NO ROOM

NO ROOM
The time of year is fast approaching when Luke 2:7 will again be an appropriate text for sermons asking the question as to whether our hearts, homes, lives, families, churches are as congested as the Bethlehem inns of two millenniums ago. “There was no room in the inn.”

Sometimes the “No Vacancy” sign clearly displays the “stay out of my territory” warning. Or, those welcome signs on businesses, “Absolutely no soliciting”! I remember when I (like many parents) stuffed mailboxes with advertisement fliers. What a novel idea to initiate ones children to the work-world … and, while they were swallowed up by the demands of their sports teams, you trudged through the snow to keep the business afloat! Remember those “no junk mail” edicts? Then, you had those articulate, old ladies who called the distributing agency complaining that they hadn’t got any fliers … for the last month! And, I expect you had one or more of those nasty old men who banded his door open to swear at you and inquire as why you can’t read English (in a blinding snow storm). “’No junk’; that means no fliers, you ….” How’s a guy supposed to win? Or, is he?

No room. Sometimes it isn’t that easy to read the signs. Have you ever dropped in (unannounced, of course) on a close friend, thinking you might have a quick chit-chat only to be greeted by, “What do you want?” or, perhaps more tactfully (or, tacitly), “What can I do for you?”

Time, energy, resources are all used up. Over-loaded. Over-committed. Learn to say, “NO,” at least that’s what our wise counselors tell us. No more room in my mailbox, my inbox, or my life.

Churches have learned to fend off fund-raisers, especially those crafty missionaries with the neat formula: “No room in the budget”. “You can come and talk to a few people—but absolutely no fund raising. Talk all you want about what you are trying to accomplish for the poor, the lost, and the Lord, but do not mention money.” Recently, I told our story under the auspices of those by-laws. I stayed half-a-globe away from money-matters but one brave saint ventured to give me a small cheque with the qualifier, “Please do not put me on any mailing list.”

I don’t remember ever receiving complaints that my reports where too long and/or too frequent. However, yesterday, from an acquaintance (he likely wouldn’t consider me a close friend), a retired professor of a Christian university, I received this memo: “Ray, please remove my email address from your mass mailings. … If not, unfortunately I would have to block your email address from virtually all correspondence.”

On the other side of the coin, I remember another college professor. It was registration and class scheduling time. My little brother was and the end of a long line of new students. Considerably after noon, he arrived at the door of Dr. Raymond Kelcy’s office. John apologized for being late and meekly suggested that Dr. Kelcy would likely want to go for lunch, since he was already quite late. (“The late”) Dr. Kelcy’s response (along with his positive influence) lingers with us, “Jesus always had room for one more person and so do I!”

And so, I wonder about my own "protected space"!