Amy Lu's View

“You better get a move on that,” I directed Chad one morning while we were making our breakfast. 

It’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever said to him. 

I was feeling flustered and frazzled and short on time. Understandable, but the “that” I was specifically referring to was a frozen waffle. A frozen waffle that was already heating up in the toaster oven, so there really wasn’t much else Chad could do to move the waffle along. I think Chad’s extremely talented, but he doesn’t have any superpowers to heat frozen foods with the power of his mind (or if he does he’s super successful at keeping it a secret). 

Although I don’t usually say something so silly, I do often feel an imperative to do something in  response to perceived mini-emergencies (such as “we’re not going to eat breakfast in time for me to make an online meeting”). A former supervisor once gave me the wise and helpful advice that I didn’t have to automatically take on others’ sense of urgency, and while I think I’m pretty successful at applying that advice at work, I’m not so good at moderating my own sense of panic. 

When I’m in a frenzied swirl, I want to act, I want to move. I want to make something happen, even if I don’t know what that is, or if it will accomplish anything. And I want Chad to follow suit. In fact, if Chad is calm and measured, it can annoy the bejesus out of me. Even if it’s not useful, I want him to look like he’s taking my anxiety seriously. 

I want him to get a move on it. 

We survived the crisis of the not-ready-in-time-frozen-waffle, and actually say “You better get a move on that” to each other pretty often as one of our inside couple jokes. (Or, at least I like to think of it as a couple joke, but it may just be an acknowledgement that I can be a little high strung.) 

I was inspired to think about this anecdote after our minister shared a reading at church this morning that explored the idea of moving gifts. Not as in “I need to move this pile of as-yet-to-be wrapped Christmas gifts off the table so we can eat supper (get a move on that, Chad!)” but as in moving the various gifts of love, talent, presence and generosity we receive to and among others. 

What does it mean to move gifts to others? What does it look like? What if I transferred some of the energy I spend in getting a move on whatever little crisis I’ve concocted to moving love and joy to others?

I think Chad would agree we could both get a move on that.