Coming Up Short...

Randy Newman – Short People

I'm the shortest of all my sisters. I'm shorter than my three daughters. I am shorter than most of my nieces and nephews. I've gotten used to the short jokes, and I can't begin to count how many times I have heard that "short people got no reason to live" (courtesy of above song by Randy Newman!). Being short is a way of life for me. I need a pillow in my car to help me see above the steering wheel (just teasing!) and I invariably find myself frustrated at church and movie theatres, when it seems everyone in front of me is at least six feet tall! Now that I am in my fifties, I am accustomed to being the shortest one in just about any company, male or female. The one place I do not, however, want to come up short is in my relationship with my Lord Jesus.

I have three amazing daughters. Each one of them has added immeasurably to my life, and they love their mama! They are also unfailingly honest with me, even if it hurts. Tonight was a case in point. Caroline, my youngest, and I were walking to our car after church. I mentioned that I really want to live my life for Jesus, and that I don't want to waste any time not being who He wants me to be. Caroline stopped short, her brown eyes blazing. I took a deep breath. I know what it is like to come up against this little spitfire, and it isn't pretty!

"Mama!" her voice was firm and scolding. "I do not want to hear you talk like that ever again!" She frowned, her irritation glaringly obvious. "You have had a very incredible life, and it is okay just to BE here on earth. You don't have to be doing something religious all the time. God sees your heart."

I reached out for a hug, and smiled at my little warrior. I knew what she meant and even though I wasn't seeking to be more "religious", her words did hit home for me in a very powerful way.

So often, I do feel that I am falling short on what I could be doing for God in my life. I wonder, as you all know, about missions. I wonder about full time ministry. I want so much to be serving Him in all that I do. In the process, though, maybe I have forgotten the simple truth that He wants me just to spend time with Him. To fellowship with Him. To listen to Him. To read His Word. To pray.

Sometimes, maybe, He wants less "doing" and more "being".

So, my cue for tonight is to relax. Just relax and enjoy His presence, the same as I do with Caroline, when we sit in quiet, companionable silence, lost in our books but aware of each other's presence nearby.

If you are rushing around, desperately seeking ways to serve Him more or to be more active in your faith, maybe it's time to just take some time and, as an elderly patient used to tell me, "set a spell" and listen to His voice. It's okay to sit down. It's okay to be quiet. It's okay, and it's important.

I think I will put on some water for tea, get off the computer, and just hang out with my Father for awhile.
Night, y'all. Sweet dreams.