Guess what, Grasshopper (10/28/2023)

This morning I went to my porch as usual with my cup of coffee and my intent to bring in the morning with my LORD. It took all of five minutes for me to recognize that I was ill prepared for the occasion. I checked my phone to make sure it wasn’t a malfunction of my internal thermostat. Nope, it really was cold outside – 35 degrees. I told the LORD I’d be right back. I went in and fetched my ugly but oh so warm brown suede coat and returned. As I sat down to resume my prayer time, the first thing I thought to myself was “Guess what, grasshopper. It’s later than you realized.”

I like to consider myself to be of “the ant” character from Aesop’s fable, you know the kind, slow by steady, getting ‘er done. But today, as I realized it was cold and it was going to stay that way, all the things I’d meant to accomplish before seasons changed were still on a list somewhere. It seems I’ve frittered away a good chunk of time. Oh, I’ve kept busy, but I had to question myself about the quality of my busyness. By the end of my time with the LORD, having confirmed on my phone that the cold is here to stay and on my calendar that it actually is later than I’d realized, this grasshopper begged forgiveness for losing track of time and sought help getting back on track.

Life can get away from us. At times, just getting by seems to be all we can muster. It’s not quantity of accomplishments but the quality that matters in the end. And as we approach the end of ordinary time which becomes more and more apparent in our daily readings, we are reminded that none of us come into this life with a guarantee of length of days. Time is one of the gifts given to us; using it well is one of the mandates of discipleship.

As I think of Ordinary Time ending, I always think of Matthew 25 and the King’s final judgment where the people are divided like sheep and goats. And the LORD tells the one group they have loved Him well, feeding him when he was hungry, giving him drink when he was thirsty, welcoming him even though he was a stranger, clothing him when he was naked, caring for him when he was ill, visiting him when he was imprisoned. When they responded that they didn’t recall those times, the LORD answered, “Whatsoever you did for the least of mine, you did for me.” This morning, that is on my mind. My time is ticking. It’s later than I thought. What have I really done?

This morning as the crisp fall day cooled my coffee in record time and as I pulled my coat tight, I got the “thump.” Some might call it a wake-up call. I call it a “thump,” a loving reminder to pay attention, to get back on track, to be intentional, and to quit saving the good I could be doing for another day.

This fall day may all of us recognize the gift the LORD has given us in our very lives and the lives of our loved ones. Let us embrace this gift and spend it lovingly and intentionally this day and all days. May our love of the LORD spill out onto each moment and into each encounter.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.