I have been feeling as if everything and everyone I come into contact with lately needs something, wants something, or has something for me to do. Normally, that doesn't bother me but in the past several weeks it seems requests have been relentless. It seems that there is a never ending list of chores that need to be done.
When in the South, my days were filled with a peace and even occasional thoughts of "what should I do now?" Sometimes, even feelings of boredom would creep into my world. I always managed to take a trip to the beach, relax, and listen to the waves massaging and smoothing the shore line, leading me into a contemplative state. Now, it seems to be nothing but run, run, run.
Running in and of itself it not always bad but running relentlessly doing things that have no impact on world peace or the cure for horrible diseases seems like useless folly. Running for things and people sometimes seems to be a thankless and draining way of life.
I must admit, I have felt overwhelmed, searching for any moment that would provide me a time to rest in a comfortable chair outside with the sun in my face. However, that would be nearly impossible to find for there are always more errands and chores on the list. Days and weeks race by without a glimmer of change.
I am sure most of you have been there at one time or another. I am sure you find it easy to relate to how I have been feeling. It feels like all of your energy and strength is being drawn out of you by all the needs and chores around you. It feels like your energy for life gets lower and lower. Energy, enthusiasm, and even joy leave you at incredible speed while no one and nothing replaces what has been drained. It seems as if energy is on a one way road and that road leads out from you while nothing is coming along to replace it.
It has been like that for sometime and if I could only get a few minutes to plan a vacation time back south, I believe the planning would help to inflate my enthusiasm once again. Maybe the planning would carry me through until I could actually get away. Dag nab it, I am having a hard time even finding time to plan my escape to be refilled - still too many chores and things demanding my attention! Sometimes there seems to be no way off the perpetual merry-go-round of life's stuff.
In the midst of all that, a very long time friend, Ryan, sent me an email. He invited me and my wife to enjoy VIP status at last night's Lee Strobel event. We share a great respect for Mr. Strobel and his ministry. (Check him out, his personal story and what God has done with him is amazing. He has written many books that have influenced millions of lives.) The event was held at a beautiful, recently built church. It was Palm Sunday and Lee spoke of the events in Jesus' life in and around that very day.
Ryan, presented us with VIP tickets which he covered the cost of. We went in prior to the event and down into the lower level of the building with a small group of people. We had a light meal and sat while listening to Lee talk. He came around and shook our hands introducing himself while making us feel quite special. When it was time, we took the elevator back up to the main floor and were led to our VIP seats in the front of the auditorium. The introduction to the evening and opening prayer were given by a local radio personality. We had a time of worship led by a wonderful young lady that helped us glorify God in a beautiful way. Mr. Strobel then spoke in two sessions that covered a couple hours. It was an amazing evening provided for us by a very good friend.
I saw Ryan later and tried to express my gratitude and tell him what it meant to me. All I could come up with was that it felt good to feel appreciated. No matter how hard I tried to add to what I felt, all that keep coming out of me was how good it felt to be appreciated. Last night, I was feeling appreciated and it felt great!
We can all relate right? There are times when people do touch us in such a way. Remember the box of sand I wrote about some time ago? It was filled with shells from my favorite beach, South Carolina lottery tickets with a wish that I would win and be able to move back to the beach. That was from a friend who made me feel appreciated. There are emails from my daughter with devotionals she thinks I should read that speak to me of her appreciation of me. There are her texts and calls filled with encouragement. There are those special moments and last night was another one of them. I am grateful for them all.
That being said, the chores and struggles of life come faster and harder and often those gestures drift away sooner that we would like.
I know life is hard on all of us. We know how hard it is to get on day after day feeling as if our efforts go unnoticed. We know how it feels to have everything drained from us with nothing coming back to fill us. We know how it feels to want to scream if there is one more thing we need to do.
The truth of the matter is that there is someone close to us feeling that same way. Loving them is what will encourage us to take a moment (I know, one more thing to do) and make them feel like a VIP. We talk about loving and if we believe in love then we cannot let someone we love and care deeply about slip through the crack of life into the dark hole of chores and obligation. Somehow you need to show that someone you love that you appreciate them ... give the old VIP treatment. Hey, I know how that feels, thanks Ryan, I needed that.
You might think I am goofy. Here you are dong life, caring for everyone else, carrying their burdens and then I come along and tell you to do more for them! I imagine about now, I am being added to your "ignore this man" list.
This is not a new idea, this is not even my own idea. There is a place in Scripture, Matthew 5:41, where Jesus is teaching. He tells His listeners that if they are forced to carry something for another for 1 mile, they should carry it 2 miles. It is part of His teaching on loving your enemies. Yes, we have been caring for and helping those around us, maybe even to the point of exhaustion. But go another mile? Yes, one more step, one more mile, one more push. I imagine many of us are thinking, I wish someone would notice me and appreciate me. I agree but knowing that, we have to know there is another person close to us feeling the exact same way. Make them feel like a VIP, like I was last night. It felt really good to feel appreciated and when we love those around us, making them feel appreciated makes us feel good too. I know every time I open the book Lee signed for me, the memory of last night's kindness will bring with it some encouragement.
I appreciate my family, my friends, and every one of you who visits Grounds for Love. I am continually encouraged by your visits and your support. You are each a Very Important Person to me, regardless of how you might feel because of your personal chore list. That might mean something to you but here is something even better. You are a Very Important Person to God. Just think of it! You are so important to Him, the very Creator of all things, the most amazing, most loving, most powerful force in all the universe, that He would come to earth and die for you so that you could spend eternity with Him. Wow! Now that makes you a Very Important Person!
Let those around you know how important they are to you, make someone feel like a VIP. One more thing, don't forget to let the one who gave you the best VIP treatment ever know you appreciate Him and that He is the MIP (Most Important Person) in your life.
Easter is only a couple days away and if you have been kind of ignoring Him lately, maybe Easter would be a great day to pack up the family and join a bunch of other people, for an hour or so, to sing some songs to Him telling Him how much you appreciate Him while remembering all the great things He has done for you. To Him, you are a VIP and I am absolutely sure He would love to see you and hear what you have to say!
Love and Blessings to you all. Have a blessed Easter!