Remaining Vigilant

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.” Lk. 12: 35-38

In many ways the gospel passage above might well be applied to keeping oneself busy with the things of the Lord. Certainly, we can extrapolate and apply the scripture to our daily lives, though the main message for us is about being vigilant.

Often it is easy to become so busy with the things that drive our days that we run the risk of losing sight of what is most important. There comes a point when we have to say, “This is enough.” I believe we serve God in an important way when we take time to serve our families and loved ones.

Thus, I’m keeping my post short today—honestly I ran way overtime with work that I brought home from work (surely you must know that teachers have homework too). I figure an hour is about enough—that is for me; for the kids at school it ought to be much less. I shouldn't try to keep up with the 12 hour workday crowd. There are greater needs to attend!

One of the best things that any of us can do for ourselves is to enjoy the time we have with those whom we love most. Undoubtedly, we can infuse those moments with the presence of God by taking just a small amount of time each day to center our lives in God, and by doing so we place our hearts in a constant state of prayer, and in this way we remain vigilant for the Master’s return.

Comments

[H]

Again--amen :-)

[Gabrielle]

One by one, slowly but surely, commitments on my calendar are coming to a close, and I'm not going to accept anything else long-term for a very long while. And do you know what? It feels good. Very, very good. I need more time with family, and with Him.

[forget me not]

This is beautiful and by the Grace of God..which means in part by choice and in part not by choice, it is what is happening in our lives. It is a time of renewal, and I hope to make every minute count...by not counting every minute, just living them for what they are.

[H]

This is the busiest I've ever seen this country. It's also the least close I've ever seen it, and even the least healthy.

My husband has a friend who goes home every day for lunch. He saw his children grow in that time, and that is what choosing to be/become family has to be about. He also took off time to see his children perform all their tiny little recitals, and I'm sure if his wife ever said, "Hey.. I'd feel better if you came to the doctor's with me/us," he'd have not had to think about it. As he approached our blanket one day when our families ended up at the same lake, I belched and actually didn't die of embarrassment. "Pardon me, Dan, but you're the one guy I feel comfortable to do that near." He said if he wasn't so sun-sleepy, we could've belched the alphabet together.

Gosh, we must slow down, tune in, and even belch at the lake with friends, sometimes. Yes, work will suffer, as will finances, but we are made for each other, not exclusively for work. Too soon comes a day when one of us is not as we were, or are gone. And neither can any of us recapture a child's childhood when it has passed. Change the status quo somehow.. grow your own food, barter, cut back on any activity that doesn't enhance or bring life, and absolutely, keep the outside calendar to as much a minimum as possible. Every little bit helps, every little extra moment together matters so much.