Trying to Get Stuff Done

These kind of Monday mornings sneak up on me sometimes. At the start of the working week I feel like I really should get into seomething that kinda resembles work. I should set some goals, make a schedule, be productive, Get Stuff Done... But sometimes this freedom of language learning is far too much for me. I'm not sure if I can be trusted with so much time that I can fill with confusing thoughts of everything else.

It doesn't help that I've completey overdosed on books and DVD's this past weekend.

On Saturday morning I watched 5 teaching sessions back-to-back from a conference in Australia about poverty. I was glad that people went to this conference (called Surrender 05). I'm happy that they thought it was important enough to pay their money for it, show up for it and walk through the program together. Having said that, I was relieved to be able to watch the DVD's by myself... free to let the tears melt without having to try too hard to blink them away.

I remember Jackie Pullinger recounting her response to people who come to her asking for tips for ministry. These are individuals who have started big churches in their own countries or elsewhere and fancy themselves to try the same thing in Hong Kong. They ask Jackie how they may replicate their model of success and she gives them these tips:

1. learn Chinese
2. go live with the poor
3. be kind to them

And as I tried to sleep on Saturday night I thought this was good advice.

I tried to sleep on but I kept sneaking more chapters from The Story We Find Ourselves In. I crept out of my shared room several time, sat on the tiled floor in the corridor and read by the LED light on my mobile phone. I was inspired again that the story of the world is His story. And I was stoked to remember that my story can connect with His story and that He empowers me to do this. It was good to be reminded about simple stuff such as the reality that being a Christian isn't primarily about being polite (for example) but it is about following Jesus.

On Sunday morning I was ready for church (it was more than the coffee that prepared me, it was hope). So I went and it was OK. But I didn't repsond too well to the OK-ness of it. Instead I moaned to my friends over lunch about how most of the time I hate going to church (whether in English or Khmer). Then I felt bad because I wonder if me liking it or not misses the point completely.

Last night I baked chocolate cupcakes at my friends' place and while they were in the oven I did the dangerous deed of accepting her offer to switch on the TV. For the next half hour we sat and watched on CNN about the 5 million or so who are starving in Malawi. I couldn't watch quietly. I kept throwing questions at the screen, talking back to the reporters and trying in some way to get my head around another tragedy that is hammering our fragile planet this year. We ate the cupcakes when they were done but I still don't know what to do about Malawi.

OK- so this is where I'm at today. Trying to Get Stuff Done but still feeling like I haven't got a clue...