From my meditation today...

The story of creation in Genesis, the Proverbs about listening and using few words, and the parable of the four soils hit me today as I read the Bible.  It is so easy for me to accidentally focus on the wrong things or even to look at the right things the wrong way and thus to be the seed that gets choked out by the weeds—wanting the nice things in life or focusing on the worries or cares of this world.  Today is my ‘office’ day when I spend the bulk of it in my room at my computer and desk.  I use the time to do web programming for Unite and Aikido of Northwest Kansas, to do paperwork and accounting for the dojo, Unite, and me, to catch up on dozens of emails, phone calls, and texts, to get files in order, to do little errands that I haven’t had time to in the week, and to try and take a nick out of the huge pile of things I would love to do in the ministry and/or dojo if I had the time.  It can easily become a day governed not by God but by my list of things to do, and my perspective can easily be not focused on Kingdom things but on accomplishing a bunch of check marks (if I am not careful).

My meditation challenged me to slow down and listen to God throughout the day, to be in harmony with the creation we are a part of, and to focus especially on the things that are clearly of the Kingdom.  In fact, I need to focus MORE on the exciting meeting I will have at 2:00 p.m. with the ladies who are helping run the Common Grounds Coffee House and Unite Game Night.  It is an obvious Kingdom thing, and I am truly excited to see what may come up next for Unite Game Night and Common Grounds!  The same is true of tonight when I help at my congregations’ youth group.  While not a direct part of the in-state missionary work I do per se, it is still Kingdom Work and can often be one of the most important parts of the day, if I let it.  I need to relax and be focused on those things even as I crank out web pages and fill out forms.  More importantly, perhaps, I need to see the forms and paperwork not as worries of the world or things to do that demand my attention be focused on them due to their seeming urgency, but as an important part of the Kingdom—as opportunities to share what God is doing and how He is working, as opportunities to make community here smoother and better, and as potential opportunities to increase my missionary financial support or income at the dojo to free me up and further Kingdom work here.  When I don’t let them rule my day instead of God but let God rule and excitedly get to those things, the whole day goes from another busy day to a fun and exciting day serving the Kingdom.

Thank God for a good time this morning in prayer, meditation, and in the Word!