Lost in the Woods

Last month I was visiting friends at their property in the country.  I’d been several times before, so I’d developed a sense of the layout.  I’d been on several walks, but never on my own.  My friends were working on a project where I was of no particular use, so I decided a walk through the woods would be nice before I set out on my way back to Houston.

There were numerous managed (i.e. mowed) trails to choose from – I chose the one I thought would take the longest – off I went with Buddy (their dog) leading the way!

In no time at all, we came to the end of the mowed path…the path ahead was still there…it just wasn’t clearly marked.  Buddy appeared confident in the direction we were headed and so I followed.

Are You “LinkedIn” with God?

Social media seems to be the networking norm these days…I frequently receive emails asking “Do you know…” followed by a list of individuals. Most often I know the name, an acquaintance at best. This morning LinkedIn, a professional networking site, came to mind and something clicked…

On LinkedIn, people in your network are called connections and your network is made up of varying degrees of connection:

1st-degree – People you’re directly connected to because you have accepted their invitation to connect, or they have accepted your invitation.

2nd-degree – People who are connected to your 1st-degree connections. You can connect at a 1st degree level by receiving and accepting an invitation

3rd-degree – People who are connected to your 2nd-degree connections.

Now to the clicked part…

Out of Order

A couple of weeks ago, my employer began construction in our workspace. As a result, a bank of elevators which directly accessed our floor from the parking garage were no longer available. Instead, employees now use the main garage elevators.

At first I thought, “well geez, this certainly is inconvenient” – I soon discovered God’s purpose for re-routing us (me!) – I now have the opportunity to witness more frequently! Granted, the witnessing may come in the form of a smile, a “good morning!” or simply holding the door, but they are witnessing opportunities all the same.

One morning as I approached the elevator, I greeted a woman with a “Good Morning!” and a smile. Once we entered the elevator she said something along the lines of “It is so nice to see a friendly face! – Often I get on the elevator with women and they look as if they are ready to bite someone’s head off! They are angry about traffic or time or something else!”

Wow…what a timely reminder to step out of myself for a moment and engage others with the love of Christ!