Radar Up

I wish I could express how wonderful this week has been for me thus far.

Like a good employee, I got up early and headed into work on Monday despite being slightly travel lagged and relatively tired. As soon as I got in, I went right up to work on the floors and didn't even bother to check my schedule (and really- why should I... I just have rotations during the week).

After working for the morning, I came back from lunch and my co-resident was like "where have you been all morning? We have a work week this week!". It was at this moment that the heavens parted and a bright light shown into my windowless office. A work week! I have heard wonders of the mythical "W" day at Meriter- but an entire week is unheard of.

This is all wonderful though, because my one page of notebook paper is no longer able to contain my to-do list. Instead of 4 weeks of stress and frustration I have a fantastic opportunity to knock off a big chunk of the stuff that has been put off for FAR to long.

The big question is: What am I going to do with it all? Not what am I going to do with all the time... what am I going to do with this gift? How is God using this event in my life?

I have a major tendency to see God moving in the major things in my life... Me ending up in Madison, in where I am going to live next year, in finding Blackhawk church and in my wonderful life group. But what about all the little things that happen in my life? Do I see God's plan for me in a light work week, or a layover in Minneapolis?

Bible stories are fascinating to me, mostly because I am awful at reading them. One of the things I am learning (through Blackhawk) is how much awesomeness is packed into the beginning of the stories- the setting of the scene. Lets look at Acts 17:13-34. Here we find a wonderful story about Paul witnessing to Athens through culturally relevant means. It is a powerful example of Paul's ministry... but the story means so much more when you look at the beginning, the setting, the context.

¹³When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. ¹⁴The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. ¹⁵The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. ¹⁶While Paul was waiting for them in Athens...

The amazing thing about this story isn't the ministry (we all know Paul could preach). It is that he was there by accident! It was a layover for him the way that Minneapolis was a layover for me to and from Las Vegas a couple weeks ago. Instead of kicking up his feet and enjoying his break, Paul's "God Radar" was up- he was aware of the world around him and how God wanted to use him.

How did God want to use me in Minneapolis? I am sure he had a plan but I honestly have no idea what it was because... I wasn't looking. My radar was focused on me and not looking for God's still quiet voice. How many times in my life have I been in Athens and missed a chance to do God's work?

It is to late for me to realize my potential in Minneapolis... but what will I do with this week? With this Gift? Here's to keeping my radar up and my thoughts on a plan so much greater than I can imagine!

In Him,

Gus