Stop Interrupting My Plans

For those of who you hang on to every one of my writings and look forward to it with great anticipation (my mom maybe, she might be the only one), I apologize that I did not write yesterday. Shoes are not the only thing to get messy. Schedules and calendars and agendas also get messed up … big time. So, for about 40 hours now, I have been reunited with my wife. For a few months, she remained in Dallas while I transitioned to Appomattox. She is here in Virginia for the holiday break and is spending 5 days with me before she returns for her final month in Dallas … for work, for family, for our son.

So, my time has now been committed to her. I’ve tried to fix her computer (still getting black screen of death at boot up … which is why I love my 2011 MacBook Pro. No screens of death. Thank you Calvin for returning it to me when you got a new one this summer.)

So, tried to fix her computer, give her time to job hunt, drive around for Christmas shopping (that was before Black Friday, I am not looking forward to tomorrow), and fixing her breakfast every morning like a great hubby. Throw in the Community Service at Evergreen UMC, and whalaa, my time is all scrambled up and gone on Wednesday. Today, at least three houses for Thanksgiving food and fellowship, assist a young person with some required community service, work on Sunday, and make sure Lisa knows I am willing to do whatever, go wherever, and, well, anything whatever.

Some people are obsessed with control, with making sure all their ducks are lined up, and all the little boxes on their to-do list get checked. Life gets really messy when order is replaced with chaos – even if only a little chaos. But here is today’s lesson from the wheel of morality (a reference to Animaniacs) … Spend time with friends and family. Throw out some of the schedule and just hang. Stuff will get done. Chores can be postponed. To-do lists need to have the top item as focus on what’s important … love Jesus, love people.

Imagine an early Thanksgiving. Martha is in the kitchen working on the microwaving the turkey. Lazarus is watching the Damascus Cowboys lose on TV. But Mary, Mary is spending time at the feet of Jesus. Talking, sharing, relating, laughing, learning, and more. When Martha texts Jesus to send Mary in to the kitchen, yells at Lazarus to get more wood for the fireplace, and stomps around the kitchen because nobody is doing their job … Jesus tells her that Mary has chosen the one thing, the most important thing … spending time with him and others.

Okay, I modernized the story … but the point is the one thing. Mary got it.

This Thanksgiving, will you get it? Spend time with Him and others. This time may not come back around so make the most of it.

Have a happy Thanksgiving