Monthly Archives: August 2011
Drying Clothes
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A backhoe was working in our yard. The operator looked at our clothesline and asked us what it was. Ivanildo explained how we hung our clothes to dry, and could stand in one place while pulling the cable over pulleys to move the clothes. He looked, and looked. Finally he just smiled and shook his head like, “Now I have seen everything”! There are no clothes drier machines that we know of in Marabá. Everyone hangs all their laundry around the yard, or on their porch, or in their homes. Barbed wire fences work really well. We set up a similar clothes line with cables and pulleys at Ivanildo’s house. It extends way out to the top of a tree down the hill from his house. One girl was staring at Ivanildo’s line for quite awhile. Finally she went up to Monica, “How do you hang your clothes so high up in the air, and how do you get them back down again”?
Wasting time is not a waste
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Lots of activities feel like wasted time. Maybe this is one reason I sometimes struggle to take a sabbath (one day out of seven) rest? Do I feel it will be wasted time. I lovemy work. I long to see better results. I find that when I force myself to quit working for a rest day I look forward to Mondays. In a sense I dread the end of the week, because I love my work so much. But I love the week-ends too, and I love Mondays. Sabbath rest days are one of the keys to a winning rhythm of life.
Some of the ways I feel like I waste time, but which are really import in the bigger picture:
- Driving long distances.
- Down time.
- Family time.
- Quiet time.
- Researching new ways to do things. (A lot of these do not work).
- Going slowly to understand how to do things right. (I always hope this will get fast with time).
- Reading a novel.
- Days off.
- Listening instead of talking.
- Sabbath rest days
Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. Mark 2:27, NLT
Rick.
In fact, wasting time is a key part of our lives.
Wasting time poorly is a sin, because not only are you forgoing the productivity, generosity and art that comes from work, but you’re also giving up the downtime, experimentation and joy that comes from wasting time.
If you’re going to waste time (and I hope you will) the least you can do is do it well.
Godin, Seth, “Seth’s Blog : Wasting time is not a waste” Email to RBergen, August 12, 2012
Stillwood Camp
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“I survived my first week at camp.” Olivia is working as a staff helper
way up in the mountains. Most helpers and staff have been coming here
every summer for many years, progressing naturally from campers to
leaders. They are all really nice people, and really glad for the
opportunity to hang out with each other. “This is not an easy place to
make new friends, but it is a great place to serve.” Olivia and Annika
learned in Seattle many people find it difficult to go instantly deep
in a conversation and be talking for half an hour before they realize
they don’t know the other person’s name. In settings like this MKs
often shine.
The guest speaker during “Campfire Hour” explained to the 300
tween-agers (11-13 year olds) and the 150 staff how many things, “like
food, alcohol, drugs, sex, movies…” are good if they are used right,
but not good if they are used wrong. “I love videos.” He had a video
player on the stage. But he put the movie in upsidedown and ever which
way, calling to the kids to help use it right. Finally, working up a
theatrical rage, he took a big sledge hammer and !!KerSMash!! with a
roundhouse swing he dramatically destroyed the movie player! Movies are
not good if they are used wrong. The next morning Guest Speaker
produced a bottle of ketchup. “I love ketchup! I love it on hot dogs,
hash browns, french fries and hamburger meat. I love it on everything!
He started to spread it all over his arms, then he squirted a bunch in
his hair and rubbed in all in. (The kids in the photo are the ones who
stayed back for extra ministry).
Olivia is full of stories about the zip line through the tall trees,
the climbing walls, the water activities and washing tons of pots and
windows. They even have an area where seniors come and camp with their
RVs for the summer. One of these senior’s main ministries is baking
cookies for everyone. “There are unlimited home made cookies for the
staff, made by loving grandmas. I never quite figured it out, but if
you get there at the right time, you can even get them while they are
still warm”. We are a long way from Marabá.
