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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
Get Connected In The New Year
January 3, 2007
Last week I rearranged the furniture in my office. I really like the new
layout. It gives the room a much bigger look. I literally took everything out
of the office and then brought it back in piece by piece. I decided
whatever didn't fit after I was done was not going to come back into the
space. There was a lot of stuff that had accumulated in my office over the
last year that was just taking up space. It had no purpose.
A perfect example is the box of old books that I hadn't looked at since I
left seminary over twenty years ago. I also had several binders filled with
notes from workshops I had attended over the years. I was always
meaning to work them up into something useful. I had lots of
photographs stored in plastic bins. I kept planning to put them in albums.
Year after year I would take these things and hide them in a different
corner of the room. The problem is that there are only four corners to any
room.
At first the mess spilled out into the outer office and chapel area of the
church. That's what happens when we try to clean up. There is always
some over flow. But in time, I made the decision that some things were
going to be heaved out and others put in a place where they could be dealt
with more effectively.
After the hard work of change was done, I began living in the new space.
The first few days were great. On the third day I realized that there was at
least one thing that I hadn't taken into consideration in making the changes.
My computer was now too far from the network for me to connect in the
way I had before. My cable was not long enough to span the distance
from one computer to the other.
As I sat at my desk pondering the situation and looking for solutions, it got
me thinking about my New Year's resolutions. Like many of you, I
decided that I was going to lose weight, exercise more, spend more time
with the family, and look for opportunities to share God's love with the
people around me. It is easy to make resolutions. Taking those first few
steps are very gratifying as well. But by January 3 or 4th we often find
that there are some minor inconveniences that spring up and threaten to
undo us.
With my computer I had two choices. I could either go wireless and install
a card in the unit or I could look for a longer cable. One way or another I
wasn't going to get online unless I was connected. The same is true in life.
In order to accomplish our goals we need help. We think we can do it all
by ourselves like the defiant four year old trying to tie his shoe lace, but
the truth is we can accomplish far more when we join forces with others.
So don't be embarrassed to join Weight Watchers or to enroll at the gym
or to come to church if you want to really succeed with your goals for the
New Year. We all need help to be successful. We need to be connected.
So look to God and ask him to open a door where you can be with others
who share your passion for life and the good things God wants to give you
in the coming year.
See you in church. God bless. Cal
January 3, 2007
Last week I rearranged the furniture in my office. I really like the new
layout. It gives the room a much bigger look. I literally took everything out
of the office and then brought it back in piece by piece. I decided
whatever didn't fit after I was done was not going to come back into the
space. There was a lot of stuff that had accumulated in my office over the
last year that was just taking up space. It had no purpose.
A perfect example is the box of old books that I hadn't looked at since I
left seminary over twenty years ago. I also had several binders filled with
notes from workshops I had attended over the years. I was always
meaning to work them up into something useful. I had lots of
photographs stored in plastic bins. I kept planning to put them in albums.
Year after year I would take these things and hide them in a different
corner of the room. The problem is that there are only four corners to any
room.
At first the mess spilled out into the outer office and chapel area of the
church. That's what happens when we try to clean up. There is always
some over flow. But in time, I made the decision that some things were
going to be heaved out and others put in a place where they could be dealt
with more effectively.
After the hard work of change was done, I began living in the new space.
The first few days were great. On the third day I realized that there was at
least one thing that I hadn't taken into consideration in making the changes.
My computer was now too far from the network for me to connect in the
way I had before. My cable was not long enough to span the distance
from one computer to the other.
As I sat at my desk pondering the situation and looking for solutions, it got
me thinking about my New Year's resolutions. Like many of you, I
decided that I was going to lose weight, exercise more, spend more time
with the family, and look for opportunities to share God's love with the
people around me. It is easy to make resolutions. Taking those first few
steps are very gratifying as well. But by January 3 or 4th we often find
that there are some minor inconveniences that spring up and threaten to
undo us.
With my computer I had two choices. I could either go wireless and install
a card in the unit or I could look for a longer cable. One way or another I
wasn't going to get online unless I was connected. The same is true in life.
In order to accomplish our goals we need help. We think we can do it all
by ourselves like the defiant four year old trying to tie his shoe lace, but
the truth is we can accomplish far more when we join forces with others.
So don't be embarrassed to join Weight Watchers or to enroll at the gym
or to come to church if you want to really succeed with your goals for the
New Year. We all need help to be successful. We need to be connected.
So look to God and ask him to open a door where you can be with others
who share your passion for life and the good things God wants to give you
in the coming year.
See you in church. God bless. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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