I recently had the wonderful opportunity to wait 10 minutes before placing my order at a Starbucks. While in this line, I observed others checking their emails, texting, chatting with friend in the line and other multi-tasking practices while they awaited their opportunity to place their order. Then it happened not once, not twice, but over and over when it was their turn to proclaim what they wanted sadly they did not know what they wanted. It was a bit frustrating to this grande Americano nothing in it no room drinker who knows her order. What had these people been doing? This is Starbucks surely you know your order, you had 10 minutes and the menu doesn’t really change coffee, hot cocoa, cookies etc. Frustration was trying to set in, I mean I wanted to see them as unprepared selfish self-centered people who assume the world revolves around their time frame but then God said take another look and with a different set of lenses I heard Him ask, “ What do you do with your time? Do you seek Me? Do you get distracted? What about those I have placed in front of you ? What opportunities have you missed?
As I placed my order and continued to watch others around me these questions began to land on me deep in my soul. What are my priorities? What do I do with my time? Have I been distracted? The answer was yes, and then there was a soft I am sorry Lord, please forgive me. Forgive my selfishness and my selfish distractions. How many times I have been distracted by media- my husband refers to it as “facecrack” and yes I am guilty of plugging into Facebook to check on friends or share something and time passes by too much time and then before I know it I am checking in all the time to see who liked my post, who says hello, and what pics are up today? All the while I find myself short on time and short on the relationships of those right in front me and the most very important one of all gets pushed further and further down on my list. Shoot!
All of this send me back to a table where I placed my earbuds on and opened the Bible and asked the Lord to speak- I found myself landing on several people in the Bible who were not distracted but were waiting Moses turned aside when he saw the burning bush- he didn’t just keep about his tasks for the day he stopped. What an adventure that turned out to be. Look at David who one day was playing a harp and tending sheep gets called to stand in front of Samuel is anointed to be king then goes back to what he was doing and in a waiting period for several years doesn’t lose hope yet know one else if giving him praise but he is getting ready and sees the world as God gives him eyes to see because he is being prepared, Mary receives a message from the Lord and says yes to an amazing proposal to be Jesus mom and her life turns upside down in the most glorious way, Simeon and Anna had waited years for the King to come to Jerusalem and after years of waiting and praising they get to see the Christ!
What am I trying to say? In this world of instant news, tweets, snap-chat ,instagram, facebook and whatever else I am not familiar with that grabs our self- centered attention- we are missing it. We are not ready when it is our turn- we miss opportunity after opportunity to be the church.
When is the last time you spoke to someone in a line you are in? Do you offer prayer to the waitress who is serving you? How much time in your day is spent sitting and soaking in the word of God? Do you read the Bible with the same excitement as you do the latest post or text? Getting personal on that one right?! I am just as guilty. So what do we do about it? My hope is that each person who reads this comes to the same place I have arrived. I will be ready! I will not waste another minute being self absorbed but I want to use the remainder of my days praising and seeking as Anna did. My days will start with good morning Lord, what do you have for me to do today. I will sit still and erad the word and listen as he speaks so clearly to those who will listen. May we each greet others with a smile, may we live each moment full of His joy and passion for others.
There is a time coming when each one of us will get to see HIm face to face and when it is my time I want to smile and my eyes dance with excitement as I get to tell HIm what I did with my time and what adventures I had in His name. Oh what an amazing moment that will be, are you excited for that moment?
May this Christmas season you join me as I prepare for celebration of King Jesus! May our advent season bring us to such a sweet place of intimate relationship with Him that we awaken each day ready for the opportunity to share His love and light and that we get to be His hands and feet and like Moses,David, Mary, Simeon and Anna we hasten His second coming by being alert, seeking HIm and praising His precious name.
Lord, I pray that you remove all of our blinders so that we may see what you see, feel what you feel, hear as you hear. May you guide our feet that we may go where you want us to go. May we be fully present in every area of our lives that we see beyond ourselves to see the opportunities right in front of us to usher in your Presence that others may know you. Thank you for calling us to be your hands and feet in all that we do and say.
Get ready, soak in His word, His Presence, and step out in boldness to proclaim His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Don’t get distracted, live fully awake! What an adventure it will be until that moment when you meet Jesus face to face. We celebrate you Jesus! Come quickly we want to see you!