Don't Wait Too Long
19/01/2019 16:05
When we moved house last year, we acquired a new freezer. This stand-alone unit made it easy for me to sort my frozen foods, thus simplifying my life a great deal. We buy bread on Saturdays and keep several loaves in there to use as needed through the week. Having extra space in our new freezer meant we could store several weeks’ supply of bread in there. Pretty cool (both figuratively and literally)!
One day, as I took out a block of bread for thawing, I found ice inside the pack. Hmm. The bread must have been in there for a while then. I had omitted to use an important principle in storage practices—FIFO or “First in First Out”. I soon thawed a few slices of bread in our microwave but was surprised to discover that while one part of each slice turned soft, another section of it had now turned as hard as concrete. Oops! I’d never seen that happen before. It re-occurred with each new slice I attempted to thaw. Oh Ohhhh!
Fortunately there was more bread in the freezer. I soon had soft slices of wholemeal bread to use for my son’s lunch time sandwiches. In addition, I had learnt a good lesson. There are times in my life when I wait instead of doing. I should have taken out that loaf of bread months ago! Is there a dream that has been stirring in your heart for a while? And is it time to set it in motion? Sometimes we wait too long and there are consequences.
Bread gets too hard.
Relationships wither and die.
Our waistlines grow too big.
People change.
We may not get a second chance.
And … life’s too short to have regrets.
Ten years ago, the three of us enjoyed a fabulous trip to America, one of our best holidays it turned out to be; visiting special places, connecting with loving family and friends and enjoying the journey. When we returned home, I filled a bag which bulged like Santa’s sack. It contained souvenirs from our trip—train tickets, brochures, tickets to Disneyland and what-not! My plan had been simple: Create a scrapbook of memories. Did it occur? Umm …! What do you think? Last year, when I sorted out my belongings prior to moving house, I came upon the said bag said and knew at once what it contained.
I brought it, lock stock and barrel to our new home but now, a decade since our trip to the US, my enthusiasm for the task has waned. It wasn’t a hugely important project so I’m not sorry I let it go. But there are other projects which are important enough to see them through.
So as I look ahead into 2019, let me stop procrastinating!
Instead let me jump into the deep.
First, I shall …
-
Listen to God. Listen to God. Listen to God. Psalm 143:8 (He knows the way)
-
Give Him my burdens. 1 Peter 5:7 (Ah! I feel so much lighter now)
-
Let go of past failures. Phil 3:13-14 (He’s got them too)
-
Discard past sorrows. Psalm 55:22 (No room for them now)
-
Learn from my experiences. Proverbs 4:5-9 (Oh yes!)
-
Trust Him for all. Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Only Way to live)
-
Surrender to the One who loves me. Romans 12:1-2 (YES!)
And some New Year thoughts so I stop the ice from freezing my dreams.
-
Listen to God. Listen to God. Listen to God. John 10:27 (Let Him lead)
-
Be intentional with my life. Col 2:6 (A few Goals would help)
-
Figure out my priorities. Heb. 12:1-3 (What does God ask of me in 2019)
-
Make plans … but be flexible. Proverbs 16:1-3 (Dream with a surrendered heart)
-
With God’s help, set those plans in motion. 2 Cor 9:8 (It’s time to act!)
-
Live daily in the present and walk daily in His ways. Prov 4:18 (One day at a time)
-
Aim to glorify God. 1 Cor 10:31 (Always!)
Do you have any special dreams percolating in your heart today?
(Would you like to share them with me? I’d be glad to pray for you.)
May 2019 be Your Year, a year when your dreams come true.
May it be a year you will look back on with joy and thanksgiving.
May He inspire you and bless His world through you.
He is Lord, He is good and He is always faithful.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Cor 10:31