A friend called me to chat. It turned out she was walking to the gym and wanted company. I asked why she didn't drive.
"I used to say I didn't have time to walk there. But then I realized I could begin the exercise when I left the house, rather than wait until I arrived."
We had a pleasant conversation, she burning calories, and me in a chair.
Later I remembered a time I was driving my small children to a party, and we were running late. I barked at them to hurry up, so we wouldn't miss the fun. Then I saw how ridiculous that was. We could as easily be playful on the way. I started a game of I Spy while they put on their shoes and coats. We joined the festivities in a much better mood than was sometimes the case.
Getting to church late used to be an Achilles heel for me. I wanted to hear the music, and waiting for family members to finish breakfast sometimes meant I missed the preludes. Then I would be in a snit. It eventually dawned on me that I was attending services for the purpose of becoming a better person. Perhaps I need not delay to begin that effort.
It can be tempting to think that we will get around to being angelic when the time comes to walk through the pearly gates. But I think heaven is available to us much sooner than that.
