May 4, 2008
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I wish I could say that once I learn a lesson I don’t have to be taught again! Unfortunately, in my spiritual walk this is not always the case.
Several years ago I was having health problems due to not handling the stress of owning 2 businesses and homeschooling. I cried out to the Lord for His wisdom and was convicted that I was sinning in how I was responding to my work. Step by step I learned how to respond in a godly manner to a mountain of work and the interruptions of the day. I thought those lessons had become solid habits but obviously I was wrong.
Last week we had family visiting from out of state. It was a blessed week full of laughter, lots of chatting and lots of cooking. Once our company left I needed to make up for lost time and immediate made a long list of all the work I wasn’t able to do during their visit. As I started working through my list I began to have one interruption after another. My husband wanted to talk to me about this and that… my dogs wanted to attack my brush as I was washing the car and my hoola-hoe as I was weeding… the phone rang…a neighbor came by to visit… etc. I felt myself becoming anxious and irritable. I had a LIST (with a capital “L”) to finish and no interruption was going to get in my way!!!!
Within a short amount of time I became convicted of my attitude and realized I had fallen back into the same old habit that I thought I was done with. I was not accepting those little interruptions that crowd in on one’s day as from the hand of the Lord. My LIST had become more important than keeping focused on the Lord’s agenda for the day and I had worked myself into a frenzy for fear I wouldn’t finish THE LIST!
Now, I realize that we often have decisions to make regarding some of the interruptions in our day. What I am referring to here are those small interruptions that are necessary. A husband or a child’s request, a phone call from an upset sister in the Lord, a neighbor who may need a listening ear. If we have elevated our work above those ‘assignments’ sent by the Lord then I believe we have misunderstood the Lord’s true purpose for our lives and our homes. What good is a completed LIST if we have failed to use our homes to minister to those in need or to lend ourselves to those we love most living within the walls of our home?
I remember reading once in Stepping Heavenward (Inspirational Library Series)
to never tackle more work in one day than you can handle in a peaceful and calm attitude. I thought that was very wise advice. I lived by those words years ago and now they had come back to resound loudly in my ear. (You can order this book if you click on it’s name in this paragraph).
So, I quieted my heart and refocused! This was the Lord’s Day.. not mine! I was the Lord’s servant.. here to bring Him glory in the home He had given me! I apologized to my husband and set out once again to work through my list. Only this time my heart was not anxious because my mind was set on serving the Lord and bringing Him glory FIRST.. instead of focusing only on my TO DO LIST. 1 Cor. 10:31
I pulled out my Stepping Heavenward to review those lessons I thought I had learned many years ago. There are so many wonderful jewels in this book! It was like visiting an older, wiser sister in the Lord!
I’ll leave you with another thought from it’s pages…
“Katy?” Helen suddenly asked, “do you always submit to God’s will thus?”
”In great things I do,” I said. “What grieves me is that I am constantly forgetting to recognize God’s hand in the little, everyday trials of life, and instead of receiving them as from Him, I find fault with the instruments by which He sends them. I can give up my child, my only brother, my darling Mother without a word; but to receive every tiresome visitor as sent expressively and directly to weary me by the Master Himself; to meet every negligence on the part of the servants as His choice for me at the moment; to be satisfied and patient when Ernest gets particulary absorbed in his books, because my Father sees that little discipline suitable for me at the time; all this I have not fully learned.”
Comments (10)
Good post…reminds me of the verse in Proverbs…don’t say to your neighbor ‘come back tommorow’, when it’s within your power today to grant their request. (Well, it my free translation of the verse!)
It’s was easy to tell my little ones who asked, ‘I’ll read you that book later.’ But in reality, it was within my power to do good to them right then!
Thanks for the reminder
I like Stepping Heavenward also – so full of lessons for godly and sacrificial living. The passage you shared is so fitting, so true, in my life. It’s so much easier to remember to submit to God’s will in the great things, rather than in the little things. I’ve seen the need to work at this very thing in my life. I get too self-absorbed and miss many of the “little” opportunities.
Last week I was praying earnestly for another body of believers, whom I know is struggling; they are dear to us and the Lord has brought them to mind often. Only 2 days later, when the Lord gave an opportunity for me to be an encouragement to one of them, I refused the offer. I actually blew it off as not the right time since she didn’t take notice of me, and went on my own way without a word. What meeting is not orchestrated by God? I wonder at myself, do I think I’m playing baseball with God and waiting for the perfect pitch before I reach out to do what He has for me? What we don’t always realize is that every single opportunity from God is the perfect one. He orders our days and our steps. When is there ever a “chance” meeting? Never, of course. When it dawned on me what I had done, I was grieved… and all the moreso in considering how grieved God must have been at my actions.
Thank you for sharing, Georgine – I’m thankful for your posts that encourage in righteous living. And thankful to be reminded to think more carefully of what is really an interruption to my day and what the Lord has given me to do.
I need to find this book!
Whoa! My ears must be burning (this is what we say when someone is talking about you!) For you were definitely talking about me in this post! I have the same problem–putting MY list of priorities before the things that happen. You’ve made me rethink the list I made just this morning for my week. IF it all gets done, fine, but if it doesn’t, Lord help me to deal with each interruption gracefully. Thank you! Janet
@MercifulGrace - What a interesting word picture… ‘do I think I’m playing baseball with God and waiting for the perfect pitch before I reach out to do what He has for me?’ Isn’t that so true?
I’ve had similar lessons lately. I’m reading a great book on having an open home for hospitality. (I hope to post some of it’s gems later). I get so encouraged as I read this woman’s exhortations to serve through our homes. Then someone will stop by unannounced and I find my flesh rising up to protect my ‘schedule’ for the day. I’m practicing ‘dying’ on a daily basis. It’s painful but I’m hopeful to one day see Christ formed in me more fully in that area.
@ItrustYouLord - You can click on the name of the book when it’s first mentioned in the post above and it will take you directly to Amazon Books.
I actually have requested it from my free book site. Thanks for the heads up on this one. Mine should be here in a week! I can’t wait!
Before I got on the computer I was running through my mind (a very dangerous thing to do, by the way) all the things I wanted to accomplish today. It was so gracious of the Lord to let me read your post before I got too far into the day. What a sweet way to be encouraged today. Thank you. I know that was from the Lord. Bless you, Georgene. vickie
thank you for the reminder. I am truly the worst in this area of my life. And I can’t even say I am faithful in the great things all the time. Love you!
Thanks for the reminder. It does seem like we keep having to learn the same lessons over and over. InterVarsity Press has a little booklet called “The Tyranny of The Urgent.” I first read it when I was in college. We tend to think things are important because they are urgent, but that is often not true. The really important things are God’s Word and people.