The Universe, Christ-likeness, and my car

When I was a senior in high school, I had this amazing physics class and this even more amazing teacher. Coach Hildendenbrandt was so funny, had unbelievably high expectations, tended to be sarcastic, and threw things if you weren't paying attention. I listened! It was in that class that I learned about a theory for chaos. The universe naturally tends toward chaos, and we are constantly intervening just to maintain it the way it is now. Like, paint eventually chips, houses fall down if not maintained, dirt erodes, roads wear out, trees die, metals corrode. I had just begun driving the year before, and (I know this will surprise some of you!) my car was a mess. Suddenly, here was my rationale! "No, I don't clean my car out everyday. I would be constantly fighting against the universe if I did that, and I'm just not that strong!"

That's been a few years. If you had looked in my car a month ago, you would have seen that not much has changed. Except that at this time in my life I'm fighting against the universe with 4 chaos-makers, not just myself. My children (daughter especially) get in the car, empty their backpacks, peel off layers of outerwear, show me what they made for me, talk a mile a minute about everything, and leave it all behind them when they get out. Chaos. Not to mention our folding chairs for soccer games, double stroller for when we may need to walk somewhere pretty far for them, diapers & wipes (just in case) and an assortment of papers at various stages of the "grade, give feedback, record" process. (My house, by way of mention, stays pretty clean. Except for the laundry room. The kids pick up their toys each night. I lose my mind and good demeanor if I trip and break my neck.)

Then the other night, I heard a message at church about laziness. The speaker said that we wouldn't know if we were lazy, but that we could ask our spouses. I haven't taken him up on that challenge yet, but I did really hear what he said next. He said that the cleanliness of our cars reflects our Christlikeness. Ouch!! He didn't say that if we don't teach our children Scripture, we would be in sin. He said that I should keep my car clean!! As a discipline. I'm pretty sure this also applies to my assortment of papers in the various stages of grading, and my ideal weight, and flossing my teeth faithfully each night. He didn't say that, but it made sense in the context of the message.

I've been meditating on that, and on the ways I use my precious time each day. Since I teach part-time, I already feel pulled in both directions at times. My children are growing as I type this, and there's no way to get back past days. As I've reflected on the message, though, I have realized that there are going to be times that I will have a mess in my car. But I have been challenged also to evaluate the way I manage the tasks I've been given to manage. The "stacks" on my desk, and in my life that I need to go through. It may take me awhile. But ultimately, it's not the universe I'm battling. It's sin.

Laziness casts into a deep sleep; an idle soul shall soon hunger. Proverbs 19:15