There are two different kinds of stories . . .
Stories “about” our lives and stories “from” our lives.
Author Bob Goff writes, “Acquaintances will know us for what we’ve done. Friends will remember us for how we loved.”
Conway Jolly, a founding member of West and the visionary behind WOW (West on the Water) that we held for several summers, is currently in the hospital. Last week when Conway went in, they were uncertain what was wrong but for several days he was gravely ill. As West folks found out Conway was in the hospital my phone went crazy. Text after text . . . “Please tell Conway we love him. Thank him for the way in which he loved us.”
The message was clear. Certainly, Conway is someone who has stories “about” his life but more than that, he has so many stories from his life. People he’s loved and loves. . . lives he’s impacted/is impacting. In a moment of crisis, people wanted Conway to know that he is loved.
Sometimes it is easy to forget what is “the main thing.”
Back in the dark ages (early 90’s) while in college I heard Bishop Bevel Jones speak to a group of pastors at First United Methodist Church, Charlotte. It was a “charge” for the next four years to keep the faith, lead fearlessly, and to remember, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
In a time where anxieties are high, opinions are rampant, and listening ears perhaps not so much, may we be mindful of the one we follow. We follow a revolutionary. Who was bold, fearless, and willing to do whatever it took to change the world. But – in all that he did . . . he did it with selfless love.
These next several weeks we are going to explore HOW we can be more like that in our day to day lives. We are going to talk about managing our emotions, listening to one another, and being the people of Love/Light we were/are created to be.
Most likely at some point in our lives, we will each face a “crisis” moment. Undoubtedly there will be people there for us and with us during those difficult times. They will love us through them. During those moments may they be remembering and reminding us of the stories from our lives, not just the ones “about” our lives.
That will happen if we remember that “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17
You are reading a Musing Meditation by Andrea Smith, Pastor, West Church, Lake Norman, Mooresville, NC.
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