Who are they?

With the rain this week, there have been changes made to the tennis schedule. G made it to the finals (hang in there; this is not a tennis post) of the county championship. We were talking to his coach about scheduling and plans, and were told of a four and a half hour window during which he needed to be present. Anytime during that time, he might be asked to play.

If you know me, consider how I reacted to this news. Four and half hours? No idea how it will be structured? Give me a break. So I asked her -- Will the girls play first? The boys? The singles with boys and girls playing at the same time? Just what is the plan!?

Her answer -- She didn't know. THEY hadn't told her. THEY have made the plans, but have not passed them on to her.

Who are THEY? Can we go talk to THEM? Isn't there SOMEBODY with a clipboard or a list who has the information that we want?

Who are THEY?

Do we do that in life? Do we sit around and say things like "THEY will take care of it?" "SOMEBODY ought to ..."

Why do we do that? Who are THEY?

It's easier to expect someone else to do something than to do it ourselves. If we think someone else will do it, then we can abdicate responsibility for the action ourselves. By the same token, if something goes wrong, we can blame THEM, rather than accept fault ourselves.

Who are THEY?

Here's the deal. In the church -- if we are to be the Body of Christ, then THEY are WE. If we are the Body of Christ, then it makes just as much sense to say, "My hand is responsible for that action, not me," as it is to say that THEY will do it. We all have different skills and gifts, and we all don't need (and shouldn't) do everything, but we don't get to pass the buck. We aren't allowed the luxury of sitting back and blaming other people for what does and does not get done. We don't get to say, "THEY didn't do it." It's "WE didn't do it."

When people go hungry, WE didn't feed them.

When people are cold, WE didn't warm them.

When others feel lost or alone, WE didn't love them.

WE are a body. WE are corporate. WE are not alone in this venture, but by the same token, neither is anybody else. WE are ONE in the Body of Christ. There is no THEY.

Image: Saw this beautiful tree on Washington Blvd on the way home today, and finally got a non-blurry tree picture.

Tennis: G/M 2: Fatima 8 -- (L), but BHMS is team county tournament champions and team county overall (regular season) champions. And tennis is DONE.