1 Thessalonians 1:3
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your
labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our
Lord Jesus Christ.
I like lists. I have, for as long as I've put pen to
paper. On my desk at work, a pad of lined paper rests between me and my
computer. I use the notes I jot down to prompt me to complete tasks I've been
given. At the top, I've written the typical things I do each week, plus the
emergency phone numbers for the college. Under that, I list projects,
reminders, social media needs, and anything else I should remember. By the end
of the week, I've checked off finished items, made addendums, and recorded new ideas.
Without my notes, there's a great chance I'd forget to do something important at
work.
As much as I like lists, I can't live my life by
checking off boxes. Organization works wonders for a project. But not so much
for life. Living life is more about prompts, nudges, crossroads, inspiration,
and endurance. Life in Christ includes hope, conviction, the nudgings of the
Holy Spirit, opportunities to serve, and unexpected joy. I've seen a cartoon
that depicts life in two boxes. What we think life might be, a straight line
from point A to point B. Or what life really is, a squiggly line that curves
every which way from point A to point B. There have been stretches in my life
when I've tried to live off of a check list, trying to get from A to B with the
least resistance. Each time God has had other plans. If you're a parent, take time to play with your kids. If your children are teens, hang out with them.
If you're married, date your spouse.
If you're single enjoy the adventure God's given you.
If you work outside the home, stop and ask your co-worker how their day is going.
Take the walk, pet the dog, smell the flowers.My point--God has plans for me. If my head is focused on a list all the time, I'm going to miss out. I want to live like the Thessalonians who were prompted by love and inspired by hope.