House

There's a habit I learned awhile back. I'm not sure where I picked it up, but it involves finding truth it odd places. I also try to look beyond people's actions and ask the question, "Why?" or "What can that teach me?"

While watching the TV show "House" I stumbled upon a moment in the show that reminds me of one of life's deepest values.

Dr. House goes to the home of a doctor he desperately wants to come back to work. He doesn't think anyone else can fill the position, so he is willing to do anything to get her to come back to work. While he's talking, Dr. House's beeper goes off. When the woman asks him what it is he replies, "There's an epidemic". She tells him he should go, thinking it's crazy he hasn't left to go solve the problem. But Dr. House doesn't even flinch, saying, "This is more important."

I loved that. I mean, how often in life do we feel like there's an epidemic going on or the world will collapse if we don't take care of the problem that faces us? It happens to everyone. But how often do we recognize the big picture? How often do we stop and say, "yes, there's something or someone that needs me, but there's something else more important."

I feel like God is always waiting for us, and very rarely do we make space in our lives to meet with Him. Why? Because life always keeps us in the immediate, making us think that the problems of the day need to be solved before we can "enjoy" our time with God. But that's not how it works! We need to make space for God in the craziness, as much as it feels impossible. If in the epidemic of our life we broke our leg would we find a way to make time to go to the hospital? Of course. Yet our heart could be shattered and we keep walking around as if it's okay.

The urgent can wait. Our heart cannot.