It was an unusual Saturday today. Slept a little later than originally planned, worked on some things around the house, then drove to Morganton to see a friend in the hospital. In-between, discovered that I'd driven from Old Fort to Asheville and back last night with the oil fill cap off my car!! That was crazy!! Anyway, three quarts of 10W-40 later, I was on my way to Morganton with the iPod (my new #2 on the list of man's best inventions, just behind air conditioning!) pumping out some old favorites and a beautiful, sunny day ahead.
Some of my plans got changed today, but I managed to visit with my friend, help Kristi clean house, build a new bookcase for the upstairs study, spend some extra time in the Scripture, visit my 96 year-old grandmother, my mom and dad, e-mail with my sis a couple times, talk to some other friends, and get in a really nice hot shower before blogging and bedtime.
Sometimes, I feel like every day--especially every Saturday--needs to be crammed full of activity, yet I always enjoy those days that are a little more low-key and I feel like they're good for me on a lot of levels.
As a race, humans have gotten quite used to the idea of constant excitement--of unless sensory input and a ongoing state of elevated adrenaline. Maybe it would better please God and better serve us if we let ourselves be comfortable with the mundane and the ordinary more often.
Some of the days of my life I'll remember as most enjoyable have been spent mending fences or sitting at the foot of an ancient old oak near the parkway or rocking on the porch with family.
This life we live is so FULL of paradoxes! The very quest for supposedly joy-giving wealth guarantees misery. The desire to make oneself spiritual seems to perfectly ensure a state of legalism and dryness. Striving to be the "top dog" results in trailing the pack when it comes to the things that really matter.
...and BUSINESS does not equate to having used our lives well.
Sure, I want to BURN out, rather than RUST out, as the saying goes...but I'd like to take a little time to rust along the way, too. Antiques are at their most valuable when they are unrestored. The patina of age and the blemishes and imperfections that come with passing years make them far more valuable than brand-new paint jobs and perfect varnish would. Our lives are a lot that way, too.
Perhaps we should focus a bit less on the accomplishments of our lives and a bit more on the quality of how we accomplish things.
Just some thoughts at the end of a day well-spent. Now for bed...
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