Number our days
There’s a glamorous bank advertisement being played on airplane entertainment systems these days, which depicts various industry titans, movers and shakers, who “don’t follow maps but draw them, and build what isn’t there”. And that they just call this “Tuesday”. The point is that to these business paragons, daring entrepreneurship is simply routine. I mean, I'm posting this on Saturday, 'cos Tuesdays are too busy ya know :D
I’m no titan of industry. But it’s true that simply calling things “Tuesday” is what often works. As James Clear wrote in “Atomic Habits”, we don’t rise to the level of our goals; we fall to the level of our habits/systems. And it’s not possible to build habits or systems without actually putting them into practice. You can have all the SOPs and how-to-do-it books. But in the end, it takes jumping into the pool, day after day after day.
No one is ever truly ready to be married. The only way to become readier, is to get going, and learn to love better and better each day. No one is ever ready to be a parent, whether 18 or 48. The only way to become readier, is to start parenting, and figure things out. No one is ever ready for the next promotion. The only way to become readier, is to start doing the work of that bigger job, and learn from the inevitable mistakes. In other words, make the new thing “Tuesday”.
My wife and I first brought our kids to the mission field (somewhere in North Asia) when they were toddlers. Having two tiny kids along with us made us less practically useful to the team. I remember we struggled with milk, diapers, the pram, the spit-ups, and I think it's fair to say, a whole lot of wailing!
But more
than one team member said to us then, thank God for you guys joining us. If you
guys can do it with these two toddlers in tow, then surely we can do it too.
Those words were such an encouragement to us to keep going!
My wife and I wanted to make mission work “Tuesday” for ourselves, and even more importantly, for our children. We wanted it to be routine. Normal. Expected.
Our ideas
might not work for everyone, but I gotta say, it totally worked for us. Today
my children are young adults – one working, the other in university. All
through their busy teenage years, army days, university days and now working
life, they have made mission work “Tuesday”.
They
regularly join us on every trip that they can, eagerly asking when the next
trip is, so they can block it out in their calendars in advance.
Not “I’ll
see if I can make it”, but “I’ll make sure I make time for it”!
That’s why I felt it was such a full-circle moment recently, at our 24th trip to see our friends in Batam. My parents and my daughter (the son is overseas) came along as usual, but we also had a new couple join us, with their two-year-old son. And yes, there was fussing and wailing, and feeding mini-crises. But it was such an encouragement to have them with us. If they can do it, surely we all can too.
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The issue of age was particularly poignant this time, not only because the ages of the trip team members ranged between 2 and 85.
During our
trip, there was a rather serious traffic accident just outside our school, and
two young people, who didn’t look more than in their early twenties, were very
seriously injured.
In recent
years, the intensification of industry in the area has made the road
increasingly busy, with hordes of motorcyclists, weaving in between cars and
heavy vehicles. These two young people were on a motorcycle when the collision
happened, and I have to say, it did not look good.
This also
isn’t Singapore, with ambulances responding within minutes. No paramedic is
going to turn up on time. So they loaded them into two random cars and drove
them off to the hospital. The feeling of shock and helplessness among us and
the villagers was palpable.
Later that evening, when we returned to Singapore, we received the desperately sad news that a young lady we had known since she was a little child, had passed away from sudden illness in her early twenties.
It hit us
hard, because we had seen this young lady literally grow up in front of us. I’m
deeply thankful that she had a life of great activity, achievement, fulfilment
and eventually, faith, but heart-wringingly sad that the world did not get to
experience more of her energy. As I looked through her in memoriam pictures,
I could not help but choke up with a deep ache in my heart.
I lost my
brother when he was in his twenties as well, but I can only imagine the pain
and loss felt by the family.
While we have breath, it’s not too late – look at my parents, still going out to the mission field at their age! But each day that we have breath, and *don’t* take action, is another day that will never return. Life’s beginnings and ends, twists and turns, have a way of surprising us, and we have no way of telling when they may arrive, for young or old, for good or ill.
So, if we
have the opportunity, love and marry and have children. Don’t wait till we have
achieved everything else.
Bring our friends, children and family members to do good work together. Don’t hold back because
they’re either “too old” or “too young”.
Join in a
faith community to love, laugh and serve together. Don’t wait till we are “more
free”.
Intentionally
seek out a life filled with joy, peace and most of all, purpose, from the God
who loves us. Don’t put off finding God until crisis strikes.
And if we really want to make it all work, make this all routine - make it all “Tuesday”!
"Be
very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most
of every opportunity." Ephesians 5:15
"Teach
us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalms 90
""Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." At once they left their nets and followed him." Matthew 4:19-20
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