Tag: Priorities

Unexpected Influences

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

“Ready, Mommy?” My toddler called from her car seat.

I twisted in the passenger seat to see her. “Ready for what?”

“Ready for me to put my sunglasses on?” She held her sunglasses poised above her head, ready to be put on.

Amused, I glanced at my husband who was driving. “Okay, I’m ready for you to put your sunglasses on.”

Slowly, and with great emphasis, my toddler pulled her pink sunglasses down over her eyes and settled them in place.

“I have my sunglasses!”

I smiled. “Yes. You put them on. Very good.”

I was slightly puzzled at her wanting my attention when putting on her sunglasses, but toddlers sometimes do things that don’t make sense to me. I didn’t dwell on it.

Turning back towards the front of the vehicle, I resumed my conversation with my husband.

This event repeated itself several times over the course of a few months. I still didn’t think much of it, until my husband made an observation.

“It’s because of the babies wearing glasses videos she’s watched.” He pointed out.

I immediately saw the truth in his statement.

We don’t watch many videos or TV shows at this point, but from time to time, I will watch YouTube videos with her. Her absolute favourite, which she often requests, is “babies wearing glasses videos”.

“Babies wearing glasses videos”, as she termed them, are short videos of babies or toddlers, who have vision challenges, trying glasses on. Typically they have huge smiles as they get to see clearly for the first time. Family members cheer and exclaim adoringly as the little one takes in the world.

It was in mimicking these little ones that my toddler was insisting I watch as she dramatically put on her sunglasses.

I know that what youngsters see has a huge impact on them. Therefore, I am quite particular about what we watch. These “babies wearing sunglasses” videos seemed harmless and cute. Other than being wary that she might try putting her sunglasses on her baby brother, I hadn’t expected them to influence her much.

Yet here she was, clearly repeating what she’d observed.

What about me? Is there something seemingly benign and unimpactful that is influencing me?

Most likely yes.

Peers, TV, books, social media, church, friend circles… They all influence me whether I know it or not.

I am instructed to imitate what is good, not what is evil (3 John 1:11).

The writer of Hebrews tells me, “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” (Hebrews 6:12 NIV)

Then later, in Hebrews 13:7, he says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” (NIV)

So what about my life? Who or what has influenced me?

Are there any things or people that may be influencing me towards ungodly and unhealthy attitudes or lifestyles? How can I minimise those?

On the flip side, how can I increase the good and beneficial influences on my life?

May I be intentional about who and what I imitate with the ultimate goal of imitating Jesus.

Water Displacement

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Having used the toilet, I pulled the lever to flush, but nothing happened. There was no tension on the lever.

I frowned. Something was evidently wrong with the toilet. Not a fun problem, and in a house we’d only recently moved into.

With a sigh, I closed the toilet seat lid and lifted the top off the tank.

I peered in, frowned, then looked again. Something was in the toilet tank.

What was a small plastic jug doing in the toilet tank?

I looked closer at the plastic jug, its lid barely above the water line. It looked like a familiar shape.

Hesitantly, I reached into the cold water and pulled out… apple cider vinegar?

Who puts a full jug of apple cider vinegar in their toilet tank? 

Various theories rushed through my mind – as an author, I can come up with some pretty wild ideas.

Was the previous owner hiding something? Perhaps drugs or something valuable? Did they leave it behind accidentally when they moved?

Yet the container appeared to be still full of apple cider vinegar – likely never opened.

The previous people in this house were respectable and smart. Perhaps there was some other reason? A logical helpful reason rather than something sinister.

I spotted the problem I had originally opened the tank for – a break in the chain causing the failure to flush. Based on the rusted safety pin at the end of the chain, it had broken and been fixed before.

Reaching in, I pulled the chain to complete the flush.

When my husband returned from work, I wasted little time before telling him about the toilet troubles and my discovery.

After taking a look, we decided to check our other similar toilet tank.

Sure enough, it also had something in it but this time it was two standard plastic water bottles filled with sand.

My husband, who is very intelligent, suggested right away that the previous people may have added them to displace some of the water in these large, not-so-water-efficient, toilets.

For those unfamiliar with how this type of toilet functions, here’s a quick toilet 101.

The tank on the back of the toilet sits full of water. When you press the lever to flush, a release valve is opened and all the water rushes into the toilet bowl washing away whatever is there. Once the water has left the tank, the release valve closes allowing the tank to refill with water.

