Earlier in our journey together, I made a post titled Uninterrupted that celebrated the gift of uninterrupted time I was experiencing with God and with LeAnn. This uninterrupted time has been such a blessing. The reality is that we have been escaping ourselves, as our own worst enemies, and our bad habits of creating interruptions for ourselves as much as any outside factors or influences. For those of you in my immediate life, I am taking you off the hook as the causes of my constantly interrupted life…don’t you feel relieved to hear that!
However, last week we had a vivid reminder of the frustration and difficulty associated with constant interruptions. While we were enjoying a beautiful day at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, we found ourselves constantly interrupted in our game experience. First of all, I have never been to a sporting event where more vendors made more frequent rounds during a game. This is a great thing if you are wanting a beverage or a snack, but we found that they were constantly obstructing our view of the game by continually making their way to the front of the section, standing in the aisle and barking out what they were offering. As soon as one would leave our aisle, another would make their way to the front and begin the routine over again. This happened with a regularity that I have never before experienced.
If that were not enough, the fans in our section had no better sense of appropriate timing. There was an entire row of fans right in front of us that moved with a frequency and rhythm usually reserved for ant hills and bee hives. There was an entourage of about a dozen who rotated through three seats in the row in front of us that created confusion throughout the game. LeAnn commented that it was like a crack house in front of us.
Even though it was a great game with lots of action, we were constantly contorting ourselves and straining to follow the action on the field that many seemed oblivious to. Many of you who know me are wondering if my face got red or my blood pressure went ballistic. Actually, I did pretty well with all of it…considering the chaos before me. Even LeAnn was affected by it and commented several times that she could not believe the insensitivity to the fans who wanted to see the game.
I write this post, not to out the fans and vendors of the Milwaukee Brewers, but to illumine a discovery for me that day. As sensitive to the disruptions and the distractions that we faced that day, I wonder how many times I allow myself to be the disruption or distraction in others lives. Am I helping people experience the Almighty One through my life and ministry or am I getting in the way and distracting people from what is important and salvific?
I wonder about the ministry of the church and the activity of our daily work. Are we revealing Christ and assisting in the experience of God that we profess to offer or are we standing in the way and obstructing it with countless activities that have little to do with Christ?
I find myself personally reflecting on whether I am helping or hindering the experience of Christ we all profess to desire. Am I offering Christ, like one of those vendors at the park, in such a way that I am getting in the way and obstructing the view for those who are searching and longing to see and experience the real thing? Are we so caught up in our own lives and journeys that we are unaware of how we are blocking the view for others? Are we revealing Christ or are we just in the way?
I pray that we will look deep within ourselves and our communal work together to provide an unobstructed view of Christ and an uninterrupted experience of the Almighty God to those who hunger for that life giving experience that only God can provide.
Your daily blogs are so refreshing and thought proviking, from these thoughts I can almost sense the Holy Spirt revitalizing you. Relax and refresh during your final weeks, we are awaiting you and Leanns return,
Robert and Kathy
What a great post! Using the vendor at the game is such a great visual image and analogy. We are continuing to pray for you and LeAnn on this journey.
I wanted to let you know that your sermon’s are sinking in….to even the youngest. Bobby and I were outside last night, and our neighbor’s behind us were, too. Lauren came outside and asked who was talking. I told her it was our neighbors, but we don’t know them. She then proceeded to tell us that we should be nice to them(not that we weren’t!), that God made them, and that everyone in the world is our neighbor. Clearly, dispite all her wiggling and talking during your sermon on The Good Samaritan, your words sank in. I am always amazed and so encouraged when she “witnesses” what she knows. I hope hearing this will encourage you that God is speaking through you to my wiggly, loud 6 yr. old. And to the rest of our family, as well.
God Bless,
Andrea