To Do or Not to Do

I love what a list does for me. It helps me sort out all the "have to do's" from the "wish I had time to do's." Sometimes I even try to convince myself that I don't have to DO the "have to do's." I figure it should be enough that I thought to write them down.

Still, one of my favorite things about lists is the satisfaction of the "check-off" (No, not the Star Trek guy). I love to make checkmarks. I even write down to-do's that I've already to-done - just for the joy of checks. My list might start off something like, "1)Get up." I've checked that one today. What a sense of accomplishment.

You may have guessed that I'm not a list person because I'm organized. "Get organized" is on every one of my lists. I'm a list person because I'm not organized by nature and because I forget everything I don't write down. Now we're back to embarrassing.

Sadly, a to-do list can get incredibly intense in a big hurry. My list for this week included: get groceries, cut gum out of cat's fur, pick up dry-cleaning, clean potato chips out of fish tank, buy birthday gift, salvage daughter's favorite blouse from computerprinter, schedule dentist appointments, buy new computer printer, plan nervous breakdown... you know, the usual. I'm kidding about that last one. I don't have nearly enough time for a nervous breakdown.

I've decided I really don't have to be embarrassed about my list dependence. God is a list person too. He didn't write to-do lists because he forgets. He wrote to-do lists because we forget. Many of his lists are sweet reminders. Some are stern warnings. Allare vital for life.

One of my favorite Bible lists is the "love list" in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does notdelight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Our Heavenly Father knows us well. He knows that we have a tendency to be selfish instead of loving. When have we ever had to write on our to-do lists, "snap at kids," "lose patience with husband," or "get short with store clerk?" My love can fail - but His? Never!

How glorious that despite my long list of failures, his love remains true. As a matter of fact, I can't put anything on my list of failures that his love can't cross right off the list. Not a check. A Cross.

I think I'll put that on my list of sweet thoughts to ponder. Maybe that'll help me persevere when I'm cutting gum out of the cat's fur.

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Contributed by Rhonda Rhea
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