I like my lists. They help keep me organized. Aaaaand, I probably get a bit too much pleasure out of checking things off my lists. But, like I said, they help keep me organized. There's really only one weakness to a list.
You do have to look at this list in order for it to remind you.
Last week I was preparing to take my youth group on a ski retreat weekend. It was a perfect time to make a list, which I did. But the thing about making a list is that it sometimes helps me to remember more clearly what I need to accomplish. In this case, I had a packing list.
As I was packing, I was visualizing what I had written down. I packed and packed and...never looked at my list. It wasn't until hours later, while driving a noisy bus with even noisier teens that I was feeling I had forgotten something. And that's when it hit me.
Snow boots?!?
Really...snow boots? I didn't forget extra socks...or a magazine...or a charger for my phone. I didn't neglect to bring snow pants...or permission slips...or directions. No, I went to play in the snow...WITHOUT SNOW BOOTS!!!
I spent the next 20 minutes fuming, angry with myself for not using the list I had made. I might even have prayed for God to make the snow boots materialize. I might have even considered bartering with God...over snow boots. After going over this problem in my mind, and with still a couple of hours left to go, I realized I had better things to pray.
Last week I was preparing to take my youth group on a ski retreat weekend. It was a perfect time to make a list, which I did. But the thing about making a list is that it sometimes helps me to remember more clearly what I need to accomplish. In this case, I had a packing list.
As I was packing, I was visualizing what I had written down. I packed and packed and...never looked at my list. It wasn't until hours later, while driving a noisy bus with even noisier teens that I was feeling I had forgotten something. And that's when it hit me.
Snow boots?!?
Really...snow boots? I didn't forget extra socks...or a magazine...or a charger for my phone. I didn't neglect to bring snow pants...or permission slips...or directions. No, I went to play in the snow...WITHOUT SNOW BOOTS!!!
I spent the next 20 minutes fuming, angry with myself for not using the list I had made. I might even have prayed for God to make the snow boots materialize. I might have even considered bartering with God...over snow boots. After going over this problem in my mind, and with still a couple of hours left to go, I realized I had better things to pray.
- for each teenager that was going along with me; their safety, their fellowship, their spiritual growth.
- for the leaders, for the speaker and the band
- for my family still at home
- for my attitude when faced with challenges
So I did. I prayed for each teen, specifically by name and need. I prayed for the weekend to be a momentum shifter and for my lack of boots to not be an issue. I prayed for my joy and my peace to not be taken.
And you know what? I believe God answered each of those prayers. Now, if only I'd known....
I would have prayed for the church bus to work all weekend.
But that's another story...
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