Roll Up Your Sleeves!

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

Aristotle

Our “doing” center of intelligence mobilizes our energy to act on the thoughts and feelings of the other two centers. If we cannot act on what we believe is right and what we feel is fair, no one benefits from our thoughts or feelings. Through its capacity for imagination and innovation, it steadily moves toward completion of the tasks that vision and value call for. It is best at creativity.

Well. First off, I struggle to trust what I believe and give it the thumbs up for being right. And I am not great at fairness. Honestly. I’m not. Objectivity is not my strong suit. I am reactive, especially when I feel like someone is putting my peeps in danger or not looking out for the interests of the common good.

My heart breaks when I see how hard it is for us to listen to one another. I cannot believe it when folks don’t seem to understand their value and worth. It drives me crazy when people are so quick to judge others and justify themselves - especially when that person is me!!! Shouldn’t I know better? As my grandchildren like to say, “Oh yes you should!”

So when my feelings are hurt and my thinking is stinking, what saves my bacon is rolling up my sleeves. Do the next right thing. I have found value in doing inconvenient things for people who would not do the same for me. I find that I am better balanced when I focus on doing the next right thing without evaluating whether or not it will make a damn bit of difference.

Can we do all that we want in the age of the coronavirus? No. But there is still plenty to do. We can phone friends; we can deliver gifts to people and leave them on their doorsteps (thanks Julie for teaching me that one); we can use funny emoji’s and text people. We can try to be kind. Did I mention also that we can show up for annoying zoom meetings? (Misery loves company.)

May you find your doing groove this week!

So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, Let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”

1 Peter 1:13-16 The Message