Anything else but.

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday. –Napoleon Hill


I’m not usually too bad about procrastinating. I usually putter around a bit, but with the understanding that while I putter, I am organizing my To Do List of the mind. Yeah, that’s it.

As we prepare for a vacation, for instance, I know we’ll need to pack stuff. I know we need one last trip to the grocery store for road food. (When the kids were little, we always took along a bag of suckies [hard candies] and chewies [soft candies]. That way, no one complained.) And yes, I know eventually, we will need to give the house one last cleaning. I really don’t like coming home to a dirty house.

But for now . . . I am content to do just about anything else. I have one more sermon to craft—but before I start that . . . and then, suddenly, it’s Friday.

But along the way of my doing other things, I have made time for a walk. And I saw baby birds learning to fly. The river crowding its banks as it makes its way to Lake Erie. Dogs discovering brand new smells every time they turn around.

A little procrastination isn’t a bad thing. Just don’t make it a lifestyle. Take the day as it comes, with open eyes.

Monday Remember how to cut a paper snowflake?  Try it again. Praise God for wonders of nature. Job 38:4-7

Tuesday Pray today for a child in your life, whether your own or someone else’s. Pray God’s blessing and guidance in their life. 1 John 3:1-3

Wednesday As summer draws to a close, pray for teachers and others who shape the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Consider writing a note. Isaiah 11:6

Thursday Do you know someone who is serving as a missionary abroad? Pray for them, as they seek to shine the Light of Christ into some very dark corners. Zechariah 2:10-11

Friday Pray today for those sensing a Call from God. Pray for open minds, soft hearts and courage in the face of the uncertain. Romans 12:1-2

Saturday As you pray for yourself today, ask God to show you some new way, a little thing, perhaps, that you can do to change your corner of the world. Give thanks; invite another to join you. Move your feet. Joshua 6:2-5

Sunday As we gather today to worship the Almighty, reflect on the week that just finished. Allow your heart to be light. Give thanks for the gift of this day—and be glad! 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

 

Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of your universe. Amen. –Abraham Joshua Heschel

 

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