This particular toilet had a large water tank – larger than it needed. Therefore, the previous people had added a jug of apple cider vinegar into the tank to displace some of the water. This allowed the tank to reach “full” without using as much water.

To the untrained eye, the toilet still flushed effectively. However, it was conserving water – a helpful thing for both our city’s water supply and our utility bill.

It wasn’t until a few months later that it occurred to me that this toilet held an important allegory for me to learn from.

Although in the story above, the apple cider vinegar was a good, simple, and inexpensive improvement to the toilet, in my life an apple cider vinegar jug displacing the living water is a bad thing. Let me explain.

Jesus taught the crowds about living water in John 7:37b-39a:

“Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”‘ Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive…” (ESV)

I don’t know about you, but I want this living water in my life and overflowing out of me. I want to be filled with it fully. I don’t want something displacing part of the living water that could otherwise flow through me.

Sure, when there is displacement in my life, it may still appear the same on the outside to the untrained eye, but the power and effectiveness will be decreased.

I want to be fully effective in the ministries God has given me. That is only possible when fully filled with the living water so that it may flow through me.

So, what does the apple cider vinegar jug represent in me? Unless I stop and take a look inside, I’ll never know. I probably won’t even realize there is a jug displacing the living water in me at all!

Rather, I must ask God to reveal this jug to me. Often He does so through prayer, study of the Bible, and fellowship with other Christians.

As I went to write this allegory, I took a moment to pray asking God to reveal my jug of apple cider vinegar. As I did so, I added “but please don’t reveal it to me through trial and hardship.”

That right there was my answer. My love of ease and comfort is the apple cider vinegar jug that is displacing some of the living water in me.

With God’s help, I will be able to remove this jug from my life.

Then it will be time to ask Him if there is another jug displacing the living water within me.

What about you? Will you dare to take a moment to ask God if there is a jug of apple cider vinegar displacing His living water in you?

As David wrote:

“Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my concerns.

See if there is any offensive way in me;

lead me in the everlasting way.”

(Psalm 139:23-24 CSB)

Distracted For The Better?

Posted on by S. J. Little
Raspberry bush behind title "Distracted for the Better?"

 

I recently spent a week volunteering at a summer camp. It was a blast as always! This summer we played a game we call “Leader Hide and Seek.”

The game is simple. Eight or so leaders hide throughout the campsite. The campers travel as teams trying to find the leaders. When found, the leader signs the campers’ signature card. The campers then continue hunting for the other leaders. The team of campers with the most signatures at the end wins.

They gave us leaders a head start while they explained the game to the campers. As I trotted away from the group, I pondered where to hide. The trees near the cabins worked well last time I played, but I saw two or three others heading that way. Perhaps I could duck behind the fire pit walls? No, the campers were sure to find me there.

Instead, I headed toward the teepee. However, again, several leaders were heading the same direction. Perhaps the long grass in the poplar tree stand would give me enough cover. When I got there, the grass simply didn’t seem thick enough. Perhaps that was due to the hot, dry summer we’d had.

I frowned. There had to be a good hiding place around. I eyed the nearby clusters of bushes. They had sparse wild raspberries growing around the outside, but in the middle, thick stalks of a bush with large leaves would serve me well.

As I burrowed my way into the largest bush, I was glad I’d worn long pants and a long sleeve sweater with a hood since some of the plants were prickly. I found a clear enough space inside the bush where I could crouch down, hiding even my face from sight.

By now, I could hear campers on the move. I stayed motionless as some drew near on their way to the teepee.

When their voices drifted away, I allowed myself to sit up in an attempt to relieve the numbness from my crouched legs.

Again voices drew near. I lowered myself and crouched motionless. It seemed one of the teams was arguing amongst themselves.

“Come on.”

“But I want to pick some raspberries.”

I froze. If they paused to pick raspberries, they’d likely spot me. Maybe I’d chosen a bad hiding place!

Another teammate spoke up. “We need to check by the teepee.”

“But I want raspberries.”

“Don’t get distracted. We need to stay focused and find more leaders.”

“Oh, fine. One more raspberry, then I’m coming.”

I didn’t dare release my breath until all their voices had faded considerably. That had been close. Their teammate’s distraction had almost led them to their goal – finding a leader.

I laughed at the irony of it. We typically consider distractions to be bad. They are what keep us from reaching our goals. This time, however, the distraction of raspberry picking nearly led them right to their goal.

