As we went around the room many answers were shared. Things like, every day I:
- brush my teeth
- drink coffee
- work out
- pray
- read my Bible
- eat chocolate
- fix the bed
But one woman's answer changed the way I have planned each and every day since.
One meek, mild, and brilliant woman said, "I try to do one thing every day which will not be undone. You know, one thing that has an eternal impact."
WOW!
Those two sentences have truly changed my to do lists (at least on my very best days). They made me step back and realize that the majority of the items on my to do list will be quickly undone. Yes, they still need to be done. Laundry, cleaning, paying bills, running errands all have to happen. They are important, and they absolutely necessary.
My fault is that I tend to give them TOO MUCH importance. I tend to think, when I get to then end of my list THEN I will...
- send an encouraging card or email
- call a friend to pray with her
- play with my kids
- really listen to my husband tell about _____
- volunteer at church or school
- have friends over for dinner
- rock and cuddle
- watch a movie
- read my Bible and let it soak in
- have coffee with a friend
I have finally admitted that I will never complete my to do list. There is always another pair of jeans to wash, another spill to wipe up, another meal to prepare, another bill to pay. If I wait until I have all the "important" things done, I will never do any of the things that truly make a difference.
So my goal for each and every day is to recognize the accomplishment in doing things with eternal significance. Part of why I like to do the stuff on my to do list is that I feel a sense of accomplishment when I have completed the task. I feel good when my floors are clean. I smile when my bathrooms are sparkling. I feel ambitious and accomplished when I tend to the tasks of life. However, in my task-oriented thinking, the eternal stuff just does not make me feel the same way. I can not see the result immediately, so it seems futile.
Typing the word futile just caused my soul to gasp! I almost changed the word because it hurt to admit it. To admit that the way I view myself and my life tends to be through how many measurable tasks I can complete in a day is not something I feel good about. It is too often true though. I have to remind myself daily (sometimes hourly) that the tasks do not matter but THE PEOPLE DO. I have learned to consciously ask God to direct my to do list. I ask Him to show me the meaning in the eternal. I ask Him to slow down my thoughts and steps so that I do not run ahead of Him when where I really want to spend my time is following His path.
So, do you want to change your to do list for the weekend?
I hope you (and I) have a wonderful weekend, filled with many moments with eternal significance.
