I’ve been listening to the Robbie Seay Band a lot lately. Today the song Rise is really causing me to stop and be thankful for this crazy life I lead. “People of Love, Rise, Give yourself away.” Can I tell you how much I want that to be the anthem of my life? And must I also tell you how far from that target I am?

There has been a synchroblog going on around the topic “What is Missional?” I heard about it on my friend Duncan’s site, What’s Your Point, Caller? Since I don’t really know the answer to that, I didn’t want to jump in the discussion. I want to sit at the feet of others and learn, during this period of my life. But this I do know: we are called to BE where we are. And it is on this simple point that I get hung up. I want to BE somewhere else, with different people in my sphere of influence. I want to live in my walkable, livable town square with several coffee shops and people who are friendly but not so well-off that they don’t want to be seekers of His Way with me. I have it pictured in my mind, but it doesn’t exist.

What does exist is South Florida 80% of the time with quick junkets here (Massachusetts) and there (all the other places I wander.). What exists is my aging, alzheimer’s-diagnosed mother who gets scared and needs to remember that she is special, even if she is fighting me tooth and nail. What exists are my children, trying to grow their wings in sizes and shapes I’d never have imagined. What exists is the church I love, a slightly-accidental mega-church in the middle of suburbs so affluent they aren’t searching for much. What exists is a transient community swirling around the sun and sand, rarely interacting with each other. What exists is a calling to BE…right here. To me, that is being missional. Trying with each breath of each day to be the hands and feet of God in this community, even while I’m trying to reach out through this blog to a larger community.

There’s another Robbie Seay song that kind of captures how I’m feeling right now. Read these lyrics then head to their site to hear the song. It’s called “New Day.”

I'm gonna sing this song
To let you know that you're not alone
And if you're like me
You need hope, coffee, and melody
So sit back down
Let the world keep spinning ‘round
For yesterday's gone and today is waiting on you to show your face

It might not be
The prettiest thing that you'll ever see
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
And it might not look like
A beautiful sunrise
But it's a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day

I’m a pilgrim soul
I've traveled far and come back home
This land is hard and cold
For those who long to love
And I know it might seem
That the world is crumbling
But it’s me and you dancing in the kitchen at 2 am
And we're still alive

It’s the calm of the storm that comes blowing in
It’s the springtime saying I'm back again
The clouds that roll by
Crossing moonlight
Me and you love – everything's alright
Standing in the rain with nowhere to go
Laughing and we're spinning and I hope that you
Remember this day
For the rest of your life
Me and you love – everything’s gonna be alright

And it just might be
The prettiest thing that you'll ever see
It’s a new day
Oh baby, it’s a new day
If you look outside
To see a beautiful sunrise
It’s a new day