Take Time to Connect with People

"Time to think and time to connect with people are as important as getting everything done. Sometimes you have to go slow before you go fast."

I came across this quote in a Leadership and Management post on LinkedIn by Beth Comstock (Chief Media Officer at GE).  It applies to business dealings, but I think it is also pertinent to how we go about our work in the church.  I often (in both my professional and personal life) am so busy trying to meet deadlines, keep appointments, and accomplish my to do list that I forget I am dealing with people and it is probably the relationships with these people that are more important and will have a more lasting impact than the activities we are trying to accomplish.  The same also goes for evangelism and missions.  We must share the gospel and care for the poor and hurting around us, but we also must approach those we interact with as people and build relationships.  This will take time and require investment on our part, but it is those relationships that will be used by God for his glory and to accomplish his purposes, not our trivial actions.

Living Life for Today

Angela posted a link to a blog on Facebook (http://www.handsfreemama.com/2013/08/20/school-year-hopes/) talking about focusing the school year hopes for our children not on what we do not know will occur in the future, but on what we can control today.  This list of hopes for your child today struck me.

Today I hope to take a few extra seconds to kiss the top of your head before you go. 
Today I hope to stand aside and let you do it yourself … even if it takes a little longer … even if it’s messier … even if it’s not perfect. 
Today I hope to say, “I’m sorry,” and “I love you” because they are life changing, comforting, and healing words. 
Today I hope to laugh more than I sigh with exasperated breaths. 
Today I hope to view missed shots and off-key notes as brave attempts at living rather than failures to succeed. 
Today I hope to focus less on your faults and more on your freckles and sense of humor because they light up your face. 
Today I hope to notice the color of your eyes when you speak to me. 
Today I hope to listen to your words without judgment and impatience. 
Today I hope to extend grace for accidental spills and other kid mishaps. 
Today I hope to help you as you clean up that spill and tell you about the time I dropped an entire bag of flour on the kitchen floor. Maybe we’ll even laugh about it. 
Today I hope to give you a little extra time to walk along the edge of the curb, do your own hair, and listen to your knock-knock joke. 
Today I hope to catch a glimpse of you that suddenly reminds me how much of an extraordinary miracle you are. 
Today I hope to remember you are more than your achievements, more that your academic performance, and more than your behavior. 
Today I hope you see my eyes light up, not because of something you do, but simply because of who you are. 
Today I hope you go to bed knowing life is better because of you. 
Today I hope you fall asleep feeling loved right now, today, just as you are.

Daily Pilgrimage

Finished Patrick Morley's "The Man in the Mirror" today in bible study.  It was an okay book and brought about a lot of good discussion.  The passage below really sums up the book for me though and is one of my favorite from the book.  If we can live this way, everything will fall into place in the end.

"Life is a struggle. Each day is part of a pilgrimage that prepares us for our eternal destiny. Each day we should set apart Christ in our hearts as Lord. Focus on the good you see and hear. Testify, just as a witness to the jury, about the changes occurring in your own life.

Encourage those around you, and meet together regularly for friendship, accountability, Bible study, and prayer. To encourage someone is to inspire them to have courage. Attend church where the Bible is believed and Christ is honored. Join a weekly Bible study group. Form an accountable relationship. Pursue your job as a holy vocation. Remember the poor when you give your resources. Be a faithful steward. Stand against bigotry and racial prejudice. Increase your love for God and for people. Remember, no amount of success at the office can compensate for failure at home."