Skip to main content

A Room Called "Today"

 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

          Yesterday, this verse came to mind. I should think in day-sized packets, not getting all twisted around about moving north and starting my spring and summer “half-life.” The first assurance I gave myself about this idea is that it doesn’t mean not planning. There’s not a thing wrong with discovering that my desktop planner doesn’t have my seasonal “to-do list” in it – my laptop does. There’s nothing wrong with setting up a set of tasks that need to be done in order to  make the journey north as stress-free as I can. In fact, I’ve started considering the idea of making a stop along the way where I can take pictures.

          The problem is when we start worrying, fussing, stressing, or otherwise trying to deal with things that don’t help. I can’t pack the truck, because the stuff that I’d pack would be the same things I’d need to pull back out, or they’re things I don’t want jouncing around in a truck for three weeks before I leave.

          Other people may not face the same struggles, but it seems to me that my mind is like a puppy or a toddler. If I don’t keep a pretty close eye on it, it goes wandering off into cupboards or closets, chewing on shoes, drawing on walls, or drinking or eating things that aren’t good for it or figuring out how to get outside and go on an adventure!

          One of my self-appointed Herculean tasks for this season in Florida has been weeding – just in case you haven’t heard. I have had people suggest that I should just kick back and relax. The problem is that kicking back and relaxing is precisely when my mind gets itself into trouble. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, as the saying goes, and I suspect that an idle mind is his playground.

          These are some of the things that weeding does for me. It uses the emotional energy that might otherwise be wasted on worry. It focuses the mind just enough to keep it from wandering off as often or as far. In a sense, it gives peace. Crafting performs the same function.

          Someone has said that faith and fear cannot happen at the same time. Others have talked about choosing which wolf to feed. What do you do to focus your mind, to keep it from heading off in directions it shouldn’t go? If you can’t think of one, may I suggest you find something creative, practical, or useful to keep your wander-prone mind in the room called “today”?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more