When I was
engaged, I spent nearly every waking hour thinking about my soon-to-be
wife. Virtually every spare minute was
spent looking for ways to show her how much I cared. I’m amazed by how romantic I was back then,
and frankly a little embarrassed at how far removed from those involvements I can
become today. But that’s the subject for
a different blog. The word audacity means boldness or daring,
especially with confident disregard for personal safety, conventional thought,
or other restrictions. The term engaged means deeply involved or
occupied with another. As humans, and particularly
as Americans, our culture tends to put all of the focus on us. Therefore it almost seems audacious to engage
people around us. After all, we may
never even see them again. (All the more
reason to make the most of this opportunity.)
But we have an opportunity- shoot, even a responsibility- as Christians to
become engaged with those we find ourselves around each day. There’s someone that needs encouragement, a
kind word, or a pleasant smile just feet from us each day. Disengaging from the worries
and business of our minds will free up the mental energy to pay the attention
required to impact someone else positively.
After all, Jesus said that the most important commandments were to “Love
the Lord… and to love your neighbor as yourself.” If you are like most of us, you may not even
know your neighbor next door, but we have people all around us most days. Let’s have the Guts, the Raw Fortitude, and
the Audacity to Get Engaged.
