Important Versus Urgent

"And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, 'Today-at the latest, tomorrow-we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make lots of money' You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that.'"

James 4:13-15 The Message

None of us know exactly how long we have on this earth, to do the tasks before us (I'm thinking of Godly tasks, rather than earthly ones) and yet in my case the immediate grabs constantly for my attention.

Ahhhh, the important versus the urgent, Stephen Covey writes about it, I've struggled for years with it. Why oh why is it so much easier to accomplish the urgent rather than the important?

Because the urgent items scream for our attention, rather than the steady, persistant whispers of the important? There is immediate satisfaction in finishing the urgent, usually the urgent helps another person, each urgent task (like answering an e-mail or answering the phone) doesn't necessarily take that long individually but when you add them all up, ultimately they keep you from the important things.

I was listening to Rabbi Shmuley's radio show this weekend and he shared some very interesting thoughts about important versus urgent. He said the universal struggle is between urgent and important. Each week during his day of Sabbath, he focuses on God and his family. No answering e-mails or phone calls -- they can wait. Hmmm.

So what would happen if I ignored the urgent? I suppose some of it could wait and some perhaps might escalate. Somehow in my mind, I need to raise the important's volume of its whispering up so it is at least louder in my ear and heart.

Not knowing how long we have on this earth to achieve our Godly tasks, am I working in the things within God's will-now today? Am I bringing people to Christ? Am I showing my boy Jesus through my words and actions -- on a daily basis? Am I actively and continually praying? Am I actively and daily diving into God's word so I can have a better understanding and have a more consistant and closer walk with Him?

How about you? What important task has been whispering in your ear and heart lately?

It's the Little Things

“Jesus refused. ‘First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.’”

Matthew 8:22 The Message

In this passage some of Jesus’ prospective followers asked to go bury their dead relatives before following him. I believe that many times I get stuck in focusing on the past or what will happen in the future rather than concentrating on the Now. Pursuing life or the Present.

I’ve been working on focusing on the now, the present each day. I’m noticing God in many, many small but powerful ways on a daily basis, when I’m present in the moment.

God gives us incredible, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets each day. Continually, I think to myself, certainly that is the most beautiful sunset I’ve seen, sure enough the next day’s is even more spectacular. God is amazing!

I’ve seen the glory of God in the lights of a snow plow. Silly sounding I know and hopefully not blasphemous. Several weeks ago Connie (my dear neighbor and carpooling buddy) Eli and I were attempting to make it home during a snow storm after work. We’d driven about half the way home to pick up Eli and realized that our usual route was not an option due to a white-out storm so we turned around and drove an extra 30 miles around another route. The snow continued to fall and the wind had picked up causing drifts as often occur in the Palouse.

We continued to get calls from each of our husbands telling us how bad the roads were and how many wrecks had happened. As we were about 15 miles from home, a snow plow pulled out in front of us (normally I’m rather grouchy when this occurs) but this night all I felt was gratitude as we drove along, following the flashing yellow lights of the snow plow going about 15 to 20 miles an hour. We followed behind watching in awe as the plow broke through many drifts that would have stopped us cold, literally. Right at our city limits, 15 miles later, the plow turned around and returned the way we had came. The highway was closed shortly after that and remained closed the next day. But we were home and safe.

Connie and I prior to the arrival of the snow plow had been discussing how grateful we were for our safe trip and continually were thanking God for watching over us. A snow plow, a little thing really in the scheme of everything, but at that moment truly I felt as if God’s own angel was driving that plow, making the path home for us that night.

In order to see the many, many blessings God has given each of us daily, we must slow down, breath, and be in the moment.

So stop, look around and see the many gifts God gives you each and every day and be thankful. Celebrate the many little things that do add up to be overwhelming abundance.

Snow and More Snow

Spokane has seen more snow than its had in the past 40 years. This last week found Todd out of school two days, our road to town closed for 24 hours, and me behind a snow plow one evening very happy to be there recognizing that without the plow to get through the drifts that I wouldn't have arrived home but rather would have been stuck in one of those 4 to 5 foot drifts that we watched be plowed through.

On a complete side note -- eegads a total of six blog entries for me in January -- hope to double that for February.