Wow it's hard to believe that it has been over 2 months since I have last posted anything on here. Needless to say, yes I have been very busy and that actually brings me to my topic. How many times do we say to ourselves or others that we would like to do...fill in the blank with your personal choice. For me I have wanted to do many things like this blog for example! It wasn't until I sat down & had a heart to heart with God and myself. Why is it that I just seem to run out of time & ultimately energy way too often? I feel like I am pulled in a hundred directions and don't ever get to truly accomplish anything. So what our gracious Lord revealed to me was the need to prioritize, pray, focus, & learn. Those 4 things will & can change my life and yours too if we are willing to put forth a little time & effort. I just want to say for those of you who may not know, I am married & have a precious quite energetic 3 year old little girl who keeps me busy & well, active in the cleaning department. I also suffer with the painful disorder of fibromyalgia & at times feel the full force of that upon my body. So, with all that as a part of my every day life, I am determined to find order & peace in this world of high demands & chaos.
Prioritize. What exactly does that look like? To me, it's taking the things from my life and day and deciding what will get my time and energy in the 24 hours that I am given. What will effect me tomorrow, next week, or 5 years from now from the choices I make right now? What will I wish I did more of or even less of (depending on what you are thinking about) when I lay my head down on my pillow at the end of the day? Those things that come to mind when asking yourself those questions are what should be on your top personal priority list. For me, some of those things are: God, my husband & daughter, my family & friends, and my health. As you notice I have listed God first and so many times we are told that the order in which we should prioritize must always include God 1st, then family, then work, friends, etc. But how do we know if we ever truly give God enough to be able to say, okay, I'm going to move on to number 2? We can't. I struggled with this for years, feeling guilty if I didn't get my daily devotion done, or pray 1st thing in the morning. What helped me more than anything was reading the amazing novel "The Shack" by William P. Young. The main character Mack has an experience where he gets to talk with Jesus face to face. Jesus asked him the very question I was just talking about. When will it be enough to move on to the next priority? Jesus told him we can't ever give God enough to be able to meet that priority, but if we put Him as center of EVERYTHING that we do, we are ultimately making Him our number 1 priority. This was life changing for me, and as I read that part, tears came falling down my face & I realized just how freeing this knowledge was. How freeing our God truly is! So, with prioritizing God, it's simple. Make Him the center of everything you do, & you will honor Him and further His Kingdom.
Pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. This is actually quite simple too. Talk to God. You don't have to be all formal with Him, as that would be exhausting, but just talk to Him as you would a best friend. Share with Him how you are feeling, what is going on in your life, your heart, your mind, and the hardest part...quiet yourself enough so you may hear His voice.
Focus. This is quite a challenge for me as I have a hundred different programs going on in my mind at any given moment. To do lists, ideas for Alana, concerns, and just random "squirrels" as one of my closest friends likes to put it. These "squirrels" love to run all over my mind & in the process I feel like I am constantly interrupting myself. This results in a very flustered and frazzeled woman! So how do I tame these thoughts? Well after prioritizing, and praying, I can ask myself, with the help of God, to help me focus on the important issues at hand. If my daughter is needing attention, I can focus on her. Giving her the love and time that she deserves is important. If she is content and taken care of at the moment, I then can move on to something different as menu planning, or paying bills. I can take a moment in the beginning of my day, and figure out the things that need to be done and go from there. All too often, we have things that pop up to take our attention away from what is truly important to us. Being aware of time thieves, we can accomplish much more & keep our focus. I certainly can't write about focus without also mentioning flexibility. Even the best of plans can become quickly unraveled at a moment's notice. Our little one gets sick, the weather is uncooperative, and many other things that are beyond our control. So while you do your best to stick to your plan and stay focused, remember that we things that are too rigid, often crack or break under too much pressure and are rendered useless. To practice flexibility within our character, we can like a rubber band, stretch out when we have to bear more weight, and bounce right back when the weight is gone. It's all about balance! (hmmm, random squirrel thought...future blog topic!)
Learn. Every day is a chance we have been given to learn more about ourselves, our loved ones, our world around us, our character, and our God. When we make mistakes whether very small or apocalyptic in size, we can learn and grow from each circumstance. Ask yourself what you are going to take away from the situation, what you have learned, & engrave that lesson upon your heart. As the talented and quite insightful Beth Moore says, "Pray to God He only has to send you to that classroom once, because He will keep sending you back there until you learn the lesson He wants you to know". (paraphrased). So, write those lessons upon your heart and move forward. Holding on to guilt, disappointment, or the oppression of failure will only keep you sinking. Look up and learn, then boldly march forward.
These are just thoughts from a woman who for the last few days have struggled with this. I have felt like I have failed in so many areas but then I recognize the one who is telling me the lies & I look to the One who gives me the truth. I will never be perfect but I will trust the One who is. By taking one day at a time, I will achieve my goals & be transformed more and more into His image. Thank you Lord for your grace.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:34 NLT
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