Tuesday, July 15, 2008

It Matters

By Taft Ayers

I recently read a quote by Mary Crowley. It prompted the wheels in my head to crank up a little bit. It read:

"One person with a commitment is worth more than a hundred who only have an interest."


While reflecting on these words, it struck me that these words have multiple meanings that take up residence on several different emotional avenues.

For instance, think how this applies to our closest relationships. There are so many people in our social circles that have a 'mere interest' in the things that we do. They ask us (usually in passing, sometimes breaking stride) questions like "how's life?" or "how you been doing?"

At the moment, I can think of hundreds of people who seem to portray a general interest in my life, my ministry, my family, etc. The challenging, and humbling aspect of our relationships is that if I were to be "removed" from this earth, their lives wouldn't drastically change at all. Don't get me wrong, they are nice, God-loving people, but their level of engagement in my daily life would best be described as "interested."

There are others, however, that we can call the "committed." Sometimes, we tend to take these people for granted. They may seem to be TOO DEDICATED to our lives sometimes and we just need space from their care. It is when we take a deeper look at it that we will notice these people are strongly impacted by our presence.

In the average life, it is fair to say that there are fewer of these folks. In all reality, that should strengthen their importance with us/to us/for us. The people that are truly committed to us can change our lives. Reflection is good for the soul.

Make a top 10 list. Surely there are that many people who have invested a commitment in your life. I will start. Feel free to share. Heck, we may not know any of them, however, it will do you some good to write them and look at them.

I only pray that I can have as much of a COMMITMENT to Jesus, rather than a mere INTEREST as these people have had in my life, a simple mortal boy from Middle Tennessee.

MY TEN (After number 1, there's no real order)

1. Meleia Wilson Ayers
(Wife, Best Friend, Spiritual Adviser)
2. Stan Butt Jr. (Minister, Chapel Hill church of Christ)
3. Paul Tucker (RIP, Nashville TN)
4. Don Knight (Grandfather, He got his PHD on the farm in Gallatin)
5. Nancy Clark (She invested in one of her son's punk friends who didn't deserve her time)
6. Brenna Ayers (Gave 17 years of her life to a relatively good cause)
7. Tom Holland (Father-Son-Retreat, 1989, enough said)
8. Valerie Wilson (Hasn't quit on me since I was 14)
9. Evelyn Turl (Locked some wisdom in my brain and threw away the key)
10. Lisa McPherson (A living example of Proverbs 31)

Who are yours?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

After the top 4, no particular order.

1. Elizabeth A. Clark
2. Thomas A. Clark, Jr.
3. Lee Vinson Edwards
4. Jeffrey Scott Darby
5. Glenn McCadams
6. David Latimer Hudson II
7. Donald Taft Ayers
8. William Wilson Vickery Sr.
9. Robert Logsdon
10. Jared Bentley Gable