Years and years ago, I said to a friend about a change in this blog, “if it were up to me.” As I said it, I laughed. And she reminded me that it is up to me.

Each day, writing something new or sharing something old, publishing anything or nothing is actually up to me.

There is a sense of responsibility, that is true. (I almost said “obligation”, but that has an unfortunate connotation). A responsibility to you, a responsibility to my own growth, a responsibility to reflect and reflect on God.

But there is also way more opportunity to simply write than I remember.

Earlier today, I was talking with a person I’m have the privilege to coach as she works helping middle schoolers make sense of the Bible, in this case, the letter to the Ephesians. We were looking at a couple lists Paul includes, one of what to do, one of what to stop doing. I suggested that at one point, rather than giving both lists equal conversation, she could focus on the longer list of the things to do that would foster community. And then I suggested a saying I used to use: “If you were walking down street and saw something called ‘loving one another’, what would it look like?”

Identifying the things to stop doing is actually pretty easy. Particularly when we are looking at the words and actions of others.

Identifying the things to do, and building out a way to do them, and starting to do them, and continuing to do them, that’s much more challenging. It may involve learning a name, and then using that name, and then listening to that story, and then offering encouragement, and then offering help, and then accepting help, and then. Well, and then resting in the uncertainty of not knowing what’s next.

But it is, of course, just like writing posts, up to us to love one another.