So Little Time, and . . .

I've been working on learning some of Proverbs 6 this month. It's convicting. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard," verse six begins, "consider her ways and be wise." If you've been outside much you know, no one has to tell the ants to work. And they are seemingly tireless! Have you noticed?

This is the time of year when there is so much to do. If you're involved in school--or have a family member who is--there are numerous end-of-the-year events and projects. If you have a garden, you are digging holes and planting seeds and watching for sprouts, all while pulling unwanted vegetation from sidewalks and fence rows and flower beds.

So much to do, and yet the temptation to just sit down and give it a rest is great. I recently heard a radio interview with a marathon runner who said that she regularly wants to quit around mile eighteen. "Why don't I just sell Girl Scout cookies or something [to raise money for a good cause]?" is what she says she asks herself. But then, at the end of the race, she is so glad she did it. She reports that even as her legs are shaking and she "can't remember who [her] relatives are," she is feeling good about the race, about her decision to push herself to achieve.

That's the kind of word I need to hear when I'm tempted to wimp out and just let my students slide through the last two weeks of school, or I want to play another game of Tetris instead of doing that load of laundry I'm going to need in a few days. It's also what I need to remember when it seems easier to watch another Youtube video than spend some time in prayer--mostly because it is easier to watch another Youtube video than to spend time in prayer. But have you ever regretted praying? Have you ever wished you hadn't read so much of the Bible or written a note of encouragement or spoken to your neighbor about your faith?

When Larry and I were dating, we went to hear B.R. Lakin preach. At the end of his sermon, Mr. Lakin would regularly pray this prayer: "Lord, help us to do today what we will wish we had done when we stand before You."

Amen.

--Sherry Poff