We all know it’s life in the fast lane for anyone who is busy. Today coming home from work I heard a minister reading from an essay of an 1800’s pastor. He said they were all moving so fast. Much faster than their parents. After all with the electric telegraph and the train, life was going by so fast one could hardly keep up. It was no wonder people were neglecting their spiritual duties.
I had to chuckle. The electric telegraph? We obviously live in a much “faster” time than that pastor did. Most of us have so many, as my grandfather would say, irons in the fire, we don’t know what to do first. Unfortunately, that is often used as an excuse either not to do anything or to do things poorly.
Today when I got home from work, I kid you not, before I was barely out of my car my recently retired husband walked across the lawn and said he had not had lunch, would I fix him 4 strips of bacon, two eggs and a dinner roll. (He loves my sour dough rolls).
Now, in his defense, he works very hard on the farm. We don’t really have a farm per se. No cows to milk or horses to hay. Just a few laying hens, a cocky rooster, a couple of bunnies, two spoiled dogs and the usual farm cats. But, my husband’s retirement project is “woody ornamentals” and he works very hard taking care of them. Which, takes land prep, then plant, then tend (water, weed). In addition, it’s spring. And, spring on the farm means keeping ahead of the grass, weeds and bird nests in the car port. We had a hard, hard winter which left us with fallen limbs, branches and trees that need cleaning up. So, he is legitimately tired.
I said,” sure I’ll fix it for you”. While I was sitting at the table with him while he relished his lunch, I was taking mental inventory of the jobs I had to do before I went to Young Women’s at church this evening.
Refresh Mary Janes. Mary Jane is my sour dough’s name; I have two of them a sweet sour dough and a regular sour dough. They need care and feeding twice a day.
Fold the load of kitchen towels/napkins that waited patiently for me in the dryer. I drastically cut the number of paper towels we use several years ago by using inexpensive white kitchen towels. White because I bleach the stew out of them so I am comfortable that they are germ-free. I have a whole kitchen-towel routine I follow and I LOVE it so much more than using paper towels.
Unload then load the dishwasher and clean the kitchen from the impromptu lunch. Feed and water the rabbits and chickens. Tend to the treat I was taking for church. Change clothes, burn the trash and write a blog post.
Now I’ve already established that time is relevant. What? You thought that was Einstein? We think it takes longer to do something than it actually takes. The task is built up in our minds until it makes us tired just to think about it. I explain this a little further here. http://lizzymckee.com/my-routines/
So, on the surface of my mind I had all these chores to do BEFORE I went to church. I didn’t want to get up from that comfy kitchen chair. (It’s padded. It swivels AND rocks. Comfy.) So, like any good Proverbs 31 woman, I took myself in hand and got up from the table. I did NOT cave in to the NATURAL SELF.
It literally took three minutes to fold AND put away the kitchen towels, another three minutes for the dishwasher and 90 seconds for the counters. In ten minutes I was completely done with my kitchen chores, another ten minutes and the outside chores were done and I could do what I REALLY wanted to do– sit down at the computer and write. Did you add that up? Within a half hour I was completely finished with the have-to stuff and was on to the want-to stuff!!
Yet, while I sat at the table thinking about all that I had to do, I was sliding into the poor me mode. The, “but I’ve been working OUTSIDE the home, I should get to slack off ” mode. The “I’m tired and I don’t wanna do it” mode.
But, now! Wow! After I have already done the mundane…now I’m energized. I’m motivated. I’m crackling with energy because I did not give in to the pity party Satan was throwing just for me. I guarantee you that if I had laid down for a nap like I REALLY wanted to when I was mentally perusing that to do list, nothing would have gotten done except the chicken/bunny routine. (Animals have to eat.) And, I would have gotten up all groggy and cranky.
Now, I’m doing what I love and what the Lord has directed me to do. Write. I may even have time to take the dogs up the hill for a walk. The view of our valley from the top of the hill is breathtaking.
Oh wait, I just remembered I need to pick dandelions for a batch of dandelion jelly. I’ll probably save that ‘till tomorrow. It’s ok to procrastinate some things.
Life is good. God is great.