TCB

One of the most difficult things about taking an extended trip like the one I'm about to embark on is all the minutiae that you have to take care of in order to be away for a while. That's what I've been up to for the past several days and I am pretty sure this necessary evil will continue to dominate my time until I go.

On the other hand it's kind of nice to get a handle on all the loose ends that we all have flying around such as misplaced papers, forgotten passwords, things you've been meaning to get around to for months, etc... I'm sure you've experience of working so hard to get ready for a vacation (cleaning off your desk at work, servicing the car, stopping the newspaper and mail etc...) and then realizing how much simpler and easier life would be if you'd stay "up to date" and kept things organized all along. Or better yet, perhaps how much better life would be if you didn't have all the "stuff" to contend with to begin with.

That's what I'm thinking today. I am becoming more conscious of the ways all the "stuff" in my life shapes me. One of the great things about living in a developing country is that you realize just how little you really need to live a life of grace. After all, what most of us are yearning for is a singleness of eye and purity of intention and heart, whether we realize it or not.

Lord, teach me - teach us - to trust in You more than in the things that take up so much of our time and distract us from time with You. More of you is what this restlessness in our soul is about, and no amount of stuff will fill the God shaped vacuum within us. Help us to grasp this ancient but simple truth today. Amen.