January of the New Year can be filled with resolutions, promises to do better, be better, usually promises that don’t last more than a couple of weeks.  Last week on Monday and Thursday we talked about the possibility that God has left our nation, because we have left Him.  As a nation we are considering taking Him out of our courts, have already taken Him out of our schools and our cities, and most of us have even taken Him out of our lives. No longer do we consider God most important in our schedule. We do not put Him first. Our days start out chaotic, and progress from there in a never ending frenzy of busyness. We claim that we don’t have time, that we just can’t fit anything more into our calendar.

I’m here to tell you that we can’t afford not to.

My husband always tells me that if you say that you didn’t have time to get something done that the real problem is that you just didn’t make it a big enough priority. A busy “to-do” list can masterfully manipulate your day if you let it. It’s not that these things aren’t important or even necessary; but are they THE most important thing.

God should be our first thought of the day and our last thought before we fall asleep at night. Making God the center of our lives can actually put everything else in perspective and be helpful in managing how we spend our time. God should not be one more thing on your to-do list, as many like to think of Him, He needs to be your priority, and then everything else will fall into place.

Consider days that you have had an unbelievable schedule. You start off running as your feet hit the floor because the alarm that you set didn’t do the job, breakfast falls by the wayside as you try to cram in that last little bit of computer time before you have to jump into the driver’s seat and race off to work, or school, or the store…wherever your day is taking you. You’ve barely had time to throw down a cup of coffee let alone breathe, and for yet another day, the bible that beckons you from the table in the corner is shoved on the back burner. Maybe tonight before bed, you can catch up on that, spend some God-time. Your intentions are good.

By the time you get home you are in full blown panic because you didn’t take anything out of the freezer to make for dinner this morning, and your whole family is standing there with half-starved faces, asking for food. So you throw down the supplemental groceries that you picked up on the way home, and get to rummaging through the pantry for something that resembles dinner. Two hours later as you are doing the final dinner dishes, you start to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel…the table in the corner beckons you yet again with promises of peace and res,t and you feel the pull as you begin to walk in that direction, but you are body slammed by homework and activities for the kids, so your dreams of peace are again postponed.

Time: 10:00 pm.

The kids are in bed, the dog has been fed, the dishes cleaned and it is finally time for you. The chair in the corner by the table is no longer an option, so you grab the bible that sits upon it and trudge off to that sweet mattress that screams comfort. You fling your weary body upon the sheets and snuggle up with a good book – your bible. Opening to the chapter where you left off eons ago, you yawn and begin to read……zzzzzzz.

Does this sound familiar?  It does to me.  I have days like this. They start out crazy and end in weary defeat. Did I accomplish my to-do list? Mostly. Do I have any sense of peace about that? Rarely!

Why? Because I was just going through the motions.  I’m sure that I had moments of joy in my day, times of satisfaction and accomplishment, but I don’t recall them now.

Now let’s consider a different scenario: I set my alarm 30 minutes earlier than normal, and instead of closing my eyes to squeeze in just two more minutes of sleep, I sit up straight and let the weary drain from my body. Shuffling off to the coffee pot, I refuel with pseudo “awake” and head over to my chair that sits next to the table that houses my peace for the day – my bible.

Opening to the place that I left off the day before, I begin to read, letting the words soak deep into my soul.  I don’t read too much, just enough to get a sense of the message that is in store for me today. Just enough to hear the very words that my Father wanted me to hear, life giving words.  I jot down a few key words that seemed meaningful, for me to look up later and close the book of my Lord. Still weary, I close my eyes and speak quietly in my soul to the one who can sustain me today, the one who can guide my steps and create a peace within me that I would not otherwise have.

We talk for a while, about life, friends, family. About my day, my week, my future, and the plans that He might have for me. I submit my day to Him, give over my plans in the event that He has something different in mind, something better…..and on with my day!

As I drive to my first destination of the day, I smile and hum happily a song that I learned at the worship service on Sunday, and the traffic seems to flow right out of my way, like the parting of the red sea. It doesn’t really, but the road congestion doesn’t seem to have that negative effect on me today. And I proceed – taking everything as it comes with grace and patience.  Even the checkout clerk at the store who is slow beyond belief does not bother me. She looks frustrated, and as she deals with difficult customers and dirty looks, her mood sours.

When it is finally my turn, I smile at her, a genuine smile, and she gives me a tentative grin back. “I’m really sorry about the wait”, she says. I assure her that it’s fine and ask if she’s having a bad day. It’s her first day she says and the new system is confusing to her. The impatience of the people isn’t helping; she wants to get them out quickly, but she has to find her way through the keyboard and asks many questions of the clerk next to her.  I tell her that she can take all the time she needs and assure her that it will get easier and not to let the customers discourage her. Another genuine smile.

This reprieve seems to calm her and I can even see a bit of a smile on her own face, a weight lifting, a glimpse of hope. Hope. That is what we all need isn’t it? Hope of a better day, a prosperous future, a happy ending. I feel like I’ve helped in some small way.

Finally home, I fix something simple for dinner given the late hour and that means an even easier clean-up than normal…homework is next and then time to simply sit with the kids and ask them about their day. As I finally crawl between the sheets that night, I reflect on the day. Busy. One of the busiest ever, but satisfying. I remember the face of the clerk and say a little prayer that her day will be better tomorrow. I thank God for the opportunity to help her, even just a little, and total relaxation envelopes my body. As I begin to drift off to sleep, I hear a small still voice in my soul saying, “well done, good and faithful servant.”

We are responsible for how we spend our time, what we do with what God has given us. Not only our possessions, but our time as well. What kind of days would you like to have? Really both of those days were almost exactly alike…busy, chaotic, full of needs and expectations, and roadblocks. The difference is the attitude going in.

Next time we will talk about how to change that attitude. Practical application for a peaceful life.

Lord, instill peace within me today, even in those frustrating times. Show me the things that I can do to give others peace and therefore hope. I pray this with my whole heart in Jesus’ name.

 

Next time:

Practical applications for a peaceful life.