made some good inroads toward getting that done.

 However, it’s difficult for me to spend hours just reading.  Every twenty or thirty minutes, I’d get up and walk around inside or outside of the building.  I went on a longer walk in the afternoon…about 30 minutes.  And I checked email and messages every so often to keep up with that.  So I would categorize Monday as a day of some boredom as well as a day of learning and accomplishment.

 OK, you get the picture, I think.  What are your days like?  Are they filled with anxiety, nervousness, and stress?  Do you have places in your day to relax and just let things go?  Are you at a place where it is difficult or impossible for you to move around as you’d like or you no longer can read or do some of the other things that tend to make life pleasant and enjoyable?  Do you “stop and smell the roses,” so to speak and express gratitude for your blessings in some way?

 And how have you made a place in your day for God?  Do you think of Him often?  Do you have some kind of quiet time or devotional time?  What about prayer?  Meditation?  Did you have good relationships with those you interacted with during your day?  Did you say “Please” and “Thank you” to others?  Yes, those words are still in use and work wonders.  Did you see someone in need or hear of some situation where help was needed?  What did you do to help with that need or situation?  What did you do with the words of Jesus when he said that we are to love others as He has loved us and to love God wholeheartedly, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves?

 Some things are more important than who was elected to this or that office or the fact that two Bibles went out of the church door in consecutive days.  Some things transcend our feelings and emotions that come and go during the day.  Some things come our way intentionally and demand some kind of loving response.

 May God bless you and yours during this season of Thanksgiving.