Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Flowing and Blowing

(Jordan River.  Photo credit:  www.holylandpilgrimages.org)
 "All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up. The rivers keep flowing to the same old place, and then start all over and do it again." (Ecclesiastes 1:7, The Message)

Do you ever feel that way? You keep doing the same things over and over again and never finish? Makes me think of the 1970's song, "Dust in the Wind."

But, imagine with me for a moment. What if the rivers decided that, since the sea never fills up, we will stop flowing? The whole ecosystem would fall apart. Why?

Here's my "Aha moment" of the day: It is not the rivers' job to fill up the sea. It is the rivers' job to flow into the sea. The rivers accomplish their purpose in flowing, not in filling.

We may get frustrated because we don't see our jobs ever being completed? Could it be that our effectiveness is measured as much in the means as it is in the ends?

To clarify, I'm not talking about individual tasks never being completed. If that's the case, we have another issue all together. 
I'm talking about the big picture. I'm talking about why ministers never finish ministry and why teachers never finish teaching and why doctors never finish doctoring ... and why you never finish whatever calling you have.

We may be dust in the wind, but maybe God is using us to sand away someone's rough edges. Just a thought.

What can you do today to celebrate the means and not just the ends?
Leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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