So this morning it's the usual stuff - roll out of bed and begin to go through the mental checklist of the stuff that will need attention today. I'll need to drop that letter in the mail. Are there any bills that need to be paid this week? Yeah, but that one can wait till I get back. What time is it? Shoot! I can't iron a long sleeve this morning so a polo will have to do if I'm gonna get out of here in time. I could re-write the problematic code from last week to fix the problem on the database end instead of whatever the heck it is doing now. Should I check e-mail before or after shower? (I do both).

So, I work my way through the morning scramble, about to head out of the door and at the back of my mind is the thought that I'm supposed to be trying to get back into the habit of spending some reading, praying, quiet ... or something. Just something that puts God back in front of the day. Some days are okay and some other days not so good. Very often, so much has crowded in by the time I pick up my Bible that it is difficult to quiet down and hear God speak.

Standing there with my bag in hand, I decided to drop the bag for a minute or two and do a quick read. I scan the bookshelf briefly and settle on "A Year with C.S. Lewis". It has readings for each day which will make the decision of what to read this morning easier. Plus, his writings always getting me thinking and I was curious what I might find today.

Talk about being hit upside the head! This is an excerpt from the reading for today - July 8 (pulled from "Mere Christianity"):

"The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind."

Grace & peace,

Deji.

Posted by Deji Osinulu at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yeah, it's been a while since I last posted and even my last post was not that much of a post but I'm back ... at least for the day :-) Thought I'd try to get back to putting some stuff down here. It may be a bit random for a while but we'll see how it goes.

Okay, so this one is just from me thinking about what I could possibly blog about today (I wanted to just start - today being the 1st of the month and just see how July goes) and I was listening to the podcast from this weekend's "This American Life" and the two things that popped into my head were the comments in there about to the food provided to the homeless in that city by the churches there (and the love with which this service was provided) and just how important socks are to homeless people. Act One of the podcast - "Choosers, Not Beggars" - tells the story of two guys, who through a series of events (and in a number of ways a deliberate choice on their part) become homeless. This post is just about a sliver in their story. A diversion from their story really and just about something they said about what their experience was like in becoming homeless and having to live on the streets.

I had heard a bit a while back about the socks thing from my friends William & Shelley from their experience in ministry to the homeless up there in Austin, and hearing about it again in the podcast just reinforced to me how something that seems so insignificant to us can mean so much to those who live out there on the streets. So, the next time you are heading out to volunteer at a shelter, soup kitchen, or in some other manner, pick up a bulk pack or two of tube socks from your favorite discount store will ya? It sounds like it will be just as important as the food if not more.

Now about the food part. It may be that I was just really hungry when listening to that bit but it was just nice to hear how the churches have made the love of Christ tangible in the lives of the people they serve not just in the provision of food but how they have gone about it. The guys seemed to really appreciate and notice that the food was good and well prepared, it was plenty, and they were well received and treated with a courtesy that they did not get elsewhere. It almost sounded like their souls got fed just as much as their bellies did. Something for me to keep in mind when next I'm able to get my butt out there to be the hands of Christ to the needy.

Grace & peace,

Deji.

Posted by Deji Osinulu at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)