"To Do" Lists

Have you ever woken in the morning wondering what you might get accomplish? It’s not often that we have days like that. Our lives are too full, too busy and too complicated to offer us that luxury. More often than not, we get up and get going. Luck for us there are the odd day when we can. There was a day when every house and every person might have had a job jar. And that could be the answer to the question we first asked. Then, as time moved on we men recognized the honey dew list. That great leveller of mankind. An unending list of things that if you were to accomplish all of them, somehow miraculously by the next morning we would be met with another list, just as long and just as complicated.
Myself, I love attacking a list. May not accomplish much of it but I have a list. Actually I have a number of lists. And one day I’m going to put dates on them to see how long it really takes to get any one of a million things done.
On the other hand, let’s admit it, it’s just great to just wake up in the morning. After working on the list the other day, I fell exhausted into bed. It was a long day and a tiring day. Not too many minutes left before sleep enveloped me. There in those moments I relived what the day had held. “It was a good day”. I also found myself thanking God for the time, the energy, the accomplishments and yes, the list that for a few short minutes would be smaller.
So, the cycle of day in day out goes for each one of us. So I thought. Up until I read in my bible that our days are numbered. No, I’m not going to get all depressing. I just started recognizing there is a need to make the most of the time God is giving me. Not to be so consumed with what I can do or how well I can make that list appear smaller.
What I realized at that moment was, God was helping me to add important things to the list. Remember the story of Jesus at the well. He was just taking a break from the disciples. Just hanging at the well. Getting kinda thirsty, he asked a distract women for a drink. In those few minutes, He spent a short space of time with someone who appreciated a kind word. And we can do no less.
Take time attending our children’s sports games. Add to the list, just going on a date with your wife or husband. And not necessarily to Wendy’s. I add taking time each day to make one 15 minute call just to let someone know they were being thought of. It was easy to add helping someone get something on their list done. It was even easier to go and visit someone who can’t come and visit me. Just today I received $20 unexpectedly and tomorrow I’m going to put it to work for someone else.
In the last week I accomplish some things and at the same time I accomplished amazing things. All because, God said, today is a gift, share it with someone else.
When we wake up tomorrow, will we recognize the gift of 24 hours God has placed before us? And will we use it wisely doing something for people that Jesus Himself would do?
Something to think about.
Rob