PREAMBLE

Just through the red door lies a mystical place where live the little-known creatures, the ones the world looks upon as myth and legend.  In this realm, they live and breathe, just the same as you and I.  Journey with me through the red door, to the place of imagination and we will find a new dimension of reality.

The new day calls out with an invitation from those beyond the door.  It is they who wish to meet us and share their tales!

I hear Grandpa Ansel, a respected elder, greeting the new day, in his usual fashion.

“Hark, nobles ones of the realm!

As I cross the threshold, I look to my right, as I now do regularly.  Catching sight of what I now think of as ‘The Sentinel,’ Uncle Gunder’s mighty oak, where I know that Uncle Gunder is in residence.   Perched high in the branches, Iver stands guard.  Perhaps it is Iver, rather than the tree, who is the sentinel, ever watchful of the path leading from the red door.  Where Iver is, so too is Uncle Gunder.             

Iver doesn’t seem particularly fond of me, or of any of the other gnomes, as  happens, and his baleful glare bores into my eyes as I look up at him.   Having grown up in the relative solitude of Uncle Gunder’s hermitage, Iver disdains intrusions of any sort,upon his domain, no doubt, an attitude adopted from his master.  Neither Gunder nor Iver possess strong social skills, but Gunder has made great strides in adjusting to the constant company of his family and friends as they have worked closely on his new home.  Iver, on the other hand, removes himself the moment anyone shows up.  Iver now sounds the alarm of impending intrusion and I know that Uncle Gunder is aware of my coming.

Sure that I would find Gunder elbow deep in his construction, I was surprised to find him reclining on the ground, under the shade of a fern.  His eyes wide open, but motionless, I feared for his well-being.  Calling out quietly, not wanting to startle him, Uncle Gunder answers, “You are welcome here.”

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to disturb you.  Are you quite all right?  Have you done yourself an injury?”

Gunder neither looked at me, nor moved anything but his lips.  “I am perfectly fine, thank you.”

“Why are you laying down and so very still?” I asked.

“I do this every day, often before my helpers arrive.  I get very still, connected to the soil, paying full mind to the creation that surrounds me.  Rehoboth is a place of such industry, with no time to just soak in the majesty of the place.  I find I need to withdraw and find some needed peace,” Gunder explained.

As if on cue, the sound of chatter drew closer as today’s help arrived.  Gunder had yet to move a muscle.

“Nap time is over, brother.  It’s time to be about the work of the day,” announced Grandpa Ansel, kicking a bit of dirt at Gunder.

“You work too much, Ansel,” Gunder responded.

“And it’s a good thing that I do, since you don’t work nearly enough!”

“Why are you laying down, Uncle Gunder?” Svend asked.

“I am making room,” Gunder said.

“Room for what?” Lander asked.

“I’m leaving space for creative ideas and inspiration.  Im pausing to hear what creation has to say today.  I’m listening for the voice of the Creator, to guide me through the next step of this build.”

“I don’t understand,” said Lander.

Uncle Gunder sat up and said, “Draw near dear ones.  Gather close and hear the wisdom of age, for most of you have just begun and have much to learn.  And you, Ansel, are no longer young, but today I have a word for you, too.

Amid all your industry and busy work, you have lost sight of the very things that sustain you.  I watch you trying to do many tasks simultaneously, and observe many things only partially done or not done as well as they could have been.

With your many jobs and lists of the day’s tasks, I see a lack of focus, as you struggle with jobs still waiting for your time.  With a few exceptions, the gnomes of Rehoboth, generally lack singleness of mind.  During seed time or harvest, there isn’t a gnome among you who would give one thought to any other job, but seeding or harvest.  With laser focus, those jobs are done effectively, efficiently and quite perfectly.

It is only in all other jobs that I see the detriment of your lives of busyness.

Alone in the woods, I learned the value of focus.  I had no help, or very little.  All the jobs needed doing, but not all at once.  I prioritized and then I took a step back.  I learned that the most important work was sitting quietly to think about the job at hand.  I couldn’t count the number of times the stillness revealed a better or more time-efficient means of completing the task.  Often time, half of the work was done by my brain, requiring less brawn.

When you arrived, you assumed I was doing nothing.  You saw idleness.  Now I will show you what I was doing while still.  Come with me and you will see that today, we will finish the foundation of this house.”

“That’s not possible,” stated Svend.  “There’s many days’ work to finish the foundation.”

“That is a truth, if we carry on as have done to date.  You have a schedule in mind, as to how long this build will take.  Today I unscheduled this house and opened my mind to unknown possibilities, at least, unknown until now.  In releasing the scheduled busyness, I made room for inspiration, possibilities and opportunities and the greatest lesson I have learned to date I will now share with you.  An over scheduled and busy life leaves no room for divine appointments.  It is those divine appointments that deliver the answers and solutions we need.

Today will not be busy.  We will be focused, purposeful and, I do believe, we will be successful.”

Reference: Ps 46:10, 1 Kings 19:12-13