Remember

The sound of the alarm woke me from a fitful night of sleep. One glance at the clock let me know that it really was time to get up. Ugh! Just give me my Tempurpedic pillow and my king-size, Kingsdown mattress and I can't help but smile. I would be the first to tell you that I need my sleep. My Mom used to tease me when I was growing up, saying that I was 'born tired.'

As I held a silent debate with myself about whether to get up or pull the covers back over my head, I thought of all the things I had to do today. When I trudged into my daughter's bedroom to wake her and she decided on an extra 30 minutes of sleep, it didn't take any convincing for me to make a beeline back to my bed.

When I got up 30 minutes later, I felt guilty. After only one day of school, I was already pushing the snooze button on my alarm clock to get those few more minutes of coveted sleep. Instead of finishing my workout before my daughter headed off to school, I would now have to postpone it until after breakfast and Bible study. All the important calls and e-mail I needed to send would have to wait. I probably wouldn't have time to get the extra groceries I needed before picking up my daughter and her friends at school. I had sabotaged my schedule and already felt as if I'd made a mess of the day.

Before I even opened my Bible, God knew what I needed. As I paused to reflect on Deuteronomy 8, I let the topic of the chapter soak into my soul: Do Not Forget God. Wow! I was awake now. While I was fretting over not being able to accomplish all I'd planned for the day, God was trying to remind me that I needed to consult Him before putting together my 'To Do' list. Deuteronomy 8:11 says, "Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:" (KJV)

In her Bible study entitled, Lies Women Believe: and the Truth that Sets Them Free, Nancy Leigh DeMoss states the truth in love when she shares, "The Truth is that all I have to do is the work God assigns to me...The frustration comes when I attempt to take on responsiblities that are not on His agenda for me. When I establish my own agenda or let others determine the priorities for my life, rather than taking time to discern what it is that God wants me to do, I end up buried under piles of half-finished, poorly done, or never-attempted projects and tasks. I live with guilt, frustration, and haste, rather than enjoying the peaceful, well-ordered life that He intends." p. 119

As I headed back into the house with a re-arranged agenda, I noticed I had a message on my cell phone. A dear friend had called to let me know that she would be picking up our kids from school today, so I didn't need to worry about it. Talk about an added blessing from God. When I submitted my schedule to His will, He provided me with the time I needed to get everything accomplished.

I'd much rather enjoy God's peace than guilt and frustration.Today my choice is to remember God and consult Him with my potential agenda before finalizing anything. As you go about this day that the Lord has made, will you remember God?