How far is the East from the West?

Today was a very interesting day with many unrelated activities. It is when I stand back and look at the activities I was involved in that I really see how far I "travelled" today.

I began the day reading more of "Love is the Killer App." Today's reading discussed the development of a network of contacts and the act of developing this network involves more than just collecting/exchanging business cards. The author suggests that we should constantly be on the look out for connections we can help facilitate between our contacts. This will help you spread 'the love' and expands your network. There is much more that could be said about this interesting book but I choose to focus mostly on the string of activities today.

I next ran to the office to file some paperwork to be able to complete a job offer for a new faculty member for next fall. The process was on hold until I turned in every piece of material I had written on regarding this search throughout the process. Lot's of administrative hoops in the name of protecting the University.

I came back in time to go with my wife to drop the kids off at school. After the bus drop we went to work pulling together about 300 lunches for an Easter 'picnic" taking place at church tomorrow. My assistance was needed to drive a group of 6 (out of 75) junior high students downtown to pass out some lunches that were prepared for homeless people. After delivering the lunches we loaded back up and headed to a local pizza parlor. We called ahead so the pizzas would be ready when we arrived.

After the junior high students were dropped off back at church my wife and I went and picked up our kids and headed home for a couple hours. The evening involved a men's ministry meeting and chior practice for Easter.

I am now home, where it is warm, watching my TV, typing on my laptop, and reading some blogs. I feel like I have gone from one country to another all in one day. I woke up in my nice warm bed and looked out on the rain as it filled my swimming pool. I chose to help around the church today. I am on Spring Break so I can chose what I want to do (as long as it is OK with my wife). I really didn't feel like driving downtown. I haven't had a lot of experience doing that type of thing. I sucked it up and did my duty. It was one of the most personally challenging things I have ever done personally. I found that I was not uncomfortable with those people. Most could carry on a conversation just like my people. I met a young man who was telling some of the young girls about some of his friends, who were former professional football players. I thought I recognized him as one of the athletes who used to play at the university I worked at. He was just about my age.

There but for the grace of God go I?
Why was he here and I was not? What turn in the road did he take that I chose not to take. I chose to get out of my warm bed this morning. I chose to read in my comfortable chair while drinking a nice cup of coffee. I chose to serve the church today by making some sandwiches, driving some kids, meeting with some men, and singing some songs. Just about everything I did today I could have chosen not to do. The young man (an others) who were on the street eating the lunches we prepared didn't have an opportunity to make the kind of choices I was allowed to make. What choice was it several days/weeks/months/years ago that caused these people to have no choices today? What choice was it back then that allows me today to make just about any choice I wish to make?

What about the choices we make today? Are we making the choices we need to make today so that we can have choices tomorrow? If I lost it all today would I still be hopeful? Would I still be faithful? Interesting how related today can be to the things I contemplated yesterday. What is it that we are left with when all worldly things are gone? Do the people we served lunch to today know that they still have that value which was given to them by the Creator. Can someone help them realize that they still have this value? I believe helping people discover this value will pay bigger dividends then a bad lunch every once in a while. If the value of serving lunches today was so that I could discover this reality then the activity was not for the homeless people but was really for those of us that served the lunches. It is strange how life works.

I am now choosing to go to bed. I am now much more aware of how blessed I am as I pull my warm covers up over my head without a concern for the rain falling outside. It is never a bad idea to count our blessings. We should probably do it much more often. Take care.