The Middle of the Week

As I drove home today, thinking about the anticipation of the weekend, it occurred to me that I was glad to have that anticipation.  Part of the excitement of a birthday, or of Christmas, or even of the weekend, is the Anticipation.  Sometimes, that suspense is even more enjoyable than the event - not that the event lacked anything, simply that it’s fun to wait for fun things.

As I’ve pondered the way that God has orchestrated the way the world works, I find myself thinking that I can learn so much stewardship here, even amidst - or perhaps the learning is amplified by - the sin in this world.  Money is the barest part of that stewardship; there’s so much more:  stewardship of my time, of my priorities, commitments, talents, choices, thoughts - of myself, really.  It seems to me that this is the primary center of what God is teaching me - at least right now, though I expect it will be a lifelong venture.

Life here is a journey with Him, and I will take the things that I learn here with me when I get to join Him.  So I am thankful for the journey as I wait to join Him... I don’t want it to stop there, though.  Life here is made up of moments, and I want to be thankful for each one.  It’s easy to attach a bit of a “trudging” (refer to Chaucer’s comment in “A Knight’s Tale” - warning, a bit of mild language, skewed philosophy, and a naked rear) feeling to the middle of the week - especially if the weekend doesn’t necessarily hold festivities.  Yet the middle of the week is still a part of my blessed journey with God.

I don’t wait for the weekend so that I don’t have to work; I love my job.  I wait for the weekend in order to spend more time with my family and friends.  Even if I didn’t love my job, I would have the choice in the stewardship of myself as I worked, to either dwell on how much I really don’t like my job, or upon how wonderful it will be when I get off of work to see my husband’s face... or maybe even other things.  Perhaps you’re a single parent, and it’s the face of your child.  Perhaps the goal of your work is to make enough money for a project - maybe to buy a house.  Dwell on what you can do because of your work, not the work itself.  The only caution:  don’t place your hope in that.  If it doesn’t turn out the way you expected, then God has something else good planned for you, and you got to enjoy the anticipation in the meantime.

So I am thankful for the middle of the week... for the teaching of the stewardship of myself as I wait, and for the anticipation that I have the choice and privilege to enjoy.