Rescued

Original photo by Cecilia Marie Pullaim

Galatians 1:4.  “…who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…”

I’ve been rescued more times than I can relate. Even when I had to endure the flames of severe trials, Jesus walked with me and saw me safely to the other side.

But it isn’t just the physical evils he’s rescued me from. He’s also saved me from myself.

Just this week, I was whining like a four-year-old about dealing with fallen leaves on top of the other chores. It’s not a small task. Two trees alone will drop enough leaves to fill eighty 50 gallon trash bags. With twenty more trees, you get the picture.  

I was also moaning about cooking multiple meals. Since my doctor put me on a sodium-restricted diet, I fix two dishes for every meal. While I can’t blame my husband for not wanting to share my restrictive diet, the extra cooking and added clean up gets old. Added to the yard chores, I felt overwhelmed. 

However, the Holy Spirit reminded me I’d rather clean up the leaves once a year than not have the trees. So true! I love their beauty and the shade they provide. The first thing I drew as a young artist was a tree. Also, I have good tools to help with the task. A riding mower with a towable lawn sweeper. No raking, except for the areas the tractor can’t reach.

He also pointed out I’d rather cook double than cook for only one. Been there and would rather not be in that position again. As my husband recovers from his knee surgery, he’s helping with more and more chores. See, it’s better already. I just needed a change in perspective.

Dear Lord, I cannot thank you enough for all the times you’ve rescued me, especially from myself. Amen. 

Love or Duty? (Another Lesson in Relativity)

In my devotions today, Jesus tells his opponents to judge him by his works if they will not believe his words. This follows right on the heels of my lesson on relativity. He asks us to do works with love. This goes further. Don’t criticize. So many wives are under the mistaken idea nagging their spouse will make them change. Psychologists state people thrive in a positive environment not a critical one. 

To my husband’s credit, he rarely criticizes me. If something is important, he will ask me to sit down and talk. Then, in a quiet, respectful tone, he will explain how my inappropriate behavior made him feel. I must add, he puts up with a lot without saying a word. I too often wear my emotions and forget the Do-This-Out-of-Love Commandment.

 It’s that relativity thing again, but this time with the added emphasis of acting out of love rather than a misguided sense of duty. 

While wrestling with the bedding yesterday (washing the mattress cover and comforter), I wasn’t thinking about love. At least I suffered in silence without displaying my feelings. That was a step forward. 

Today, while I do more chores, I plan to do them because I love my husband. He deserves that. He is a remarkable man, intelligent, kind, thoughtful, caring. I do not doubt he loves me. The King of Lies wants me to feel put upon, neglected, and unappreciated. I’m not. 

Last night, my husband helped with the supper dishes without my asking or even hinting.

After we finished, he gave me a hug and whispered, “Thank you, Sweetheart, for all the things you do.”

I remembered what a wise soul stated about marriage. It is each partner taking turns giving a hundred percent. My husband gives his. I need to give mine without complaint. 

I will with your help, Lord.

There's Gotta Be a Way!

It’s true. Nature does not like a vacuum. Remember all that free time I was going to have in retirement? Yeah, well…

“The activities of any given day can be enough to exhaust most people. Activities can be addictive. We need to fill our days with activity, often crowding out everything else.” Fr. James Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O, Living Faith, Silence and Solitude.

Father is right. My list of activities is a self-imposed insanity, but I have so much I want to do!

Grumble.

Several posts back, I mentioned the Twenty-Five Thousand Dollar Organizational Plan. Originally intended to improve productivity for businesses, it certainly works for personal things as well. The simple plan adds three priorities to the basic tasks of the day. After the first priority is completed, the second and third move up. Then another is added to the bottom. Even if only the first priority is completed every day, seven priority tasks will be finished by the end of the week.

But, I have far more than three things I want to get done besides my Have-To List, and I can’t run around trying to imitate the energizer bunny anymore. My old batteries don’t last as long as they used to. 

GRUMBLE!

After some thought, I decided on several things. First, no all-day cleaning marathons. I do a little every day. That way I have both the time and the energy for things on my wish list. 

Second, there has to be an app for this! And, there is!

Two, actually. A few minutes on the Google App Store and I found exactly what I was looking for. 

The first is a shopping organizer. I know that sounds funny, but shopping with the Tortoise is both frustrating and fatiguing. He shops spontaneously - usually without a list, and the grocery store becomes a nightmare of walking back and forth from one end of the store to the other. Instead of finishing in a half hour like other folk, it can take us an hour, or two, for only a week’s worth of groceries.  ARRGGG! 

The Hare dances rings around the Tortoise thinking of all the things she could be doing at home.

This app has changed my shopping. It saves me tons of time in both compiling my list and at the store. It keeps a running inventory, which it sorts automatically to match the grocery aisles! I am sooo impressed! Check it out. It’s free! Smart Shopping List by Listonic

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Next, I needed something for time management with reminder options that wasn’t really a calendar/scheduler. A fancy To Do List to keep track of all the things I want to do. I found To Do List by Splend Apps (SplenDO). 

I become so embroiled in a writing project or a painting session, I lose track of time and often forget what day I last did X, and when I need to do XX. This little app gives me all kinds of options with a voice reminder. If I schedule something for a set time, I hear, “You wanted to do XXX at this time.” I love it!

I don’t care if the Tortoise is laughing at me. His mind doesn’t wander off on a million trails like mine. Knowing something else is keeping track of my tasks, I can stay focused on the next scene in my book, or the next detail in the painting. I can read without watching the clock, or setting a timer. 

Besides that, I have a visual of everything I want to do, and can stop the insanity before it starts. I am far more productive and less stressed. Grin!

Father Behrens also reminded me it is necessary to keep a balance between activity and quiet solitude. I added a little reminder to stop and take a break every so often. It is so easy to forget how many hours I have sat at the computer or the easel. It is just as important to sit on the porch swing with my husband. Play with the puppy. Watch the sunrise and the sunset, pray, and meditate. A little organization has gone a long way in clearing the clutter in my mind. I am more focused and more productive. When I am relaxing, I am not running a list through my mind, stressing about what I might be forgetting, and reevaluating everything a dozen times. I can open my thoughts to higher things.

“Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12.