Order

…….that is the word for the year. A friend challenged me to pray and ask God for one word that would depict what I knew He wanted to teach me throughout the entire year. It’s kind of like a New Year’s resolution, but only one word and mine was certainly “order”. This is a struggle I have had as long as I can remember. Great wife, slacking at work, great worker, who knows what Jeremy will eat for dinner (or lunch or breakfast for that matter), exercise queen, haven’t seen the gym in months, the list goes on and on. SO, my order is ordained to be:

God
Jeremy
Cross
Our home and our family’s health
Ministry

Now, the only true test to see if you have things in order is to ask yourself how much time you are spending on each. I am sad to say that although I wish for nothing more than to put my King Jesus at the tip top of my list, when you look at time spent I am learning that the 20 minutes here and there just prove how far down the list He really sits. It was like a light bulb went off today and I thought to myself “I have weekend get aways with my husband” “I go to the gym for an hour at the least” “Cross, well we all know what that looks like” so, if time is the test and I say God is at the top of my list I certainly need to rearrange if I want to be honest. But no, I do want Him at the top. I certainly have felt life’s pains when He isn’t. So today I felt like I had a day of victory that I wish was the usual instead of the exception, but by God’s grace “order” won’t have to be the word for 2009 as well. I didn’t set out on a spiritual journey, just took heed to something the Holy Spirit spoke into my heart one day when I was frustrated because Cross wanted something (heaven forbid the 4 month old didn’t just handle it or wait patiently) while I was TRYING TO HAVE MY QUIET TIME. God spoke to my heart and said to have my time with Him while Cross was napping. I have always strived to give God the first fruits of my day, but you can’t really expect to ignore a screaming/hungry/unpredictable child and have God’s blessing on your Bible Study. So, today I tried it and guess what, it worked. Just like God to help you figure out the perfect order. I sat down and thought to myself, no time limits, no laundry, no nothing, just me and Jesus. Then at the “couldn’t be more perfect” time that same friend sent me a text saying that she was praying that I would come face to face with Jesus today. WOW, I hadn’t prayed that for myself lately much less for a friend and I thought, why not, why wouldn’t I want anything more in life than to meet Jesus face to face. That was a great (God ordained) jump start to my time with Him and it only got better and better. Cross started crying about an hour or so in and I stuck that “paci” back in his mouth and continued to dive in with an excitement and an ambition I hadn’t felt in months, maybe years. Why don’t I give God the time He deserves, I mean I am the only one who has something to lose by not doing that. We often act like God is going to be mad if we don’t spend time with Him, but we are by far the biggest loser in this situation. So a weekend get away with Him may be the next thing on the list. I feel like for at least a small moment, my priorities were in check and it felt awesome!!!!!!!! Does God want us to sit in the floor at His feet while letting the house fall apart around us, no way, at 5 til 11 Cross woke up cooing and ready for some milk and God said “we are done”. Baths and diapers, bottles and fun time on the floor took priority and that was also exactly what God wanted. What is your word for the year? It is just April, certainly not too late in the year to start seeking the one thing God really wants you to overcome before December. Kind of like one less bag in your pile of baggage for you to carry into the next New Year. Go ahead; just ask Him what it is and if you already know just take it one day at a time, victorious moments turn into victorious days which turn into victorious years which turn into victorious lives. Now that is something worth fight for!

Obtaining Order,
Kelly