Do you have a list of things you want to accomplish before you die? There are a ton of things I want to try. I want to kiss my husband in front of the Eiffel Tower, shop on Rodeo drive, cliff dive in Mexico, look into the grand canyon, ride on a train, design greeting cards, ride a horse bareback on the beach, and so many other things. From a life’s work perspective, I dream of being a decorator, a photographer , a mentor, an author … the list goes on and on. I want to be available at all times to my husband, my daughter, my extended family, my church, my friends, and anyone else who needs help.
But can I just be still and know that God is in control? Could I just spend my time loving others without having an overwhelming need to "do" or "be" something? Why do I always fill up my life with things, and in doing so end up feeling disorganized, unsuccessful, incompetent...a failure because I can’t do it all well?
How do we determine the "right" things to work on? Which of these great things to do are part of God’s will for my life, and which are just my own feeble ideas? If I could find the answer to that question, I would know exactly what to work on each day and I would know that I was following His plan. I wouldn’t waste any time on things that he didn’t think were worthwhile. Wouldn’t that be a great feeling?
But what if God gives me lots of options within his plan? Maybe God’s will is like a meal. He could sit us down and place exactly what he wants us to have in front of us. All we need to do is eat up and we would know we are being obedient. On the other hand, he might lead us to a glorious banquet where he lets us choose those things we really want out of many wonderful options. Where whatever we choose is within His will. Some choices might be healthier than others, and some may be more pleasing to our tastes, but he allows us to feast on whatever we choose!
The closer I get to God, the more I see that he wants to give me choices, and often any option I choose will be acceptable (within reason). But I am quickly awed and overwhelmed by the alternatives. I try to take a piece of everything and my plate quickly overflows. Just imagine my plate at a church potluck, you get the picture!The gravy gets in the corn, the Jell-O melts into the spaghetti, and soon I’m not able to separate any one item from the rest.
Perhaps my goal this year should be to address God’s feast one course at a time. To step up to the salad bar, take a reasonably sized portion, and finish that before moving on to the soup. I want to really taste and enjoy each part of my life without rushing on to the next great possibility.
I’ve decided to spend my journaling time in February evaluating my activities and my long list of dreams. I want to understand the few, the most important things and to be able to do them well. The other activities may come in time, and if they don’t I may be a little sad but I won’t see it as failure. By the end of this year I want to know that I’ve sought after God’s peace that passes understanding, not that I’ve grabbed up a piece of every interesting or important thing I’ve seen. God wants us to know his peace… and he stands next to us just waiting for us to reach out for it. But our hands are too full of all the things we thing we have to do. I pray that I may empty my arms of the "things" of this world and embrace His gift of peace!
What to you want to embrace this year?
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