The Authors of Writes of Passage

The Authors of Writes of Passage

Thursday, November 13, 2008

The times, they are a-changin'...

Funny how Lori mentioned Twitter. I only recently learned about Twitter from Brandilyn Collins' Faith & Forensics blog. Two things struck me simultaneously: 1) Twitter is a really funny word; and 2) who would really care about the minute details of my day? But it's made me think about what those little details might reveal about a person if we were to analyze them.

Would the snippets (or "twitters") show a self-serving lifestyle [10:31 AM Standing in line at Sundollars Coffee buying a grande double mocha latte with extra cream because I am super stressed!] or a God-serving lifestyle [10:31 AM Buying a grande double mocha latte with extra cream to take to my neighbor, who's under the weather]? Tammy closed her blog this week with "only what we do for God will last." My dear step-grandma had a wooden plaque hanging on her bedroom wall with that same thought:


Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I'll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

Now, granted, there are certain tasks to which we must commit our time that aren't exactly what we'd view as "kingdom building." Laundry, driving, and shopping come to mind. But the attitude we convey while performing these mundane tasks can certainly honor God...or not. I can grumble about having to root through everyone's dirty clothes or I can thank God for the gift of my family; I can honk impatiently at other drivers or I can wave and smile; I can complain about the rising price of canned tuna to the person in the grocery line behind me or I can ask her about her grandchildren... There are always choices.

Personally, I think the Internet is a great tool. I love that I can shoot an email and communicate instantly with someone on the other side of the world. It's simplified my life to do a few clicks and pull up information on cattle branding to help with my current work-in-progress. I can book airline tickets and get directions and share a newsletter with readers. But truthfully, I don't expect to be Twittering soon. I'm too hung up on question number 2 above. Wouldn't it be better to indulge in face-to-face conversation with my hubby or children rather than shooting "here's what I'm doing now" messages to a host of on-line acquaintances? And my time is so limited. I'd rather spend my writing time on the stories that ring through my heart. That's my ministry, and I pray those words bring glory to God.

Lest you think otherwise, I'm not saying there's anything fundamentally wrong with Twitter. If it sounds fun to you, go ahead and "twit"! I just think this new-fangled means of communicating tiny bits of info isn't necessarily for me. We grammas have a hard time keepin' up with the times, y'know. ;o)

I'll close with a verse from my morning's reading. This is a "snippet of info" that speaks to me... From Psalm 90, verse 17: "May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.."

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

4 comments:

  1. Great post, Kim! And that poem your Grandma had is one of my favorites. ~ Thanks for reminding me to stop and think about how I'm spending my time, because I certainly want to honor my Lord in ALL that I do. ~ When I put in a load of laundry now, instead of thinking how BADLY my back is hurting, I think of a blessing with each piece of laundry I toss in! (that may seem silly, but it's better than dwelling on my pain-LOL!). Hugs, Patti Jo :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I added a link to this blog on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, Lena, for linking us. And yes, Patti Jo, you've learned the perfect distraction for pain: praise. I used to sing praise songs when I was hurting badly--it always helped. :o)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have to agree with your comment, Kim, about face to face communication being so much more valuable. I'm reminded of the apostle Paul's companion, Barnabas. Barnabas was an encourager. In fact, he started out as Paul's mentor, and then became his cheerleader. He took the time to come alongside Paul and exhort him to serve Christ. He could have written a letter or sent word by some other means, but he personally took the time to build a relationship.

    ReplyDelete

We're so glad you're here. Thanks for your comment!