Finding the Right Angle

Recently, I was working on making a dining room table. As I was creating it I was taking my time to "measure twice cut once". When I would get in a hurry then I paid the price. Part way through the project I checked how square the apron was to the top...it wasn't a right angle. It seemed that the work that I did to fasten it all down didn't create the right angle I wanted. This made me concerned about how the legs would look by the end. (If you ever come and see it, don't look too close)

To make sure that one would get a right angle, then there are lot of precautions to take into consideration. There are lots of tools and rules to follow in order to make sure that the angle is specifically 90-degrees. It doesn't take much, especially when human error is involved, to be off a few degrees. One can try and try and try, but there is still the chance that the project will be off...then what is one to do? All that work and not a perfect angle to show for it. It can drive some people crazy. Those that suffer with any part of obsessive compulsive disorder would be spinning in circles over something not correct.

Trying to find the right angle is how some people approach God. All they know is to follow the rules. Trying to do all the correct things so they can feel that they have done all they can do to make sure "in the end" they can stand before Him knowing they did the correct things. They may read their Bible so that they can feel good about themselves. They are a part of a church and go for the purpose of feeling good about themselves. They behave both, in church and society, in a way that makes sure they are doing right.

Just as it is a lot of effort to make sure my project's angles were square, it is a lot of effort to make sure that you achieve a right angle with God. But what would you do if you were off by any fraction of a degree? What would you do if you found out that an error you'd committed when you were 20 years old took you away from being at a right angle and caused you to lose out on any hope of heaven? You would have done anything to go back to that day and change it, right?

Don't misunderstand to think one should do things at the other end of the spectrum and be okay with God. God is just, which, to me, means that sometimes He must show "tough" love and will hold people accountable for what they've done or not done while they lived their life.

What I am getting at is that grace, which God has given mankind, is something that shouldn't make us worry if we are at a "right angle" with God, or not. We can be a few degrees off and still look good to God. One person once described grace as "God's Riches At Christ's Expense". The first letter of each of those words spells out grace.

That description is so true! We are able to be a few degrees off, because we are sinners. We are able to be right with God because of the grace that has been given to us through Christ paying the price.

I tried to make sure that my project had right angles. However, because it does not have every angle the way it is supposed to be that doesn't make it a total waste. Let us not get caught up in being too concerned if our life is filled with right angles, but rather understand that as a Christian, we can be a few degrees off and God will still give us the opportunity to be in heaven!

Enjoy life, even if you are a few degrees off of a right angle!

Wondering What Happened

Have you ever returned to a town you used to live and noticed that in your time of absence things changed? Changes like: Businesses closed, buildings torn down, town expansion, etc. We reflect back "in the day" when we lived there and the way the environment used to look. I remember taking my wife to a town where I used to live. It was very small and it only took about 15 minutes to "tour". I enjoyed trip down memory lane of returning to the "Prairie Chicken Capital of the World", with a population of 130 (in 2000), according to the Wikipedia website.

Change is happening in our world all the time. In order for change to take place, someone must be willing to work and carry out the work that creates change. For those that do not put in the work, they may wonder what happened while "they were gone". This brings us to a quote that challenges me as I think about change and the effort it takes implementing change...

There are those that work, there are those that talk about those working, and there are those that wonder what happened. ~ DudLee Brennfoerder

Which category do you generally fit into? Are you a "get involved" kind of person, a "talk about whose getting involved" person, or a "when did this change" kind of person? As a society we are infected with this mentality. It affects us in various facets: communities, jobs, churches, etc.

Usually those in the latter two categories have a difficult time seeing the purpose in a project. The more we're a part of a project the more we see the purpose and develop a passion in the project.

As you look around your community, workplace, or church, think about how you will be involved with a project/program. If there isn't a work going on that you want to be involved in, think about an area that you are passionate about and see what might happen. Your passion will may end up being magnetic to others, causing them to desire to be involved, also.

It is very enjoyable to be involved in areas you feel strongly about. It motivates you so much that you may find it hard to quit or not look forward to the time when the project is finished. Get involved...who knows what fun adventures are right around the corner that you never would have known about if you didn't pursue your passions.

Energized by being involved...
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Picture came from: http://www.thelope.com/2006/09/three-meals-in-kansas.html

E-mail Encouragement: Putting Your Plan Into Action

We often look for the "ideal" moments to "get out and do things". Whether it is the right temperature, wind speed, sunny vs. rainy, busyness, etc., they all can play into our excuse making. Most of the time, we just have to start doing something and it seems to be much better than what we expected. I can relate to all of that, as I like to have the right "mood" in order to work on a specific project. I've learned, but tend to forget the lesson, that a project isn't so bad once you start working on it. I've also learned that when I set my mind on completing the project, I am very energized to get it completed and that there is rarely anything that can stop me once I get to that point. This brings us to this week's quote...

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost. ~ Martha Graham

What have you been wanting to do for God that you've been waiting until just the right "ideal" moment? As there rarely is an "ideal" moment, the time to get started planning your work and working your plan is the present.

Don't block your potential - let it take wings and fly!!!

Have a great rest of your week!!!

Stretching my wings ~