Crunch Time

By Rhoda Klein Miller 

When something must be decided or done and the difficulty can no longer be avoided. I don’t know if you relate but I tend to justify procrastination of the toughest tasks by being “productive” and focussing on smaller problems. Paper due in the morning? Suddenly the fridge HAS to be deep cleaned. Tax deadline looming? But the garden needs weeding and the dog needs a bath! Regardless of our avoidance and excuses, inevitably you’ve got to confront the challenge.

This week was crunch time for a lot of parents and school staff. Time to implement their plans based on shifting evidence and act on educated guesses. Regardless if they felt totally prepared or ready, kids were returning to class. In times when the stakes are high and stress is mounting, who we’re doing life alongside matters! Jesus’ strategy during His personal “crunch time” before the most agonizing decision and action of His life, was to prioritize relationships.

The day before His crucifixion, we find Jesus sitting at the table, breaking bread, speaking from the heart, sharing a song and taking long walks with His friends. He invested into relationships that would motivate His resolve. He wasn’t cramming in scripture memorization or endurance-building workouts, instead he pulled an all-nighter in agape love.

In this season of distancing and difficult decisions, we have an incredible opportunity to be very intentional and impactful with our relationships. I pray you will experience something powerful when you prioritize the people who will help you focus on Jesus. Twice this week I questioned if I could spare the time to connect with my spiritual support groups, and was tempted to bail on them, but I’m so glad I didn’t. The time together uplifted and sustained me.

If you are missing that in your life, reach out to us and take advantage of the community OAC offers.

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