When I'm in church, something happens there that doesn't happen in any other setting. It must be the combination of worship, communion, fellowship and teaching. My mind and heart kick into high gear. I'm thinking thoughts I've never had, solving problems I couldn't fix before and finding new vision and new ways to carry out my call. I understand why the Scriptures tell us not to forsake gathering together. We need fellowship, in a million ways and for a million reasons. There are things I receive alone with God I can never get out of church; but there are things I get in church I can never get alone. It's a marvelous gift, a mystery of the “communion of saints” - here, now.

For this reason, I'm glad for my church. And specifically, for my church bulletin, because the pastor always has an outline with lots of space for notes - and often the back of the outline is completely blank.

That leaves a ton of space for notes, ideas, sudden words from God. And sometimes, room for kids to write me a question about the message. Or something I said in class. Or just doodles. (We are paying attention, Pastor, I promise!)

A few Sundays ago, it was an especially busy Sunday and the bulletin was packed. Suddenly I got an important idea and I had to write it down before I forgot it. So I rummaged through the book-sized bulletin, and - NOTHING! No paper! No space! I nearly panicked. Then I realized I could use my palm pilot, and promptly wrote the idea down on the palm of my hand. (Well, it's a low-income palm pilot.)

Then I heard the still, small Voice of the Holy Spirit: “Don't let anyone or anything fill up the blank page of your life that I wish to write upon.”

Sometimes I've been asked how I've kept the “fire” alive, the passion for Jesus, for 33 years. Grace, for one; I'm ornery, for another. As I started to think about it, I realized one of the centerpoints has been this: Knowing that Jesus is alive, I endeavor to start each day with Him, offering Him the blank page of my day, and my life. Sometimes I have to fight hard for that, especially when I travel. But when I am home, it's the most important thing I can do. If I do, the day seems ordered and peaceful; if I don't, it's chaotic and troubling. As one person said, if you get the first hole wrong when you button up a shirt, you'll never get the rest of it right.

That precious first moments of my day are the blank page of my life. I've come to anticipate it like a child waiting to open presents on Christmas morning. I expect God to meet me. I anticipate His friendship. I listen to Him speak. He begins to write on my blank page. Suddenly, I'm filled with an awesome sense of anything could happen, that breakthroughs and miracles are at hand, and that my life isn't being concluded but it is just beginning!

David, reflecting on life, said, “We finish our years like a sigh.” The cry on my heart is, “Not with a sigh, Lord - but with a shout! With a battle-cry!” I want to be so engaged in the life God gave me that when I arrive, angels will have to pry the sword from my hand!

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. When I pick up His Word each day and let Him begin to write on the blank page of my life, there's no longing for “The good old days”. No regrets of “what might have been.” Rather, the battles of David are today; and the warnings of Saul's failure. The acts of the apostles are MY goals; the prophecies of all prophets speak to MY life, NOW.

Oh, how this Blank Page time is contested! My mind wanders. The phone rings incessantly. The rush and crush of the day looms. But I SEIZE this gift and let these moments be my sail.

It extends beyond as well, for God continues to write throughout the day. But the contest for the pen continues, too. Two things personally threaten to fill my blank page.

One, the Tyranny of Things. Although I have twice in my life lost all my material possessions, somehow it's all come back! Clutter is the enemy of my mind and spirit. Technology makes it worse. E mail clutter. Mailing lists, cell phone lists, junk mail, magazines, 200 channels of television to choose from and six different ways of recording them...all of it tries to write confusion on my Page. I have been in the process of unsubscribing to almost every magazine, throwing away junk mail and “wish books” before even looking at them, and giving away several boxes of things a month. I have pared down my TV time to a bare minimum. As my house and mind are cleared, He once again finds quietness to write.

I want to be very careful here, because I believe in the purposes of God's work, the need for workers and the necessity of laborers in the Harvest. And frankly, too many would rather not help with anything if they could get away with it.

But in an age where “making a difference” and “finding your purpose” are the buzzwords of the hour, we have forgotten that our FIRST priority is to love and be with Jesus. Everything else should flow from that. Otherwise, we're just doing things for God to avoid the aching void of our empty spirits. I saw a bumper sticker that was awful, yet it spoke to me. It said, “Jesus is coming back. Look busy.” And I wonder how much of our spiritual, Martha-like busy work is like that: He's coming; I better have something going here so I can look good.

As a reluctant “professional volunteer” that usually says yes without thinking or praying, a word of caution: If satan can't get you to do one bad thing, he will get you to do a hundred good things that God didn't authorize you to do, so your blank page is too full for God to write on. And in some churches, once you're known for volunteering for one thing, watch out! You'll be asked to volunteer for everything, and you will have a terrible time saying no as the snowball accumulates, gains momentum and eats up even the time reserved for Jesus alone.

I have had to learn to say no unless it is an obvious need I must fill, or God gives me His okay. I have learned the hard way that just because there is a need, does not mean I am supposed to fill it. Mary demanded Jesus fix the wedding wine crisis right away. Jesus did it when His time was right. Mary and Martha cried for Jesus to come and heal Lazarus. Jesus let him die - because the plan was for resurrection, not healing. How many blessings do we miss because we do not listen, do not wait, we rush ahead trying to “be busy” without really knowing what HE wants? Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father do. Wouldn't we be wise to do the same?

Take the blank page of your life before the Father every day. Guard that page jealously, and let Him begin to speak to you, love and strengthen you, and write HIS will and purpose for your life. You are His workmanship - His “poeima” - let Him have all the time and the attention He needs to write with beauty and strength. Deny the distractions, clean house of the things mental and material that sap you, chain you, keep you cluttered, and let Him fill your house with HIS treasure.

Your first priority is to be with Him - and as you give Him your blank page, He will write an eternal song with everything you say and do,