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“God grant that I may never live to be useless!”

– John Wesley, How To Pray: The Best of John Wesley on Prayer

On this day in 1738, John Wesley had his Aldersgate conversion experience which led to the founding of the Methodist movement. Methodists acknowledge this day as “Aldersgate Day.”

As I talked yesterday…you did read yesterday’s post, didn’t you? As I talked, we all have our to-do lists.

What we put on that list, how long the list is, and our commitment to working through the list, varies with each of us.

What I’m realizing more and more, and I wish I’d realized this in my 20s or even my 30s, is that the things I put on my list need to mean something. They need to have value.

I’m not a doomsday prophet by any means. But, we really only have so much time left.

I have no idea when Christ will return. I just know he’s coming back.

More importantly, as noted yesterday, I have no idea how much time I have left.

I’m not trying to be morbid by any stretch, but if I bring his up again tomorrow, you might just want to check in on me.

I digress.

The point is that I need to make my time worthwhile.

Before we get too obsessed, sometimes mindless surfing the Internet or Television can be worthwhile and restorative.

As long as we don’t do it 24 hours a day.

You know my struggle here to make this blog useful, to make it relevant.

And, while I appreciate your stopping by on a regular basis, I certainly hope none of you spend 24 hours a day here surfing this blog. I don’t even do that.

I’m not looking for fame. Admittedly, I wouldn’t snark at fortune.

I just want what I do, what I say, to be relevant. To be useful.

It does make me stop and think about how I’m spending my time.

In full disclosure, it makes me wonder if all of those things on my to-do list I was obsessing over yesterday are really worthwhile.

I think I just heard one of my neighbors yell “Oh hell yes, mowing your yard is worthwhile.”

I digress.

I don’t know. I mean I think about all of the things that consume our time, that fill our day. Are they really that important?

Whether we realize it or not, we all have an impact on those around us.

When John Wesley realized his call, he didn’t waste anytime getting down to business.

Sometimes we’re just consumed with busyness.

Today, I’m thinking about all the things that gobble up my time. Are they useful? Are they necessary?

Those are hard questions to ask.

And harder to answer.

It’s Wednesday, the work week is half over.

Get out there and do something useful.

American singer-songwriter, and actress Patti LaBelle was born on this day in 1944.

 

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