I watch the frantic actions of the young; they are working to impress, struggling to make their mark. Each decision seems to be their last, and they are determined to get it perfect. Every action requires intense scrutiny, detailed analysis, and deliberate perseverance. Whatever they do, it is not enough. If they are still in the game, they are hungry to win at all costs. When they fail, their anxiety overwhelms and spills out into all corners of their life. Nothing is still in their reserve.
Well informed veterans often take a different approach. Some are playing the game, knowing just where and when they need to make their mark. The cynic quickly suggests that their engagement in life is just over the edge, that their involvement and effort is the minimal amount required to compete, but never to win and win big. Whatever their motive(s), I rarely see the veterans make a real difference and win the big game. However, there are exceptions.
I continue to meet veterans with a different look in their eyes. You know from the first time you meet that something is different. They may seem to be one age, but their eyes tell a different story. The outward appearances say one thing, but results whisper of something unique. Their reserve seems endless. Their capacity for work is beyond understanding.
When I look at God, he follows the same pattern. God does not seem to waste His time when I am running away, he merely goes to where I am going and waits for me to arrive tired, lonely, and in a state of chaos. God never leaves your or I completely alone, he always ready to reach out in response to our leanings.
Reserves are about saving “your breath for the wise – they’ll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know – they’ll profit from it.” (Proverbs 9.9)
Today is another day in the heat of the Indian monsoon with masses of people. My advice is simple. Fill up with God and use your reserves with wisdom and compassion.
