Feeling a Tug

I have recently begun to feel a slight tug on my arm. No, it is not Mrs. McGoo pulling at me to go with her to the store or to get out of bed (she pushes me). The tug is coming from a higher power...

I'm not one that is in to looking back on his life with regret, because if I did, I would worry myself to death with all the things I missed out on. However, I did look back on my life in 2009 and was fascinated with all the things I was able to accomplish. It was pretty neat to say that I went back to school and barely missed the Dean's List. It was also pretty neat to say that I got to travel to some pretty cool places. Likewise, it was pretty cool to say that I won my fantasy football league (one of them) and got to cash in some money. Additionally, I became closer to some people and made some new friends.

Here's the thing...
As a man of Christ, who I claim to be, did I further the kingdom last year? I can honestly say that I don't think so. So without that, looking back at everything I did last year; it was an utter failure.

So recently I've felt God tugging on me to be more involved with my church. Mrs. McGoo and I are going on a mission trip to Ethiopia and that's really centrally focused my attention outwardly, but I've realized I'm lacking in community. Sure, I've got a ton of friends and most of them I met at church, but I couldn't tell you the last time I've had a conversation with many of them about what Christ is doing in our lives and it's bothering me. We cook together, watch games together, host parties together, go on dates together, go on trips together, talk trash together, yet when it comes to the single most important thing in our life, nothing.

I recently made a trip to Nashville for a wedding and got to spend some time with one of my best friends who is a pastor for Green Hills Church. It was some of the first meaningful Christ-centered talks I've had with some of my closer friends in quite some time. It was exhilarating. I had almost forgotten what it was like to have the depth and vulnerability. For men, that can be difficult, but this past weekend, it was easy.

So I'm left with the what now. I have asked some of my buddies before about starting a bible study, but it kind of got shot down. Not that people told me NO...just more like I didn't get much of a response. I remember telling my buddy this past week that it seems that time is the biggest factor in it all. I hate overextending myself (the exact opposite of Mrs. McGoo) and therefore I get nervous about how much time I will have to be able to put into a study. That being said, I feel confident that the Lord would not put anything on my plate that I cannot handle. Especially when it comes to serving him and growing closer to him.

Mrs. McGoo has been or is currently in about three or four and this isn't counting our sunday school class we attend. If this were a race, she'd be the equivalent of Usain Bolt and I would be the equivalent of, well, ME. Those aren't good odds.

So I'm throwing the gauntlet down...time to get back in that race.