Faith Venture

For as long as there have been schools with students organized in rows and columns, there have been teachers saying, “Keep your eyes on your own work.”

Once again what we learned in kindergarten is appropriate in life as an adult.

We notice other people’s bodies or relationships or how they keep house and talk (gossip?) with others about them.

The time spent looking, thinking, talking to others is better spent paying attention to our own bodies, our own relationships, our own life. Not in a narcissistic way. In an honest evaluation of where we are and where we can improve. 

We could eat better, exercise just a little more, listen to those around (not just hear, but actively listen), pick up after ourselves.

There are times to think about other people. Not to discuss them with others. Rather to compliment, praise. Also if they are your responsibility to correct or guide. Sometimes to encourage.

I don’t often write about personal experience. Sometimes it gets me into trouble. Mostly, I’m just pretty boring.

I had a flight to Sacramento yesterday morning in order to attend a business technology conference. I use a driver service. This service has been superb for the two plus years I’ve used it since we moved to the outskirts of the Chicago metropolitan area.

The car was due at 7:15 am. They are always a little early. No car. By 7:30 I was concerned and called. You cancelled the trip the owner said. I said, no I didn’t. Miscommunication. They texted a confirmation which returned a “don’t need a car” message.

I use my same mobile number that I’ve had for years. It is a Sidney, Ohio number. They typed a 6 instead of an 8. So, if someone from Sidney is reading this and declined a ride from Huntley Hills, thank you 😉  Huntley is the village just north of where I currently live.

But the owner gave me a shot. He picked me up 40 minutes late. I allow for time, but I don’t anticipate 40 minutes. Oh, well. Then there was unusual congestion on Interstate 90 around Schaumburg. The GPS said arriving at O’Hare at 8:55. My flight was 9:15.

The driver asked, how can you remain so calm. You haven’t even been checking your phone constantly for flight updates. I told him I know my way through the airport, have the CLEAR system that speeds me through plus TSA Pre-check. I also had my running shoes on.

He dropped me off. I got to CLEAR. Great. Then they said you’ve been “randomly” selected for additional screening. They had to check my ID. But that went quickly. On to the security line. It was short. I walked through the metal detector like I have a thousand times. It beeped. I had been “randomly” selected to go through the other x-ray detector. Oh, joy. One thing after another.

No problem. I got through. Security is close to the tunnel connecting B and C terminals. My gate was the one directly across from exiting the tunnel. I ran all the way through that way. Got to the gate area. The door was still open. Two gate agents were chatting. I made it.

Remain calm? 

You have to recognize when worry just gives no benefit. You work out the problems one thing at a time. One obstacle at a time.

And if I hadn’t made it? Well, there are alternatives, I’m sure. But I’m typing this from my hotel in Folsom, California. Had a good day yesterday at the conference. Looking forward to meeting even more geeks today. And, just chillin’.

The window of my study faces west. This morning in contemplation I watched a thunderstorm move across the prairie over me and on toward Lake Michigan.

We try to outwit lightning sometimes. Coaches of teams in outdoor sports downplay the perils of lightning at great risk. We don’t know whether the lightning will stay in the clouds or whether it will strike somewhere. And that somewhere we are powerless to predict.

For lightning is electricity in its pure form. It will flow where it meets the least resistance.

I have read a philosophy of seeking the path of least resistance as we live out our lives. While I do not advocate our looking for resistance to overcome, it is true that electricity channeled through capacitors and transistors power our computers to do useful work.

As Jesus said in an age before we channeled electricity about paths of least resistance, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Beware walking through a thunderstorm. You may be on the path of least resistance.

Beware also of walking through life always seeking the easy way. The easy path is wide and smooth. Channel rather your energy through the way Jesus mapped out for us.