As I sat quietly in my hiding spot waiting for someone to find me, I pondered the irony of it. The distraction, quite the opposite of being a hindrance, had so nearly enabled them to achieve their goal.

I wondered if there might be an allegory for me to learn from. Are there things in my life which I class as distractions that are actually the key to succeeding if only I’d give them space?

Now, please don’t misunderstand. There are many bad and destructive distractions that exist to sidetrack a person and reek havoc in their life. Therefore, careful discernment and weighing of good and evil in light of what the Bible teaches us is necessary.

Having said that, I do believe there are times when what I classify as a distraction from reaching my goal, is actually the very best thing I could be doing to help accomplish God’s goal for my life.

In Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV we read,

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'”

Sometimes, perhaps far more often than I realize, my primary goal or plan is not what God has in mind. His plans are better.

Perhaps the clearest example of this we find in the Bible is the story of Mary and Martha. I’ll summarize it here, but to read the whole story go to Luke 10:38-42.

Martha welcomed Jesus and His disciples into her home. She hustled about busily serving her guests. Her sister Mary, however, did not help her. Instead, she sat near Jesus listening to His words.

When Martha asked Jesus to tell her sister, Mary, to help her, Jesus replied,

“‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41b-42 NASB)

Martha’s goal was to serve and host Jesus and His disciples. From her perspective, Mary was distracted. Rather than helping Martha accomplish her goal, Mary sat idly listening.

Jesus’ perspective was different. He knew that, while there are times to serve, there are also times when the very best thing we can do is pause to listen to His Word.

So what do I classify as a distraction?

At camp there were times when I had somewhere to be and a job to get done, but a couple of the campers wanted to chat. Did I brush them off as a distraction? Or did I pause in my busyness to take a few minutes to connect with them?

What about in my daily life? Do I take time to read the Bible? Do I allow myself needed rest? Do I pause to connect with those around me even when the dishes are begging to be washed?

I suspect that in every season of my life there will be something I am tempted to classify as a distraction, when really it is the very thing God would have me make time for.

What about in your life? What have you deemed a distraction which may actually be the very thing God wants you to be doing?

What Shall I Guard?

Posted on by S. J. Little
Spray paint and cell phone

A few days ago, I needed to do some spray painting. I gathered old cardboard, the little flower pots I planned to paint, and the spray paint can.

I switched into old jeans and a t-shirt and took my watch off to keep it clean.

Outside, I set everything up. Then I looked at my phone.

I was expecting a text soon to which I’d need to reply. Therefore, I couldn’t leave the phone inside and miss the message. However, I certainly didn’t want to get paint on my phone!

I slipped it into my back pocket. That wouldn’t work. The pocket was too short leaving part of the phone exposed.

Pulling it out, I studied my phone. One end of the phone had the cameras and the headphone jack. Paint on the main camera would prevent me from taking pictures, but I often enjoy using my phone camera. Spray paint over the reverse camera would make Zoom calls impossible. Not good. As for the headphone jack, I don’t use headphones often, but losing the option wouldn’t be favourable. Therefore, I slipped the phone back into my pocket with the camera side down. That would keep it safe.Cell phone charging

But wait! The part of the phone now exposed was the power cord plug-in! That would never do. If the phone can’t be charged, then none of its functions would be usable!

Reluctantly, I switched it the other way around. Now the power plug-in was protected. I would be disappointed if the camera got damaged, but I owned a different camera I could use. What I wouldn’t have was a working cell phone if this one died.

Thankfully, I didn’t get any paint on my phone. I was paying enough attention to not touch it when my fingers were sticky with paint.

The lesson

Why do I recount this little story? Because there is a lesson here for me.

Similarly to how I needed to choose which part of my phone to protect, I must choose every day what parts of life I protect the most.

To some people, taking the time to think about which way to put my phone in my pocket may seem excessively cautious and pointless. Likewise, I sometimes neglect to put thought into what I want to prioritize in my life. It seems unnecessary to take time to think about prioritizing when I could be using that time to accomplish something instead.

The challenge is, like with my phone’s power plug-in, if I fail to guard the most important parts of my life, everything else will suffer.

So what parts of my life should I guard?

What the Bible tells us to guard

To find the answer, I did some research. I searched for the word “guard” in the Bible. Here are some of the verses I found.

I must be sure the way I am living does not involve evil. 

“The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.”  (Proverbs 16:17 ESV)

What do I use to help keep my way pure and good? The Bible.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word.”  (Psalm 119:9 ESV) 

My heart needs tending to as well.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

Here’s something I must guard against.

