To My Fellow Do-Nothings On This 4th of July

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."... Matthew 5:14

"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."   ... Matthew 6:3,4


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So yeah, I'm of the 'conservative persuasion'. You probably guessed that. Perhaps it's my lack of certain phrases or tones which gives me away.

And you know? That 'lack' word has me thinking. See, some fellow conservatives online spouted phrases like, 'sleeping conservatives', 'the do-nothings' or 'watchers'. As in, maybe guilt will activate us like wind-up toys.

But hey, if you're gonna make comparisons, well, of course we'll look like do-nothings. The majority of us are not-- 


-- screaming in the streets. We're not calling our President and his family horrible names.
We're not taking flash bombs and chains to prayer rallies (Portland, anyone?).
We're not escorting political leaders out of restaurants nor filming ourselves lecturing them there.
We're not using Facebook or Twitter to start fights and end friendships.
We're not making violent threats, sarcastic parodies nor are we inciting violence (didn't that used to be illegal?).


No wonder we look lazy. Other folks sure do stay busy lately, right?

Yet here's the thing: I cannot do anything greater than what God asks me, personally, to do.

I could march and write letters and make calls and run for office--but, uhm, I'd be in personal error. All that would zap the time, energy and finances God gave me for very specific callings He slipped inside when forming me. (And of course, this isn't to say He never asks me to be politically minded. He does. Sometimes.)

But we all have specific callings, yes, even you. And some of you are called to be active political soldiers, creating huge changes in our Country. Please, please do that if God's saying,"Come on, already!".

But most of us? 

Most of us are meant to keep foundations from crumbling. We're to hold up the arms of leaders, to wear our spiritual armor and pray like crazy. To care for our families, teach them respect for human beings and wisely prepare for all emergencies. To aid our neighbors, give money via our convictions and freely give of what's been freely given to us.

We're to be steady lights in what's become an extremely dark planet.

But the 'problem'? Most of those tasks, God asks us to do in secret-- without calling fanfare unto ourselves, lest the glory be snatched away from the One who leads us step by often-quiet step.

I'm thinking it's wiser these days to peer way, way below the surface before we assign the do-nothings label. Or even better? May we just stay busy shining our light, obeying God, helping Him with foundation upkeep, too active to criticize callings not ours with graces not ours to see them through.

Even though, yes, our own simple tasks probably don't get talked about or noticed much. Oh, but someday, they will. Indeed.

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."   ... 2 Corinthians 10:12


"When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset."   ... Exodus 17:12


"But remember--things are not always what they seem."   ...copied



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(Thanks, Anne, for sharing this at Facebook. It fits well here today.)

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After ten whole days, I was able to, yesterday, visit my coffee shop again!

(While they were on vacation, I'd attempted to play coffee shop on my front porch--and although pleasant--it just wasn't the same.)

Oh, and I'd meant for some time to thank you for praying for them. Business has seemed so much brisker this past month!

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