I'll title this later...

Do you put things off? I sure do. Sometimes it bites me, sometimes it doesn’t. Last year, I put off writing the Sunday bulletin until after I got home from the annual picnic. I was thinking I would be home at 5:00pm or so, and I would have plenty of time. It ended up I was much gabbier than usual, I enjoyed the volleyball game much longer than I thought, and I rolled in here at closer to 10:00. So there I was, tired and sore, more ready for sleep than for thought, trying to write the bulletin.

I decided this year that wasn’t a mistake I was going to repeat, so here I am doing this well BEFORE the picnic. Too bad it took a good, painful lesson to get the point across to me. And it was painful to me, Deniese got to go on to bed and fall asleep while I was still typing away, making mistakes as I recall. People, myself included, don’t do their best work when “under the gun.” Reminds me of my college days.

When I first when to college, fresh out of high school, I had that high school attitude. I was one of those bratty, straight A students that rarely studied. Life was easy, and college was going to be more of the same. Wrongo! I failed out in a couple years, puzzled how I managed to do so poorly while others that I went to school with managed to stay in and continue to get passing marks. It seemed like every test was something different than what we had talked about in class, as if I now had to struggle to remember the date, much less what titration is and how to determine the density of a chunk of metal. What happened? I never learned how to study properly, and was left cramming for every test. Which, of course, I put off until the last minute.

When I went back to college years (and years) later, I had a much more relaxed time. I studied just a little bit every night. I never crammed for tests, even important ones. I had the attitude of either I’m ready or I’m not, and just about always I was! Somehow, not putting things off kept me in a constant state of readiness, which paid off in the surprise quizzes as well as those pesky midterms. I kind of budgeted my time.

It’s amusing to me how I could learn this lesson so well in one area, but not see clearly to apply it in other ways. For instance, I dropped the ball on Carol Picanso. I intended to find time to go see her this week, but I put it off … until the week was over. Grrrr. Don’t we all do that? We know what we should do, we say to ourselves “This week is going to be different” but then we slip back into the routine that got us past last week. I am big on routine, especially when part of that routine is good habits, but sometimes I need to budget it better to include other things. Sure, I can always think of a good excuse. My parents are here visiting me. I am having work done on the house. There are important deadlines at work. I need to spend time with my son as he grows up. Someone needs to lime the yard, or paint the stairs, or write the bulletin. I had video games that needed built. But there was still time in there. I put it off, until it was too late. And Carol, who needs me, is the one who really ends up cheated.

Do you put things off? Sometimes there is still time to correct it. Hopefully I *will* find time to visit Carol this week, I am determined to do so. But sometimes you don’t get a second chance. What if it wasn’t Carol, or college work, but an opportunity to teach someone about God? That’s a test you just can’t allow yourself to fail. Your one chance may be that first impression! Think the bible is too hard to know? Study a little bit every day. You’ll be ready!

And what about being a Christian? Are you putting it off?

Matthew 24:45-51 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Thessalonians I 4:9-12 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

Timothy II 2:12-16 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Mark 14:37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.