Day 31 : You don't get to do what other people do

I go to a hockey game with the kids. We stand behind the glass right behind the goal.

The man above sits on a stool near us. He stares at the goal, with his finger on a button. When the puck crosses the line into the net, he pushes the button, a buzzer sounds and everybody cheers.

That’s all he does the entire time. He doesn’t watch the players, he doesn’t watch the game. He’s focused on the goal. That’s his job and he’s the only one who can do it.

Everybody else can watch the game and talk and gawk around. Not him. He’s the goal judge.

Very simple. Very important.

You could say it’s his calling, his assignment.

You’ve got an assignment, too – it’s that thing that if you don’t do it, who will?

If you’re a parent, well, there you go. You know all about what it’s like to eliminate interest in other things to do something you’re committed to, that no one else can do for you. Your paying job is the same kind of thing – you committed to it, and you exclude other interests to do it.

Same with marriage.

Same with hope.

If hope is something you dream and talk about without commitment, then it’s just sentimental jargon

Real hope involves commitment in faith, prayer, action, and sacrifice. This kind of hope is a calling.

A calling that calls, “Me, not that.”

It’s not wrong to play around, enjoy life, turn on all your team’s games, shop, hang with friends, watch movies every night, have a cool hobby, and be all connected with everyone online.

Unless it keeps you from watching the goal.

Every calling, every assignment, has its own commitment requirements. You might have to figure out yours by trail and error. You will NOT figure it out by looking at others and thinking, “They get to (insert some totally permissible activity) so it’s OK if I do that, too.”

The more your hope is uniquely yours, the more personal and unique your commitment will look

This can get lonely. Another reason hope is scary.

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There’s  more to say about this Scary Hope thing, so I’m continuing for awhile, even though the 31 Days series ends today.

To start at the beginning of this whole series, click HERE. To subscribe to automatically receive each day, click HERE.

Thanks for reading!

Comments

[Jody]

Thanks for writing!
I love the word pictures you put with these articles. It makes sense, cements it in my brain. Thank you.

[Dixie Redmond]

Oh, Gary, what a great post. You said, "The more your hope is uniquely yours, the more personal and unique your commitment will look
This can get lonely. Another reason hope is scary."

Yes indeed. I'm linking to this post on my autism blog. Thank you.

[Joy Manoleros]

Gary I love your approach. I'm SO glad you have more to say! Thanks for being willing to be the only rooster in the hen house the past 31 days!