The Bench

Normally I use park benches to stop and tie my shoes while on a run or something.

This morning I realized that you can actually stop and sit down on them. What a novel idea for someone to put a park bench in a strategic place. I love living here in Germany. We have a lot  of benches where I live. Often they are on top of a hill so after you climb you can sit and rest or I guess enjoy the view.

I realized this morning that I do not stop and enjoy the view enough. As I was walking hurriedly through our town going from one place to the next I noticed a park bench. I decided not to stop though but thought that  could be nice sometime.

Then I just a couple of turns later as I was going into another building I noticed another bench. I was beginning to get the hint but I resisted the temptation. All of sudden I started seeing benches everywhere. Maybe we just have more park benches per capita or even more benches than people in our village. I don’t know. I need to research that.

I finally got the hint and just sat down for a bit. It was hard to do. It felt weird. I almost felt lazy.

I did not even tie my shoe. I got out my journal and wrote a few notes but mostly just sat and took a break. It dawned on me that I need to do this more often. I do not have enough “margin” in my life.  Margin is unplanned space on my calendar. My life is often too crowded to with stuff going on that I think is important. The thought I had this morning was this.

Without margin I think it is hard for me to live missionally. Without margin it is impossible to find the time to simply “be” and not always “be doing something”. If this is the case then I do not have time for those really cool conversations with my Father and with others around me about Him. I do not have time to just be still and know. I do not have time to enjoy what our Father has created.