January 02, 2008
One Day at a Time
Lately the Lord has me praying for strength and peace to get through each day as it comes. My personality is to look forward, be organized, have my ducks in a row and be prepared for whatever might be around the corner. I don’t like this one-day-at-a-time stuff. Realistically I know I have no control over this day or the next, but I feel at loose ends without a direction of some sort, and the Lord isn’t letting me in on ‘the plan’. It just seems like I ought to be doing something while I’m trying to, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Ps 46:10 NIV)
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Gail;
-----I’ve tried to live my temporal life by a more liberated, do what comes, I will find a way, spontaneity. Also, I’ve always complained about having one or the other foot stuck in a bucket, and in almost everything I do I wish I were more prepared. The last few years I have been awake to the reality of this mistaken attitude, and I have been trying to live life more deliberately. Like yours, my personality is also to look forward. But I have always looked forward with a certain ambivalence, because although I try to be organized and prepared for what might come around the corner, I never quite am because I keep my ducks in a row boat, all jumbled up. It’s no wonder that I can hardly ever find the right duck when I need him, he’s always either at the bottom of the pile or has jumped in the water and swam off. As I read your blog, I determined that I am going to memorize that one sentence, “…look forward, be organized…ducks in a row and be prepared.” Maybe it came to you from the military.
-----I regret not doing a spell in the military (I briefly considered joining as a chaplain in the late 1970’s), it would have served my self-discipline well. But I learned from the Lord long, long ago to look forward in my spiritual life, be organized in my spiritual ambitions, to keep my significant spiritual ducks in a row, to not worry about the insignificant ones, and to be prepared for Who is coming. I wrestled for many years, wondering about what service I might be to Him, before I realized that simply doing right in my day to day things, planning right in my longer range plans, and treating people with a sincere affection from a true love is what He wants me to do. It once was curing ham and bacon at a pork plant (though some of my Adventist brethren might disagree,) it once was driving school bus, it has been college, being a janitor, now it is being a husband and a dad, and a CPA, too. Whatever involves no immorality or wrongdoing and whatever makes for peace and joy between yourself, God, and those around you is the direction of the moment and the substance of the long range plan. For basically, our service is to, in whatever way is at hand, add to the kingdom of heaven. And the kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
-----It is not that long range plans do not matter, even in spiritual issues. They are very important. It is just that every day and every week is not required to serve them. Excursions and vacations from a plan are as important to it’s success as are excursions and vacations from your employment. They are times for relaxation, allowing the inner mechanisms to maintain the looseness required for quick and accurate reactions to what comes at you fast in this life. I am beginning to find being more deliberate and planned about meeting my obligations is actually fun. But abandoning the spells of drift time would quickly turn good plans and organizations into dank dungeons and cold prisons.
-----Enjoy the time of drifting. I assure you, your plans are still there. Don’t be shmoozed by the always straightened up, always primped and proper, always ready with a Christian cliché Mr. and Ms. SundaySchool, who would have you believe that the Lord alone plans your life. He does not. You and He plan it together. And in those times when He does not seem to be at the planning session, take comfort in knowing that a little drift time for you can be by His plan, too, just as it can be by yours. And whatever you do in that drift time, if it is done right, and if it causes peace and joy, it is also an addition to His kingdom.
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