PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

August 18, 2021

LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE (XII)

Lessons Learned

Three years into her “Love Where You Live” experiment Melody Warnick answered the questions used to develop “a placement scale.”  She discovered she could answer “Yes” to many questions that she had formerly answered “No.”  Melody had a real sense of belonging to the Blacksburg community.  This got her thinking of buying a house instead of renting.  Melody saw herself moving from being a “mobile” to being a “rooted.”

When she shared with her husband Quinn that she thought it might be a good time to buy a house, Melody found out that he did not have the same sense of belonging  she did.  In fact, he was seriously considering looking for a new position.  His present teaching position was not the Holy Grail English professor situation for which he was looking.   For Quinn it was time to move on in the next few years.

When I graduated from college in the 1960’s one would go to work for a company, stay with them for forty years, and retire.  Today, the way one moves up the corporate or business ladder is by changing jobs.  To have had a number of jobs with a number of different companies is not seen as a negative but as a positive.  In fact, someone who stays with the same company over a long period of time can be seen as lacking ambition and not wanting to get ahead.

Because of her “Love Where You Live” experiment Melody is much better prepared to become attached to a new place of residence than she was when she moved to Blacksburg.  She had learned some behaviors that when put into practice would enhance her sense of belonging.  These behaviors are also useful to help one have a sense of belonging to a group, an organization, a club, a religious institution, or an interest group.  Over these last eleven weeks I have lifted up a number of important life behaviors.  As I bring this series to a close I would like to have a look at some of them.

Perhaps the most important life behavior that motivated Melody to begin her “Love Where You Live” experiment and which underlies all of the other life behaviors is that we have  a choice about how we are going to look out on the world in which we live.  We can see it as a glass half full or as a glass half empty.  We can intentionally look for the positive or for the negative.  How we choose can affect us spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

One of the important choices we have is to be either proactive or reactive.  There is a marvelous episode of the Andy Griffith Show, “Opie’s Hobo Friend,” where Andy asks David Browne played by Buddy Ebsen to trim the Taylor’s bushes so that he will not be classified as a vagrant.  Before he begins his task David has a discussion with Opie about the job at hand.  After much discussion David decides to go fishing and leave the trimming until tomorrow.

Later when Andy confronts David for not trimming the bushes, David makes the following observation: “It’s the most perfect day to start any job – tomorrow.  Most marvelous day that was ever invented.  Why, there’s absolutely nothing a man can’t do … tomorrow.”  Browne had learned to live by his wits and react to each day as it came.

Jesus had a much different view of tomorrow.  In the Sermon on the Mount He says, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Mat. 7:34)  Jesus invited His followers to be proactive, to take control of their lives, to not delay until tomorrow what can be done today.  One prepares for the future by taking actions today.

If one is going to love where they live it is important that they are familiar with their community.  Warnick’s first basic place attachment behavior was walk more.  Walking helps persons become more familiar with the route they take.  Taking different routes for a walk helps person know greater parts of a community.  Getting to know one’s neighbor also helps a person know their community.

An important part of becoming familiar with the community where one lives is learning its history.  What were the significant events in its past?  Who have been its movers and shakers?  The present is a continuation of the past.  Knowing the past helps to understand the present and give direction for the future.

Several of Melody’s attachment behaviors had to do with getting involved.  They included volunteering (#6), investing locally (#2), eating locally (#7) and getting politically involved (#8).  Jesus said that where your treasure is there will your heart be also.  Those who invest their time, talent and resources in the community in which they live will find that their heart is there also.  Their placement attachment is greater.

Melody’s #4 basic placement attachment behavior was do fun stuff.  Here number #5, “commune with nature,” and #9, “create something,” are two ways of having fun.  Across northern Indiana there are a great variety of ways to have a good time.  There is something for every taste and inclination.  The trick is to make having fun a priority.  There is an old saying “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” As the Book of Ecclesiasts points out there is a time and place for everything.  While it is not explicitly stated in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, I think it can be inferred that there is “a time to work and a time to play.”

Melody Warnick has given all of us some hints on how we can learn to love the place where we live.  Over the last eleven weeks I have reflected on her suggesting and added some of my own thoughts.  Now you have a choice. What will you do with them?