I asked my three children that were at home yesterday to please do one job for me and then to pick up their rooms. Banner quickly knocked out the dishes and got her room back in order. Blaise moved through 4 or 5 jobs...she did a few of the windows, vaccuumed a bit, and even reminded me that one job she did was getting me a new roll of paper towels. That one cracked me up!
Bosque thought he had mastered the art of helping me and also doing what he loves to do. He asked if he could watch t.v. in my bed and do the laundry on every commercial. I agreed. When I finised a few of my jobs, I checked back with him to see how he was progressing. I saw a pile of laundry still on the bed and then one pile seperated that had in it his Peterson jersey and one red Hurley t-shirt. I said, "Bosque, how is the laundry going."
He looked up, sat up actually and said these words..."Now, Mom, on the first commercial I forgot to start. I did these TWO shirts of mine on the second set of commercials, and then on the third ones...I had to go to to the bathroom. I am waiting on the next one now to really get started." When he managed to get out that last bit about his future plans, he laid back down.
Oh, I could blog for days about the different personalities of my children or their very special motivations in life, but that is not what Bosque's lists of excuses reminded me of. He reminded me of ME...He reminded me of how adults function in the Kingdom of God!
How many times do I put things off that should be taken care of? Now, please understand that I am not talking about the fact that we just yesterday took the Christmas wreath off of the front gate or the fact that I have a thank-you that I have needed to mail for over a week. I am talking about putting off things that really matter!
I know a friend who is very burdened by unforgiveness and it may be time for this person to claim a verse, date it, pray it, accept God's grace, and then even go to that person and say the bitterness has been released. When the negative and even toxic feeling of unforvineness comes back, they will have a verse to pray that includes a PROMISE from the Word of God that with Him all things are possible and that does include FORGIVENESS!
I often give the Lord most of my life, but put off dealing with and withold just a little bit for my own fleshly desires. Our walk with the Lord can not be like a recipe that says to withold one cup of the mixture for later. We can not pick and choose what we offer to the Lord and ask Him to help us with it, but then keep part of our sin....just putting off obedience. If your heart has been searched and an issue has a red flag by it delivered straight from the Holy Spirit, then deal with it sooner instead of later.
I don't know what it is for you today...maybe a phone call to an old friend, a visit to someone who has been on your mind, or an afternoon spent reading your Bible instead of watching another old movie, but do not put off the Lord's work. He could do it all Himself, but He chooses to use US! That blows my mind everytime.
We must listen and obey today. I love this verse in Matthew 13:14. Jesus says to the disciples "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."
I want to live my life in a way that lets Jesus Christ know I GET IT! I want to walk with Him daily and say in my spirit...Jesus, OK, I get what you are telling me to do and YES...I will do it!
I will not wait until...
the next commercial,
the next day I have off of work,
until my house is clean,
my kids are bigger,
I have a different job or a promotion,
my spouse is ready to do it with me,
this semester is finished in college,
the cows are worked,
I get that other bill paid off,
until I get the yard mowed or the garden plowed,
or when that person comes to me and makes it right.
I GET WHAT YOU ARE SAYING LORD,
and Yes,
I will do it!
