It's about time you get to work...

I've been greatly frustrated lately by situations that I have no power to change. I've tried to express my thoughts and feelings, but all the response I get is "Be patient, pray about it, try to understand where that person is coming from..."

I've had it.

I was discussing the importance of community and how the church could access so many more connections if it were willing to adapt it's approach by being relationship/people centered instead of building centered. In the midst of this conversation, I was derailed by a phone call. On my way to address the call an individual said to me, "It's about time you got up and did something."

At first I was ticked. Every day it seems this person has to comment on the why, how, and what I could be doing to be "working". It became apparent that this person has no clue of what my kind of work is, so that takes the sting away from all the sarcastic remarks. In fact, I have no issue with this person at all, because my eyes were opened to something rather important by the continual commentary on my work ethic.

I've been functioning in the wrong system.

Community, hospitality, worship, creativity, social action and relationships are at the heart of who I am and who I was created to be. It is when these aspects of my life are used that I have a sense of well-being, effectiveness and peace. So back to the comment about getting back to work.

The work I need to get back to is the work of building community, hospitality, creativity, worship, relationships and social action into my everyday life. The repeated comments on my work ethic are the expression of others seeing the short circuit of what I'm trying to attempt in a system focused on program, numbers and time clocks. The two worlds are difficult to merge.

So instead of being offended, I will take the comments as conformation of the work that is to come. I've had it living and working in my current shoebox - it's time to break down the walls and live in community. God help me rebuild and move into the place you intended all along.

It's time to go back to work..