On the Fridge

“So if you know of an opportunity to do the right thing today, yet you refrain from doing it, you’re guilty of sin.” (James 4:17 TPT)

When I get a piece of mail, I try to deal with it immediately. If it is a bill, I pay it. If it is junk mail, I throw it in the recycle container. However, there are times when I receive mail that I cannot deal with right away. I open the envelope, unfold the paper fully, and attach it to my refrigerator with a magnet. This way, I have to look at it every time I walk by my fridge. It is hard to ignore something when in my sightline. 

When I get information that I am not sure what to do with, I try not to reject it right away. I write it down and place it where I am likely to see it regularly. This reminds me to think about it from different angles. Unless I am overwhelmed...in which case, I tend to distract myself. I sense that I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with the issue at hand, so I ignore it and look for something else to occupy my mind. “Out of sight, out of mind,” I say. This form of procrastination can be a helpful coping mechanism in the short run. However, it does not lead to growth. 

There are times when looking away from an issue is a sin. Reticence and inaction in the face of evil makes us complicit. We may not know how to solve racism, hatred, poverty, inequality, oppression, or any of society’s ills. Yet, we have to continue to sit with the discomfort until we find a way forward. Each day brings opportunities to do the right thing, to move in the right direction. Do not ignore them. Pay attention, even when it is painful to do so.