The 60 degree experimint

A small group I am in took on a project of trying 30-day "experiments"... something we could do (individually, at this point) for 30 days or so that might have a lasting impact on our life or the lives of those around us. We got the idea from Mark Scandrette's book Practicing the Way of Jesus. Last night we met for supper, and to share how our experiments are going.

I was pretty impressed with some people's... Things like writing letters to people who had influenced them, reading the Bible, exercise programs, making family a priority, quiet times... But I had to be honest, I really failed with this. There were several things I 'thought' about doing over the past 30 days, but I never really nailed anything down specifically. So I pretty much felt like a loser (which is nothing new, really).

But as people were sharing it finally occurred to me that I actually had taken on an experiment of sorts without connecting it with this exercise. We have been keeping our thermostat at home set at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It started out because that's just what the thermostat was set at when we bought the house. But as the temperature began to drop it sort of became a way to remind myself of those who had no heat at all. Every time I would get a little chilly, it made me think of the homeless (well, most times anyway). To be honest, there are times when we do turn the heat up some: when we have company, when we babysit, and every now and then we'll turn it up a few degrees just to take the edge off. It's also true that it hasn't gotten real cold yet either... But it has made me think of the homeless more. It has also helped us save on our heating bill. We have a gas furnace, water heater, and stove... and last month our gas bill was only $26. Which brings up yet another "experiment" we've been toying with (both Jane and I)... The idea that saving money - whether on heat, not having cable tv, not buying unnecessary items, etc. - shouldn't be just so we can have more money for ourselves, but so we can be better able to help those in need.

So... whether it was just trying to justify my lack of a well-thought-out experiment or not, I did at least feel better before the night was over. I actually have been doing something. And I hope to continue it. And maybe this means nothing to you, but I needed to find something positive on this Monday morning. I'll call it "60 degrees of positive."

Peace out; and in.