Moving houses is a lot of work but there is a silver lining. It's list-making heaven... if you like that kind of thing. I have been going crazy with my list-making. I have lists for everything and if I follow them, everything will get done on time and in an orderly fashion. I mean, sure, I actually have to do everything I've listed but for now I'm sleeping soundly knowing that I have a plan to get it done.
A friend recently sent me a Veggie Tales video that reminded her of me (and her!). It's basically a young carrot singing about how much she loves check marks. (Go ahead and click the link, it'll put a smile on your face.) Whether you consider yourself an organized person or not, you'll probably agree that it's a great feeling when you can check something off of a list. Actually, I know for a fact that some of you make lists of things you've already done so that you can go and check them off. #truth
As I've been staring at my moving lists for a few weeks I've been thinking about how much of our real lives can't be articulated by a list. You can't make a list of how you will be a more patient parent, a more loyal employee or a better friend. You can't check off the fruit of the Spirit in your life - love, check; joy, check; peace, check - because these are things that grow in your life as you surrender to Christ daily. They are cultivated by the Holy Spirit in you, not achieved.
And so, as we enter in a major list-making season (how's that back-to-school shopping going?), let me encourage you not to wait until everything is in perfect listed order before you spend time in the Word. Don't wait until the coffee is brewed to 96 degrees exactly and every sock is matched and put away before you call out to God in prayer. Don't believe that conditions must be perfect before you can invest in your relationship with Jesus. You don't need to make a list for these things, you need to develop the habit of daily obedience. In the same way that you don't tell your tomato plants how many centimetres to grow each day, you simply care for them; do the same thing for your walk with Christ.
Growing Together,
Pastor Tracy
This Sunday...
THE SUMMER OF COURAGE
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego
Join us on Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy shares this incredible story of courage.