20 July, 2009

On a mission

I started thinking about writing this blog post this morning. I formulated the entire entry to go over the many reasons why I detest the Metro system. Since the accident, fewer trains are running, the trains that are functional are running on manual controls and about 30 mph less than normal. All of this equals incredibly upset Washingtonians and frustrated commuters. For a city that doesn't say "hi" to each other in the morning and ignores everyone else through their iPod earphones, I would say this is a brand new level of grumpiness.

I was going to post this really long rant about how people were being rude and inconsiderate, pushing excessively on the train, and not obeying social norms (i.e. walking on the left of escalators). Each person who steps on and off those trains each day is "on a mission," as my grandmother would say, to be the first through metro turnstiles, the earliest arrival at their workplace, and the best at getting through their to-do list.

And, I'm no exception. I'm a to-do list junkie. But after listening to Will's sermon at Frontline, I realized that my view of "mission" as a 9-5 job is completely screwed up. My goal for each day is not to accomplish all things on the unending checklist. My mission is to live, love, breathe, serve, and be. And, that is so much more freeing than any other mission I've ever known.

Instead of whining and complaining about the people I see each morning and their inconsiderateness, I need to love them despite their mood and attitudes. When I groan about the fact that our train is stopping for 5 min. at each station, I need to be thankful for a way to work and people who are willing to operate it. I just hope I remember those things over the course of this week.

3 comments:

Jodi said...

Wow Plum...remember that there are so many people so absorbed in their own lives and problems...therefore smile and always have a pleasant look and be the beautiful person that you are and maybe one or two people each day will pass that along to someone else....called pass it forward, didn't they? The world you are living in has become an iPod generation. There is much more to life than that....show them! Love you!!

Amanda said...

I love this post, Amy! These are the same thoughts that have been running through my head too. Many times I find myself considering my job to be taking care of the house (laundry, cleaning, cooking...etc.) but when I take time the time to actually stop and think I realize that the Lord has given me a MUCH higher calling (not that I don't feel rewarded by my work at home). To love people and bring them to the Lord! God has even been so gracious as to place four of those precious little souls right in my very own home and I get to spend every day with them!

I'm praising the Lord for your beautiful heart today. And I'm thankful for your willingness to serve Him!

Stephanie Y. said...

This is a great post Amy!

And it's so true, I find myself thinking "gah how long will it take for the metro to sort things out!?" then I remember that I wasn't on that train, and that despite slower travel times, I get to work and home safely and I thank God for it.

This is such a great reminder.