“LORD, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?”

Often when I get some insight from God, my first and primary response is eager, even anxious, to share it with someone, or get it written down before I forget it.  (a few days ago I shared the significance of my memory difficulty)

This morning was no exception.  Again, I may forget some profound thoughts (at least I thought profound at the time).  But I will remember one.

Anytime that anything—any thought, any word, any email, any news—or any person interferes with our time with God first thing in the morning (quiet, alone, with His Book, on our knees), our entire day will suffer, no matter how much we have planned (or how much others have planned for us) or how much we think we have to get done.

Here is what I do remember from this morning, and it’s so simple you may miss it.  Don’t.

Several years ago in a close group of Godly men, I prayed aloud, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”  Sounds good, doesn’t it?  But God spoke to me inside immediately, “Leave off the last part, and we can talk.”  So, He wanted me to make my prayer shorter?

“Lord, what do you want?”  I have tried to pray that more, since then, especially when I’m worried about not getting enough done.  Perhaps my greatest nemesis centers around, “I didn’t get anything done.”  To which my pastor once replied, “Are you sure?”  (meaning, according to Whose agenda?)

This morning God gave me a simple, additional insight.  He knows I like to use concise words with significant twists to capture attention and communicate.  So He did the same.

“Lord, what do you want me to do?”  becomes  “Lord, what do you want . . . me?”  Anything else I can pray between those three dots doesn’t matter until He has me.

God wants me—first a relationship—then a closer relationship—time spent talking, together—then, and only then, doing anything worthwhile, together.

God wants you—same thing— first a relationship—then a closer relationship—time spent talking, together—then, and only then, doing anything worthwhile, together.

 

So, right now, could it be that petting the sweet kitty on my lap is God’s way of stopping my day to practice what I just wrote?

I’ll share a simple story with a very simple line that my dad liked to tell:

There was a lady well up in years who spent most of her day sitting on her front porch in a rocking chair.  Someone asked her if she got bored and lonely.  She replied cheerfully, “Oh no, I just sit here and let God love me.”  Now that’s living.  If only we could all learn her secret of getting stuff done, and inspiring others.

 

For a fun thought about a rocking chair, please read “LIGHTER SIDE OF OLDER”  3-16-12 on this site.