Same Old Grind

It doesn't seem quite right to me to be talking about the "grind" of daily life so close to christmas.  This is the season of joy and friendship; of lights and celebrations.  This is a time to be merry!

And don't misunderstand me, it is all these things and it is wonderful.  But the lives we live the other 11 months of the year don't miraculously stop in their tracks.  We still go to work, make lunches, study and prepare for the things we are regularly responsible for, and that's good too.

It's not really fair to name this blog 'the same old grind' because that implies something negative when my point is (hopefully) an encouragement.

What made me think about this comes from watching TV last night.  As I was tuned into some of the sports highlights from the day I noticed a stream of short clips showing Tim Tebow, the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, on the field in various games.  Why he is a story for the media right now is that he is playing very well, and has a knack for fourth quarter comebacks.  The word they use a lot to describe his play is 'miraculous', and this is not only because of what he is accomplishing on the field but there is also a playful connection to his spiritual life as well--Tebow is an openly practising Christian.

So when I was watching the clips of Tebow's football play, I noticed again and again that he would kneel after a touchdown, or point to the sky after a particularly good throw, or pound his chest and then look up toward heaven to give a nod to the 'Big Guy' after a successful play.

And this was the thought I had: this is Tebow's job, this is what he does for a living, day in and day out.  He gets up in the morning, brushes his teeth, eats breakfast and then--off to work.  While he is at work he is again, and again, giving a nod to his Heavenly Father, just like it was part of his routine.

And I thought--this is really good!  Maybe I can learn from this guy.  Better yet, maybe he is helping to remind me what God wants to teach me. . . .take a look at the following verse from Romans 12:1 (The Message):

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

Maybe life that seems like a grind feels that way because we don't include God in it? In our efforts to try and see God as holy, maybe we have restricted to Him to the halls of our churches, and the pews of our sanctuaries?

So let's break free!  Let's listen to God's own heart that tells us plainly that He wants to be included in our ordinary, everyday lives.  Here's a few examples:  The next time you are welding and you put down that perfect bead, when you are admiring the good job you did, maybe do like Tebow and pound your chest and give a nod to the 'Big Guy'--include him!  He wants to join in the fun.  Or maybe when you are asked to move a bunch of crates in the warehouse, and when you are finished and looking at how well you have organized everything--take a knee and just say 'thanks' for God's presence and his giving you the abilities you have.  Whatever it is that is part of your 'daily grind', give God glory openly--it is a testimony to be sure.  And if you think it is embarassing that people might see you--just remember Tim Tebow--he is taking a knee before millions of people every time he does it.

Hope you enjoy your day!

BT