Stare, Dump, and Peel (05/02/2024)

We were playing Banangrams, a game that involves letters on tiles, drawn and used to form words. The object is to use all one’s letters in words put together like a crossword puzzle.  As we played, we each tackled the same objective differently. One just stared at the tiles trying to figure out their connection, one kept dumping letters she didn’t like or felt she couldn’t use, and one just kept on keeping on, forming words using all her letters, and calling out “Peel” indicating she’d used all her letters, and everyone had to draw another letter tile. You know what? I think we approach life a lot like Bananagrams.

Each of our lives are unique, yet we all share our origin in the loving creation of our LORD. To believe that we will all live and use our lives and our resources the same is mistaken. We may be all heading to the same destination – life in abundance with our LORD – but our paths will all vary.

There are times when all we can do is take our world and what is happening around us in. We aren’t ready yet to deal with it. We just need to sit with it a while and think about it, ponder. That’s one way of addressing our objective.

There are times when we are overwhelmed and need to shed some of the things that surround us, distract us, don’t contribute to our journeys. And so we dump them, we withdraw from them, we put them aside and look for other means to help us reach our destination.

And then there are times when it all makes sense, when things line up well, when pieces come together. There are times when it seems like everything has a place and there’s a place for everyone. And we sail through the mission at hand grace filled.

Some of us are more at home with one method over the others, but I bet most of us have used all three methods at some point on our journey.

We shouldn’t compare ourselves with how others are tackling the mission. We shouldn’t dismiss our own style or need along the way. We may all be heading to the same destination, but each of us must make our own journey.

The LORD created us all. Let us remember this every day along the way. Let us give one another the support necessary for the journey. Let us all give one another space to be ourselves. Let us all enjoy the company of the other support the other, love the other for what they bring to our world and lives.

Let us remember that our Redeemer died for us all, not just those like us who think like us and work like us. Let us pray to the Spirit for guidance, patience, and openness.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.