I went to bible study, grabbed a quick bite of lunch with friends. Ran home to grab my to do list and let the dogs out. When I walked in the back door I was greeted with havoc. At first I thought we had been robbed. A table was overturned, books on the floor. An 1800's antique bowl, which was filled with wrapped chocolates, was on the floor. Chocolate wrappers scattered all over the floor.
Quickly I realized the "robbers" were Bonnie & Clyde. Our 80 pound black lab and her 40 pound corgi accomplice. They had some how managed to overturn priceless antiques all in the name of chocolate gold coins. Not only did they eat the left over Christmas candy they left the empty gold aluminum "coin" wrappers all over the house.
I called the vet first. Needed to find out if I would in fact be the one to kill them. Or would the chocolate be their demise. Next a walk to let them get the gold coins out of their pockets so to speak. Then the cleanup began. I was so mad! They are 8 years old not puppies for gosh sakes! By this time two hours had passed and my afternoon out of town to-do list was not going to happen.
So with the mindset of Scarlett Ohara "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow" I laid my head right down on the sofa. I propped my feet up and slept. For two hours. The only reason I woke up? 80 pound black lab was licking the bottom of my shoe....which, naturally, had an empty gold coin wrapper stuck to the bottom of it.
I actually was mad at my four legged children because they had disrupted my ridiculously over zealous schedule. I was already stressed thinking I wouldn't get everything done. In the heat of the moment I didn't think anything except (1) dumb @&?! (I may be saved but when provoked my tongue can't help itself) dogs! you've messed up my whole afternoon (2) I'll never get all of the "to-do's" checked off of this list (3) great, just more work
The reality is it just didn't matter. The list could wait for another day. The world was not going to stop if I was unable to make the thirty minute drive to Fresh Market or SAMs club. In that moment though? I was furious. Mad that my plans, my schedule were interrupted by Bonnie and Clyde (not their real names).
The truth of the matter is that little voice in my head (Holy Spirit) had whispered to me loud and clear that morning. I felt nudged by the Spirit to stay home. I didn't feel great. I also needed to clean up, work, make phone calls, get laundry started and rest.
Yes, I have to make myself rest. If I do not pace myself throughout the week my type A personality will dictate what it thinks my diseased body should (operative word) be doing. If I pace myself? I'm fine. If I do marathon sprints of activity I usually end up in a flare for weeks. Honestly, if I don't pace my days I end up in the bed or in the doctors office or in the hospital. When I choose to ignore my body it's actually a very selfish act. It affects our bank account, my husband and those depending on me. I chose to go out to lunch and jaunt out of town despite knowing that the Lord was tapping me on the shoulder. Yeah, that worked out real well.
Do you struggle with the flesh and the Spirit too? Or is it just me? We receive nudges from the Lord but we ignore them. Our wants and needs before His. I can usually justify just about anything to Him. Usually there is silence which I pretend to interpret as "Yes sir-e my plans are a go!" If my children had done that to me I would be livid. So why do we do it to God?
He calls us to obedience. John 14 clearly tells us we are to demonstrate our love for Christ through our obedience to him: “If you love Me, keep My commandments”. For the Christian, obedience means complying with everything God has commanded. The good news? God's grace. He showers us with it despite ourselves. Case in point drool provoked afternoon nap.
I'm thinking that if I had listened to His nudge on Tuesday morning I wouldn't still be picking up "loose change" and gold coins all over our backyard Thursday morning.
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."- Matthew 6:34
