Ecclesiastes 4:6  
And yet, 
“Better to have one handful with quietness 
than two handfuls with hard work 
and chasing the wind.” (NLT)

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We live in a side-hustle nation. If you read news and information periodicals regularly, you will see plenty of articles about earning extra income. And so, it’s tempting and easy to find extra work to fill up the time we should be investing in our families and resting. 

There is a difference between learning new skills to prepare us for something better in the future and simply working more to earn more, which we don’t have time to enjoy.

A fistful of dollars more becomes another burden. Sometimes, it becomes the tail that wags the dog.

One of my coworkers and I had a lunch meeting this week where one of our friends pulled us toward his major interest, while another friend pulled us in the direction of his major interest. We found the discussion a bit like the tail wagging the dog. We found it to involve more expenditures of energy in pursuit of someone else’s goals. We had more fun talking to the young man serving our table than those guys. 

Those guys had beneficial ideas, strong purposes, and big plans for our lives. The guy serving our table had tattoos that were deeply meaningful to him and told stories of how he became the man he is today. 

It’s more enjoyable to hear a story of a life with its ups, downs, and purpose than someone else’s wonderful plan for your life. It’s easier to celebrate victories won and obstacles overcome than becoming a tally mark on someone else’s scorecard.

People are interesting if you give them a chance to be. They tell fascinating stories if you ask the right questions and listen with deep interest and focused attention. 

Sundays like this are good times to hear the old, old story of Jesus and his love. They are times to enjoy restful, restoring activities that enrich our lives far more than a fistful of dollars, and a few dollars more. 

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I will go deeper with people who have stories to tell and victories to celebrate. 

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Our Father, remind us as often as necessary that, as important as our big plans and wonderful opportunities are, there are real people around us with stories to tell. Give us ears to hear what you are saying through them to us in those moments. Remind us that your kingdom work involves living in the moment we are in, seeing what you want us to see, hearing what you want us to hear, and responding in whatever manner is most appropriate. Amen.