‘Get To’ or ‘Have To’?

I was in a conversation recently that included the following remark (from them): “I can’t believe it took me until 2 am to get this done.” That seems simple enough at first glance. You have a bit of information (they were working until 2 am) and then some interpretation of how they feel about it (they find it surprising or extreme). Again, that seems simple enough (at first glance). But I think it can also highlight something significant about how we put our ‘stories’ together, because that’s not the only way to ‘experience the same information. You could also look at it this way: “Isn’t it great to have something worth working on until 2 am?” (Of course… Repackaging the same information in that way would actually require that you were doing something you ‘believed in’ or are passionate about).

How do you tell your story? Do you describe it in terms of a purpose that pulls you – or on that you are reaching toward?

There is a similar shift in my own thinking which needs to happen on a periodic basis. I need to shift my focus away from the cost (or the complications) and re-center on any number of ‘up side’s’ which are being taken for granted. There’s a quick way to find out which perspective is more your own: Does your morning alarm signal the point at which you have to do it again or get to do it all, again?
How do you tell your story?

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has done studies on the relationship between how we spend our time and what impact that has on how we feel about it. He discovered that we do about a third of what we do because we want to, a third because we have to, and the final third because we could think of nothing better. Which is incredible, really, when you consider how time strapped we all seem to be.

All of this (thinking about purpose and how we tell our own story) came together in my mind this week because of the date. You’ll be receiving this on September 11, 2008. At this time 7 years ago, we were all gripped, shocked, challenged, changed, moved and disturbed by what we were watching unfold on live television. I’m not sure what it was like for you, but it really made me reflect on my life from a totally different perspective. Was I valuing my time? Was I leaning into purpose? Was I making a difference? Was I just taking up space?

7 years ago, we were suddenly and firmly reminded that we are living in history. It’s happening all around us all the time. We feel it more when there’s a crisis, and that pulls to ask “the big questions”. I want to challenge you to not need the crisis.

How are you telling your story? Do you describe it in terms of some great purpose you’re reaching towards and leaning into?

I’m part of a community that believes we were made for an adventure that does not need to end. We believe we were made on purpose and for a purpose – and for us – all of that is connected to the person of Christ. And for myself, I’ll add ‘rather unexpectedly’ because I continue to be surprised every day at how much this story can look ‘done and over done’ on the surface while still being vibrant, fresh and unexplored in it’s deeper parts.

I hope you can find a few moments to think about purpose and the person of Christ.

Join us on Sunday if you can or tune into the podcast through the week.

Have a great weekend,

Chris