Most days I have a To-Do List whether it is scribbled in the recesses of my mind or on an actual piece of paper. This I find to be the case for most women. We might call it by different names, but a daily planner is still a To-Do list. It doesn’t matter if you are in Corporate America, the medical field, self-employed, a homemaker or retired, we all seem to have that list of things we have to get done, need to get done, want to get done, should get done and hope to get done in our daily lives.
If you are a woman who works outside the home full time you still have a list of things you need to or would like to accomplish in the evening and most times your weekend is full of things to do. If you are a stay at home mom and or a homeschooler, that list really seems to be long most days because on top of all the things you must do to run your household, you also have to school your children. The more people in your family, the more loads of clothes you have to wash, dry and iron. Dirty dishes appear every day no matter what. Meals need to be prepared, floors mopped, bathrooms cleaned, carpet vacuumed, furniture dusted, food shopped for, and that’s just the beginning; we haven’t even looked at errands to run….phew!! Retired women in most cases (not all) seem to have the best To-Do lists around. I’m sleeping in today, and going shopping with my girlfriend later on. Not cooking tonight, hubby is taking me to dinner. Single retired sisters, hum getting up early, fixing a nice breakfast, watching the Today Show, taking a shower, putting on a nice lounger and putting around all day long…LOL!! There are days like that but then again, retired doesn’t mean empty days of nothing, it often means days filled with great things to do.
We are the most busiest people in history. Well, that’s my opinion…LOL!! But what I want you to do is take a good look at your daily To-Do List and see how often you have listed a kindness for someone outside of your immediate family? How often each week do you take time to show love toward others? I ask this, because there seems to be a disconnect with us as Believers toward other people. The church building is becoming way too important to people versus what we should be doing outside the church building. We do all kinds of stuff in the church building with church people, but what I’m seeing is, we are not doing a whole lot for those on the outside. And in many cases we are forgetting those inside the church building as well if they are not around.
Even with our busy schedules (To-Do Lists), we should be finding time to minister to others. People are not impressed with us going to church. If you don’t believe me, just ask one of your unsaved neighbors how they feel about you going to church. But what people need to see is The Church in us. You know “The Church” the Messiah is coming back for. The one without spot or wrinkle, not the fine buildings we are so proud of. There are many people who are lonely whether they belong to a church congregation or not. It is very sad that Saints are lonely, but even more so for the world, because we are to be the light that draws them. How many of us who live in the city are praying for God to give us a home in the burbs because we are tired of the noise, drugs and mayhem? Can we all leave and the cities become even darker than they are? How many of us go to churches in neighborhoods that are not ours? So how can you be involved in that community if once church services are over you hop in your car and drive off? How well do you know your neighbors? I realize that everyone doesn’t have a neighbor right next door. Your closest neighbor could be 2 miles over and your church 15 miles away, yet it is still a community setting. But in most urban areas it is a different story all together.
With the upcoming holidays we have a tendency to be able to add quite a bit extra to our To-Do List, to accommodate our traditions, family and fun. And there is nothing wrong with that at all, but we also have a tendency to go back to life as usual when the holidays are over. And that leaves all the people who are hungry every day still hungry because we are no longer concerned with feeding them like we are at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Why do we think is so important to feed people for one day, versus every day? Seniors are still lonely because we have done our duty and visited and taken them gifts for the holidays. Mothers and their children are still living in shelters needing a helping hand to get on their feet.
When Mother Theresa of Calcutta was awarded the Noble Peace Prize (some 31 years ago), she said "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." You know what; we can do that one-by-one! We can volunteer in a soup kitchen or we can feed from our own kitchens.
I want to challenge us to make sure that we share the love of Christ on a daily basis as much as we can. The challenge is, starting next week, Monday to Friday; let us make sure that we add something to our daily To-Do List, which entails spreading the Love of our Lord. It could be a simple phone call every day to someone who is lonely, a card in the mail, inviting a sister over or out for a cup of coffee. It could be paying a bill for someone who is struggling, or buying them groceries. We are all at different stages in our lives and so are our finances. It doesn’t always take a lot of money to show the love of Christ. A kind word, a hug, a listening ear cannot be bought or stamped with a price tag.
How much of God’s business is on your daily To-Do List?
Love & Hugs
Ponnie
Wednesday's Blog: Jennifer is back for the "Single Working Mom"
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