The Way of Least Resistance

Early in my saved experience, I took one summer and went from campmeeting to campmeeting and in the same summer also went to several different places that were in revival. It worked out that the same evangelist had those meetings and he also was at the campmeetings. I learned from that experience how the same message outline can produce different results as the Spirit of God anoints. One of those messages (the minister was Bro. Cleve Green) was "The Way of Least Resistance". And he brought out how people will often do what's easy over what requires effort. The end result spiritually is not good.

What brought this message to my mind was thinking about how much I am given to doing what "comes up" without really thinking through whether that is the best use of the limited amount of time I have left after spending most of my days either getting ready for work, going to work, working, coming home, eating, and sleeping. Deduct all that and there's not a whole lot of time left.

In that time that is left, I tend to just do what's easy or whatever comes to my mind because something outside myself triggers me to action. "Are you off Tuesday? Could you...." Or, I see someone and because I see them, we decide to do something together. The combination of what comes up because of outside "forces" and my NOTORIOUS capacity to remember causes me to totally not even think that just maybe I should NOT be taking my time doing JUST what comes up but that just maybe I should MAKE AN EFFORT to think of those things that don't come up but are still needful for me to take time for.

Just one of those "issues" is my other grandkids. (By "other" I mean those that I don't see regularly because our lives converge.) I am TOO MUCH an out-of-sight out-of-mind person. And I have never been one to like talking on the phone. I just don't think to pick up the phone and make a call just to "reach and touch someone".

I really had Blake's other grandmother wondering what they had all done to offend me because it had been so long since I had contacted any of them. When I did, I found they were really in the midst of an ordeal dealing with his little sister's surgery and consequent problems. They really needed my support. I felt HORRIBLE that I had neglected to even call.

And Tim has for a long time wondered why I don't get his kids more than I do. It IS hard to figure out when is a good time with them but even with that being so, I have no excuse for not making more effort than I have to have them with me from time to time.

And just ask Kirsti and Kali how "often" I call them. I'm just not good at doing that. I think of it when I can't do it. When I can do it, I don't think of it. (I have to figure out the time zone difference and many times have said, "it's too early or it's too late" but it's just as much that I don't think at a time when I can do it.)

I determined to work on changing that this year. Hopefully, I won't forget. But I did promise Tim that "starting in February"-- after inventory issues and other things were behind me-- that I would regularly get Cathleen and Caleb and take them to Sunday School and church with me. I can't do it every week but I mean to do it regularly.

It didn't work out last weekend but tonight I get to begin the fulfilling of my commitment. Tim was serious enough about me taking them to Sunday School that he actually suggested that instead of toys, for Christmas I buy them clothes they could wear to church. I did that.

Cathleen will be 4 this month and Caleb will be 5 in March. I did get Caleb and keep him and Blake here so they could both be in Bible School. But I really don't see Tim that much and consequently, do not see his kids.

Woo Hoo.... where has the time gone. I need to get up from here and get ready for work. I have to be there in an hour!!!