...of fire

Despite the loud clamoring of the most hardened atheists, people have a sense that they were made for a purpose. I have yet to meet a person moving joyfully from place to place, reveling in life because it is meaningless.

It goes deeper. We aren't just on a quest to find the general purpose of humanity - though that has its place of course. Instead, we are looking for our unique place in the grand scheme of thing.
And when we find that God-given purpose, our souls are set on fire. We find the abundant life that Jesus spoke about.

Purpose: we hunger for one. When we have one we live. Without one we merely exist.

...of Persistance

There's an old proverb that says a thousand mile journey begins with the first step.  How true! We all need to make a decision at some point to move from thinking about a project, or a relationship, or a job; to actually starting. Nothing happens until we start.

But for most of us, the paths of our past are littered with projects we have started, but failed to finish. That's because there comes a point where the energy from the enthusiasm of something new wanes, and we have to fall back on plain old commitment.

Malcolm Gladwell(  +Malcolm Gladwell Official Website  ) coined the idea of '10,000 hours to mastery'. It's a simple notion - as the best ideas always are - that giftedness can never replace persistent effort.

Of course, we need to learn what we are to practice, so our efforts make a genuine improvement. We need guidance, and mentoring. But simply put, there is no substitute for persistent effort. Want to learn the piano? Practice often. Want to master a new language? Practice often. Want to run a Marathon? Practice often.

Simple. Unfashionable. Essential.

... Of whole-hearted people

"And Levi left everything and followed him". Luke 5:28

Levi was a follower of Jesus. He was a tax collector when he first met Jesus. The more he saw of Jesus, the more he wanted to be someone different. And when Jesus finally invited Levi to join his band of brothers, Levi jumped at the chance. But there was a cost: one that Levi had to pay. He had to give up everything he had been, done and known up to that point.

Not some things: not most things; everything. 

We in the West live in a fantasy world where everything comes to us. Levi understood that the real world is different. To attain what really matters costs us all we have.

No problem if you don't want to pay the cost: just don't demand the prize.

Of Teams Structured To Fail

I recently attended a major event intended to mobilise a key part of the Christian movement in New Zealand to reach our diverse society. The leadership team were introduced: every one a middle-age, Pakeha male. 

In a multicultural, co-ed society with energetic and vision-filled youth, this is a recipe, not for success but for failure. 

A group becomes what it's leaders embody. Want to reach Maori, or Women, or Youth? Then your leadership must include and embrace them. Not as tokenism: they need to earn their place. But be pro-active and seek out quality people who represent those you want to reach.

... Of action

A short post, to return with. 

Never mistake activity for achievement. All the busy-ness in the world means nothing if you make no difference: be it growing a relationship, producing a new/ better service or good, or even advancing a hobby. 

More action is no substitute for a purposeful plan. 

...of Mark Twain

Mark Twain once famously stated: "The report of my death was an exaggeration".

At the time, a cousin was gravely ill, and a newspaper confused one man with the other. Yet it was understandable: the two men's names were similar, and Mark Twain had not written anything for some time.

Neither, I see, have I.

Lest anyone be concerned, let me restart my posting with an an assurance: I am still alive. Normal service shall now resume.

Whatever that means :-)

... Of Roadrunner

When I was growing up there was a cartoon called "Roadrunner". Roadrunner was always being chased by Wile E Coyote, who never caught him  (There's a blog in that, I'm sure: about chasing what we cannot catch. Another time, perhaps).

The song for "Roadrunner" had this one line: "Running down the road is his idea of having fun..."

I thought about that this week, after I had gone for a 20 minute 'run' (I'm being generous to myself: but stagger sounds so... old). As I stood at the door, panting and puffing, I savoured each breath. Somehow, my lungs could almost taste the air as I drew it in, and I could feel every breath as I took it.

It was simple. It was exhilarating. It was magic. It had been a while since I last felt so 'alive'.

Simple, innocent pleasures. God created so many of them that we can do and still be in His will. Yet each day, the world crowds onto us more and more overwhelming sensations: sensations that drown out the way we are meant to feel and connect with creation.

Why not find one of those innocent pleasures, and give yourself over to it for a time today. As for me, I'm looking forward to running again tomorrow.

To quote Roadrunner: "Beep, beep".