The office

I met a man who worked in an office.  Nothing unusual, except for the fact that he worked in the office even on a day he designated for vacation.  He said he had nothing better to do. …  So I stopped to think.  How sad was his comment.  But is that me?  Am I ever uncomfortable with empty time?  Am I restless when things are unstructured?  How do I handle new circumstances?  Usually I can think of an endless list of fun things to do, yet I lack the time to do them all.  Honestly I love the ordinary day, and I generally view life as vibrant and exciting, especially when God throws me a creative curve I didn’t expect.  But I can recall days when I’ve opted for the road of familiarity.  One summer day, I didn’t want to exert the mental energy to learn some new guitar chords, so I played a familiar tune on the piano instead.  And I probably played it numerous times, hoping the guitar-playing idea that nagged my brain would leave by the time I finished at the piano.  On a different occasion, I remember debating whether to go talk to my new neighbor, erroneously entertaining the thought that if I went to talk once, I wouldn’t have the time and energy to check on her regularly, so why bother in the beginning.  And sometimes I’ve felt exhausted at the mere mention of planning a vacation, so consequently I’ve abandoned the whole notion and opted for staying at home.  So, yes, I am somewhat like my friend on the bus who spent his vacation working at his office.  Yet I know deep down that the Lord has given me wonderfully exciting experiences that came from stepping outside the norm and following through with what can feel humanly risky.  Christianity is not a life of laziness and selfish ways.  But if we find ourselves in those modes, God will forgive upon our asking.  And He will supply our courage to restart and bless us for having sought Him.