Saturday morning. Can I get a hurray?
I wake up and it’s still dark. I tiptoe quietly through the house where others, who don’t share my love of mornings, are still snuggled under the covers waiting for the sun to come up. I walk through the kitchen, thankful that I left the sink empty and the cupboards cleared of clutter – not a normal sight on a Saturday morning. Grabbing laundry on the way, I glance down at my notebook where I write my to-get-done-today list …
Ewe… wish I hadn’t looked there … but here we go. Welcome to the weekend!
But first, coffee, find my Bible, clear a place on the floor where I can sit cross-legged and spend time with God. When I woke up this morning, my mind was on yesterday which was not a high quality, rerun worthy day. I guess that’s why God orchestrated these scriptures on this specific day.
Ditch the past – it’s so yesterday – Construct a new day.
Philippians 3:13 “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal …”
I’ve got that ‘straining toward’ part mastered. All it takes is one contemplative glance around my house and short glance at my proliferating list – the image is cemented in my mind.
Where do I start? How about Psalms to help me box up yesterday and toss it out with the clutter? Psalm 55:16-23 “As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken … But as for me, I trust in you.”
Even on days when everything goes according to plan, nothing disturbs the protective shield around my world, and the curtains close at the end of a good day, the enemy of my soul whispers doubt into my ear. I’m tempted to rehash the past or invite problems of tomorrow into the comfort of today. Are you kidding me? Why allow an encumbrance like that? Why be burdened with afflictions that are only imaginary. The Message translation of Psalm 57:1-3 breathes calmness – “Be good to me, God—and now! I’ve run to you for dear life. I call out to High God, the God who holds me together. He sends orders from heaven and saves me … God delivers generous love, he makes good on his word.”
So – what of today? The mountain of work ahead, the suffocating clutter to be dealt with, vital relationships calling, events to attend, shopping to be done – sometimes it’s just too much. Then the ah-ha moment occurs. We learned it in elementary school. “Yard by yard, it’s hard. But inch by inch, it’s a cinch.” Relief comes when we divide and conquer. Step one, ask for wisdom. James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
It’s Saturday and plans for the weekend have been made. Before we dive headlong into the day, can we stop for a moment and be thankful, then ask God for wisdom as we approach our day? How can we divide and conquer so when we pull down the shades tonight, we can say we have done as much as we can, to the best of our ability, and it was a good day!
Good morning!! Here’s a song to get you going. Mandisa knows how to make it happen.
