The Pause that Refreshes

I think that's either an old Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper slogan, but it describes this exact moment in time...right now. I've been busy from the get-go this morning. But it has been a good busy. The kind of busy that makes you feel like you're getting things done. I hope that's true! I'm getting things ready for the Jr. High retreat and the deans and I have a meeting for it and camp this afternoon. Big Deal will be fun to get back into this evening. Last week off was fun (and somewhat, but not near entirely, relaxing) but I think I'm ready to get back into it. I predicted that this Spring would be busy and that has held true. I have 5 big projects to do for school by May 1, the wedding planning is going strong, camp seems to be coming together, the retreats will almost run themselves after today, and then there's the day to day office stuff, getting ready for Wednesdays and Sundays. Wow. With it typed out like that, it seems a little daunting even to me! I'm trying to think how it will get done, and it will, no question. I'll leave it at that so that I can get back to the busyness of my day.

Proverbs 9:8 says, "Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you." This seems a little odd at first glance but makes more sense as I think about it. Not rebuking a mocker seems like it might be a cop out. Remember what has been said thus far in our correspondence about mockers and fools: they don't want wisdom, they don't want to walk the straight and narrow, they don't want to do what is right and good. With this in mind, it is easier to see that trying to correct the wrongs of someone who doesn't want to do right is an exercise in futility. It's simply a waste of time! But, taking the time to correct the wrongs of a person who is trying, to the extent that he is able, to do right (with the right attitude of love, of course) is a wise use of time and energy. Helping a brother or sister in Christ to do the right thing and revealing or leading them back to the right path is benefical to the person, the one leading him/her back, and the church as a whole. The one who is truly wise, even though getting rebuked stings, will be grateful for being led back. I think God wants us to be good stewards of our time. It seems to me, although it may sound a little hard lined, that our time is better spent building up those in the kingdom than wasting it on slackers.

Big Deal tonight at 7:00 pm.
Dead line for Jr. High Spring Retreat @ Camp Illiana is Sunday the 13th.
Dead line for Sr. High Spring Retreat @ Johnson Bible College is Sunday the 20th.

Later...