November is a time for taking inventory

Even though I see a blank page as one of life's greatest creative adventures — what words and thoughts and stories will I write.

Sometimes I can sit before that page for hours without a clue. I write and rewrite, and get up and pace just to move around or head for the kitchen to eat my frustration — preferably something chocolate.

But I don't quit. I get back to it. Even though it's infuriating and challenging and tedious, it's also exhilarating and stimulating and satisfying.

My heart is in it. That's why I spend hours on that blank page, filling it with what I hope are “goodly words.” I see it as having purpose, something that matters not just for me but serves other people.

There's a well known quote Jesus spoke, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

That's a pretty straightforward statement. We invest in what and whom we care about. We give whatever it takes — make that extra effort — share our time and interest.

“I don't care” is probably one of the most hollow phrases in human language. What's left when caring is gone. An empty trunk devoid of treasure.

The human heart is made to discover and carry treasure — not junk, and certainly not emptiness. Everyone wants someone to care about—and who cares for them—as well as something to care about. We all need a person and a purpose. It's nothing to hide.

November in nature begins a dormant season. A hunkering down. Maybe it's a season for taking my own inventory. Identifying what and who and where my treasure is. And seeing if I'm backing that up with my heart.