30 Days of Hearing God, Day 18

Tomorrow I leave again for the Last Hurrah of Summer 2010. My husband is competing in a Half Iron Man, for which he has been training for months and months. And we—his beloved wife and children–are going to watch him. Then, after he swims and bikes and sprints across the finish line, we are headed for an old fashioned Cooper-Family Vacation.

Now, here is an interesting little tidbit. We have a hotel for the first two nights, but no accommodations for the remaining four. Nice.

It’s not for lack of trying. It’s just that apparently, the west coast of Michigan is a popular destination this time of year (who knew?) and nothing is available. So, there you go.

As of this moment, we are packing as if we are going to have a wonderful Great Lakes vacation, but in all honesty, may end up sleeping in our car. Or maybe the Comfort Inn down the street from our house. This type of vacation-by-the-seat-of-our-pants doesn’t coincide well with my Spiritual Gift of Planning; and thus, has a tendency to, shall we say, make me a little crazy.

As it is well within my job description of Wife, Mother and Packer of all Clothes, today I have the daunting task of single-handedly preparing for several days away (not really knowing where “away” is). This too, has a tendency to, shall we say, make me a little crazy.

So, I sat down this morning with my Bible, looking for some wisdom and direction in getting through the crazy day, and opened up to Colossians Chapter 3 (again).

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

*sigh* Time for a heart-to-heart with God.

Me: Lord, how do I set my mind on “things above” when clearly, I have so many earthly things to which I must attend today? I can’t just spend the day dwelling on little naked baby angels, when I’ve got to do laundry, pack, get my blown-out tired replaced, make calls, find a place to stay, feed and clothe my children, lose 15 pounds, yada, yada, yada…

I would love nothing better than to set aside all I have to accomplish and, instead, sit and read your Word all day. Dwelling on heavenly things, while all the issues of this life fade quietly into the background. But that isn’t my reality today. In fact, that is never my reality. How do I do this?

God: I neither asked you to forsake your responsibilities, nor spend the day thinking about naked baby angels. Keep reading…

And so I did. All of Colossians 3 and 4.  And it turns out, God maps out beautifully and practically how I am supposed to deal with my earthly reality. With nary a mention of naked baby angels, His definition of keeping my mind on heavenly things is very do-able:

1. I can put to death things that belong to my earthly nature—things like impurity, anger, rage, and filthy language. (vs 5-11)

2. I can clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (vs 12)

3. I can bear with my children and my husband , forgiving as the Lord forgave me. (vs 13)

4. I can put on love. (vs. 14)

5. I can let the peace of Christ rule in my heart. (vs 15)

6. I can let the word of Christ dwell in me richly as I teach and admonish others with wisdom. (vs 16)

7. I can sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in my heart to God. (vs 16)

8. Whatever I do, in word or deed, I can do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God. (vs. 17)

9. I can submit to my husband. (vs 18)

10. I can be careful not to embitter my children. (vs 20)

11. Whatever I do, I can work at it with all my heart as though I’m doing it for God, not for anyone else, knowing I will receive an eternal reward. (vs 23)

12. I can devote myself to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Ch 4, vs 2)

13. I can be wise in the way I act toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity—oh, this looks familiar! (Ch 4,vs 5)

14. I can let my conversation be full of grace and seasoned with salt. (Ch 4, vs 6)

Nowhere in there is God asking me to forsake any of my responsibilities. In fact, He’s given me clear instruction as to how I should conduct myself WHILE DOING my responsibilities. And in conducting myself in this manner, I am in actuality, setting my mind on things above.

Isn’t that so cool?

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Since I have no idea where we are staying for the next several days, I have no idea if I will have internet access. Or a bed, for that matter. Therefore, this may be my last post for a week or so. Pray amongst yourselves, and we’ll pick up with the series when I return. I would love to look through your links and comments when I come back!