What’s a Girl to Do?

 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”

1 Peter 1:15 (NIV)

What to do?  What to do?   The thoughts stumbled around my head as I organized another day’s to-do list.  Item number 1 – feed kids.  Number 2 – change that smelly diaper.  Number 3 – get coffee.  No!  Scratch that.  Coffee first… the kids can wait.   That’s me.  I make lists and check them twice.  I do things well.   

Like the swirling steam of my brewing beans, the sweet voice of the Lord saturated my senses.  “Relationships” He whispered.  “Scratch your do-ing.  Today I want you to be.”

I prayed for just this; begged for it even.  A word; a single word from my God, and now that He delivered I wished He would take it back.  Throw away my to-do list?!  What’s a girl to do?

According to the Myers-Briggs personality assessment, I am an introvert.  I love quiet time...alone.  I raved for weeks about having a full eight hours of peaceful bliss on a recent airline trip.   

Mr. Myers and Mr. Briggs would also call me a “thinker” (as opposed to a “feeler”).  If given the choice, I would pour over Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion before attending Hallmark’s Annual Greeting Card Convention.

Introverted thinkers can do a great many things.  We can will ourselves to run (and finish!) a 10 mile race after recovering from major knee surgery.  We can gather our perfectly dressed family for the perfect Christmas photo on Hawaii’s perfect beach to create a bazillion perfect Christmas cards.  We can even change diapers, feed the masses, and dig up a cup of coffee all before 7am!  But we can’t do relationships.  You must be in relationship.

“Be” as a prefix denotes nearness or closeness; to remain or be fixed.  In the Hebrew language, this prefix means to stand by.  There is nothing to do when you are be-ing, except to stay where you are.  To be in relationship blows that whole notion of quality time vs. quantity time right out of the water.  God’s relationships are defined by quantity: Stand by me and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10); submit to God and remain at peace with him (Job 22:21); just as he who called you is holy, stand near his holiness in all you do (1 Peter 1:15).

If my extensive to-do list boasts beautiful accomplishments, but neglects relationships - I accomplish nothing.  If I run the race arrogantly smirking every time I pass those less experienced than me - I am just another competitor.  If my perfect Christmas card fails to reflect the perfect beauty of the season but instead reflects my misplaced perfectionism – I gain nothing.  Love is not grumpy when my family’s early morning wake-up interferes with the day's to-do list.   Love changes diapers, feeds children, and delays coffee.  Love never fails. 

The funny thing is that God doesn’t ask me to stop do-ing at all, He just asks me to be holy while I’m do-ing it all. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15, NIV).   

What to do?  What to do?  The thoughts stumble around my head as I now contemplate how to be holy in all that I do.

What wisdom can you share with a Mom seeking to be holy in all she does?

Dear Lord, help us to be near, fixed to, and standing by our loved ones.  Help us to put aside our to-do lists in favor of being in relationship with the ones You gave us this day.  For this is the day that You have made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Love-Wise by Bill & Pam Farrel (http://www.love-wise.com/)

Honest believers that anyone can have great relationships!  Join them in discovering how to make all your relationships work better.

Merry Christmas!

Greatest man in history named Jesus. Had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. Had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Merry Christmas!!

Our God is an Awesome God

Our God...is and awesome God...He reigns...in heaven above...with wisdom, power, and love...our God is an awesome God.

 These lyrics are playing around in my head as I type, for our God is an awesome God! 

A few moths ago I spied a writing course offered by the Christian Writer's Guild.  After drooling over the possibility of  being assigned my own personal mentor and writing coach, I almost choked over the price.  Nearly $700!  There died that dream.

But the hopes of someday being able to afford such a class never died.  And with the additional income of some recent photography business, I wondered if it may be a possibility after all...

Then the mail came the other day.  Apparently that day I enviously explored the Christian Writer's Guild website, I must have clicked on a box that expressed my interest in the class, for in the mail came a packet of materials advertising that very course.  Great, I thought.  Here's another chance to battle my jealousy.

Instead I found a pleasant surprise!  Either they drastically reduced their prices or I desperately need new glasses, but the advertised cost of the course was now almost $400 less than I remembered.  Jeff immediately turned to me and said, "So...when are you signing up?"

Our God is an awesome God.  You are now looking at (figuratively, of course) an official Guild student - writing coach and all.

The Hard Candy of the Bible

Proverbs

Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 16:3

I listen to Dr. Timothy Keller - the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, NY.  He both confounds and enlightens me.  I can't get enough of the guy.  Here's why:

In a sermon entitled Your plans; God's plans, Dr. Keller introduces the book of Proverbs with these words:

"You've heard of the meat of the word, and the milk of the word.  Proverbs are the hard candy of the word.  You don't just swallow it.  You don't just bite into it.  You have to dissolve it very, very, very slowly on your tongue.  You have to meditate on it.  You have to think about it."

He goes on to expose a common misconception.  You think you know what Proverbs 16:3 suggests.  You think it states, "Commit your plans to the Lord and then He will bless your deeds."  As if you could pray something like, "Oh Lord, bless my plans" and then your deeds would surely succeed.