24/7

Do you know the Monty Python scene where the guy says:“There is no cannibalism in the British navy, absolutely none, and when I say none, I mean there is a certain amount”? This quotation came to mind this afternoon when a friend and I went to the 24/7 Prayer Room and it was locked. Not only was it locked, it had hours posted "Monday-Friday 10-9pm" to add to the irony. I told my friend, "Never assume. You've always got to read the fine print." She reminded me that things always work out, and she was right.

We ended up hanging out and praying in the Free Store in Area 15. The huge room had a ramp that had interesting, creative characters in fedoras and other "I'm cool" accoutrements walking up and down it one at a time. Earth-toned painted stripes ran down the walls. We nested in comfy chairs in the second-hand store. We were in the heart of funky. It felt adventurous and practical all wrapped up in the same box. As we conversed, we eventually realized that artsy types don't boot you out for squatting. It wasn't the hours of transforming prayer I was hoping for; then again, there were no lit candles in the vicinity.

My friend prayed Psalm 51 out in the car (clearly she knows me). Then she gave me James 4:13-17 in conversation. Well actually, James 4:17: "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." And, she coupled it with Hebrews 12:14: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy..."

I needed these verses. The James verse is basically talking about living in the present and living in obediently now. I'm so caught up in finding a job that will allow me to use (or maybe discover) my talents. Nope. It's need to be right now in the most unglamorous of settings, the 7th grade classroom in a rural setting. God's not waiting for perfect circumstances.

The second verse is pretty strong with "all men." Apparently, God wants me to live peaceably with the incompetent people with whom I work, the annoying drivers that cut me off, and students who go, "blah, blah, blah" while I talk. I get the feeling God wants me to take myself way less seriously and get one fantastic sense of humor. That said, I still don't think the author of Hebrews uses "all" in the tongue-in-cheek manner of Monty Python's "none".