“[Jesus] said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'”  (Luke 12:15 ESV)

What’s the highest priority?

Okay, but which is most important? With my phone, the power cord plug-in is by far the most important thing to guard. What about in my life?

Here’s Jesus’ answer:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV)

If I am careful to guard God’s position as the first priority in my life, the rest will fall into place so much better.

God will help me

Easier said than done! Thankfully, God will help me guard my life according to His ways. I can trust Him to do so.

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? 

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

…

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and forever.” (Psalm 121:1-2,8 NASB)

Thinning My Garden

Posted on by S. J. Little
Seedlings and the title: Thinning My Garden

One of my favourite parts of gardening is seeing the first sprouts pushing their heads through the ground. The newness and anticipation of a coming harvest is exciting. How big will the beets grow this year? How many zucchinis will come? Will we be able to harvest the tomatoes before the first frost?

(A quick disclaimer before I continue. I am not an experienced gardener, so please do not take this post as gardening advice.)

I love seeing those little seedlings grow bigger each day. Seedlings sprouting

Soon, however, comes a stage I don’t like so much: thinning the garden.

Often gardeners plant more seeds than they will let grow to full maturity. Because of this, the seeds are too close to each other.

As the seeds grow, they become crowded and begin to fight for sunlight and water. If not thinned, none of the seeds will grow strong and healthy. They will remain half-shrunk and weirdly shaped as they strain for more light.

So, the morning comes when I slip into my gardening sandals and head out for a closer look.

First, I pull the weeds. I mercilessly yank them from the ground. They don’t belong. They won’t bring value or a harvest. I don’t want them. They only serve to get in the way of the plants I want to grow.

New sprouts in a garden

Then I look at the radish row. They’re often quicker to grow than the others. The plants are far too close. I know I have to thin them if I want large healthy radishes.

I crouch down and take a deep breath.

I pull a radish seedling. Looking at it, I feel bad to have had to pull a perfectly healthy and good plant that could have grown excellent food. Still, if I didn’t pull that seedling out, the others wouldn’t grow well.

Looking again at the row, I pull another seedling and then another. Pretty soon I have a pile of radish seedlings. Thankfully I can eat these sprouts for lunch. Yet something inside of me remains sad that they will never reach their fullest potential.

When at last I sit back and look at the radish row, I smile. These remaining plants will now be able to grow strong and healthy. It was painful pulling the sprouts, but the reward will be worth it. No half-grown radishes for me.

On to the next row of plants I go, and then the next. Pretty soon the garden is looking far more empty, yet I remind myself that it now holds more chance of reaching its fullest potential. The harvest will be bigger and better because of the thinning I did today.

What about in my life? Do I need to do some thinning there?

Radishes

Having grown up attending church, I have long known the parable of the sower. The part about the seed that fell among the weeds seems fitting to consider now.

“Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. … these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:7, 18-19 CSB)

Okay, got it. In order to be fruitful for God, I must get rid of the weeds in my life. Weeds are bad things, right? Don’t covet wealth, don’t worry, don’t pursue other bad worldly things. If I get caught up in those, my life won’t reach its fullest God-given potential.

Take out the weeds in my life, and I’m good to go, right? My experience in the garden says there might be more to do.

Maybe there are other things I need to thin out of my life in order to thrive in what I keep.

Jesus, after having a powerful night of ministry did just that, as recorded in Mark 1:35-38 (CSB).

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place; and there He was praying. Simon and his companions searched for Him, and when they found Him they said, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’  And He said to them, ‘Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.'”

I can so easily read those verses and think, “Everyone was looking for Him. He could have stayed and taught them so much more and done more miracles. They were ready to listen.”

Jesus, however, knew the task His Father had placed before Him. If He was to fulfill His mission on earth, He had to move on.

Sometimes I get caught up in all the good things I have opportunities to do. When a door is open, that means I should go in, right?

I must remind myself that this is not always the case. As with my garden, if I am involved in too many good things, none of them will thrive. They will be half-nourished and straining for light.

Instead, I need to prioritize my life intentionally. Sometimes prioritizing includes pulling out good healthy things so that the rest can thrive.

What do I need to thin out of my life so that what remains can grow? I’ll have to follow Jesus’ example and pray about that.

In the meantime, here are some valuable quotes to ponder.

“Good is not always God’s will, but God’s will is always good.” – Watchman Nee

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.” – D. L. Moody