Have you ever had so much to do, change, clean, makeover, create, etc. that you just didn’t know where to start?
The usual responses to “Where do I start?” are comments like:
“Start at the beginning.”
“Start from where you are.”
“Just start something!”
Unfortunately, my sequential brain (inherited from my dad) doesn’t work that way.
(I think that may be one of the lessons the Lord is going to teach me this year—one step of obedience at a time!)
I need to know why I should choose a particular starting point.
As a part of my drive to recover my health and fitness, I have been reading an e-book, Sleep Well Again, to learn more about my sleep disorder. The book helped me answer this “Where to start?” question by referencing the Biblical creation story.
Numerous times in my life I have read the story of creation and told it as a Sunday school teacher
but this phrase has never jumped out at me before.
In the creation story, each day is summarized like this:
“…there was evening and there was morning, one day.” (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31 NASB)
Did you notice what comes first?
Also, in Jewish tradition, the Sabbath and holy days always start at sundown and end at sundown.
I knew this but never saw any real significance in it until now.
In God’s plan, it appears that we prepare for what He calls us to do by being rested so that we can be clear-headed
and fresh-minded when we start each morning. This means two things to me:
#1
Since I don’t go to bed at sundown (at least not in the winter),
those hours need to be productively spent not just completing today’s “to do” list
but deliberately preparing for tomorrow:
reviewing my calendar, menu plans, clothing needs, etc.
and praying for the situations and people that I may encounter.
#2
In order to fulfill the calling God has on my life, I need to be rested.
I don’t function well on very little sleep or poor quality sleep.
I need to take care of my sleep apnea issues by using my CPAP, losing weight,
and following my doctor’s instructions regarding bedtime routines.
I also need to make sure that our bedroom where that needed restoration and rejuvenation
takes place is peaceful, comforting, and restful.
Now I know my starting point for the first step in reaching forward.
It is in our master bedroom. My mind is now racing with ideas
of how it can become a true place of rest and restoration for both myself and my husband.
It is the evening space that prepares us to fulfill God’s plan for our lives the next day.
I look forward to sharing the changes as this “plain Jane,” dated room becomes
the restful, peaceful “Farmhouse Style” room of my dreams.
This year began with a word from the Lord to “…[forget] what lies behind, and [reach] forward…” (Philippians 3:13 NASB)
I am so thankful that God’s direction in reaching forward is another confirmation of His calling to
my heart for home!
Pam