From the Desk of Pastor Doug
A Day in the Life…
No need to get excited. The title of this piece has nothing to do with the single greatest song of the rock and roll era. Though I fancy Lennon and McCartney, or as I prefer, McCartney and Lennon as the greatest poets of their generation, this has nothing to do with them or Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely-Hearts Club Band. Maybe, just maybe, that is a blog subject for another day. Maybe when I am 64. Here we go on this week’s journey.
How much did your yesterday look like your day before yesterday? How much did the day before yesterday look like the day before that or the day before that? Here is why I ask. My days for the past 6 weeks or so have been similar. I wake up. Not early unless I have an appointment. Because for now, where am I going? I put on a pair of pair of pants, most days. I put on a shirt, yesterdays and I move from the bed to the couch. I get out my phone and use it to take my devotions. I spend some time before hit the floor praying. Then I do some reading, watch some TV and eat a meal or two and go to bed. Okay, that is probably a little simplistic since I am still writing sermons, Wednesday night lessons and this blog. But it seems that for these past weeks it has been the same thing over and again. I feel a bit like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day. To make it worse. I cannot remember what day it is. I was totally convinced that yesterday was today and was totally beaten when Deena (my lovely bride) informed me that I would be doing Friday again tomorrow (which was today). It is completely unsettling to live the same day twice. Thinking about the redundancy of how so many people are living right now, I believe that it might be hard to keep ourselves moving in the right direction. The direction of the cross. The direction of being more like Jesus tomorrow than I was today. It is easy in this time of “Shelter in Place” to forget that there is more to life than Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube. I am not going to lie. I spent an entire day this week watching a show with my grand kids called Raising Dion. It was a good show. Good vs. Evil. Good wins. It is based on a comic book which gives it extra credence in my childlike mind. But, what could I have been doing? How did those six episodes that I watched that day make me stronger and/or closer to God? Hint: It did not make my walk any better. Since then, I have been thinking about this verse.
Romans 12:2 English Standard Version (ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]
I am stuck on the “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God…” I guess I am wondering a little concerned about how I have spent my time. Deena (again, my lovely bride) has been the most super productive person during this time of shutdown. She has done so much work for the Muncie Community Schools in the off time. She has done work in the yard. She has washed so many clothes I may have to take a load to the Goodwill Store. She spent an entire day going through the sock basket and mating enough socks so that I if change socks every third day, she will never have to wash another pair. She has sent out cards to ½ the population of Delaware County, IN. I am almost positive that she even knitted the neighbor kids a new puppy while accepting he award as the Northside Middle School Support Staff of the Year. I do not know how she did it all, but I believe that she has shown more Jesus and grown more like Jesus that I have. She has been the Word, she has been an encouragement to many, and she is done all of this while I watched Raising Dion.
How have your days looked recently? I have recognized just how easy it is to conform rather than to be transformed. I would like to be transformed for the rest of this lockdown. I know that we have recently talked about this, but the importance of making ourselves better is of greater importance that most of us give credence to. I would encourage you to take the time to look for and embrace “what is good and acceptable and perfect.”