When You’re Paralyzed by Procrastination…(Part 3 of 3 from The Red Sea Rules—The God Who Led You in Will Lead You Out by Robert J. Morgan)
COME MEET AND HEAR ROB MORGAN, NEXT MONDAY, OCTOBER 27TH!
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Middletown United Methodist Church!!!
Calling all procrastinators!!!….
Guessing there are a few of us…
I recently was a valiant procrastinator. There was a dress I especially liked in a catalog. By the time I finally phoned to place an order, it was fifty percent off! (That never happens.)
This time of year, our mailbox begins to list to the left. Caused of course, to the incredulous deluge of catalogs. Some unknown illness runs thru’ my brain and I’m paralyzed to throw them away.
My annual challenge drives me crazy…every single year, I pile up a bunch of dog-eared catalogs with that “perfect gift” for a loved one. I always tell myself to order before Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving comes and goes, and into the trash go the catalogs. Sigh…
One wise friend suggested we start giving consumable gifts rather than “stuff”. Edible or drinkable or spreadable somethings are smart options. Don’t forget all the “go local” ideas in your town. (Chocolate could do me just fine…)
Let’s get past the catalogs and go straight to the problem of “we” procrastinators…
One book I keep in my office is a fantastic visual. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy is the author of Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.
Brian tells us, “Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go thru’ the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.”
No, we don’t really have to eat a real-live frog, but if you’ll go for accomplishing your least favorite task on your to-do list, everything else will fall into place easier. Theoretically….
Brian’s book is by and large for people in the business world, but it can also apply to us trying to run a household and family. One of my favorite quotes deals with creative procrastination. (I’d rather be a creative procrastinator, wouldn’t you???!!!)
Reality is we simply cannot every get everything on our to-do list complete. “Therefore,” says Brian, “procrastinate on your small tasks, low-value activities. Get rid of the tadpoles and focus on the frogs.” God bless the tadpoles…
Let’s jump back into Rob Morgan’s excellent book, The Red Sea Rules: 10 God-Given Strategies for Difficult Times. And get this on your calendar!!! Rob is driving in from Nashville to be with us at Middletown United Methodist Church, next Monday, October 27th!
11902 Old Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40243 http://www.middletownumc.org
Bring your neighbors and friends! Men are welcome! We’ll meet from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
The past two weeks we’ve discussed a handful of the “Ten God-Given Strategies for Difficult Times” from The Red Sea Rules. Two weeks ago we discussed Rule #3 and #4 in “We Need to Test for Leukemia”. Last week we discussed Rule #5 in “When Your Safety Net Gets Clipped”
This week we’ll discuss Rule #6 – “When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.” (Don’t forget I’ve only given you four of the amazing ten rules. Run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore and grab this book and bring it next Monday to get Rob to sign it!!! It’s a handbook we all need.)
In Exodus 14, Rob reminds us, “The Israelites couldn’t see what was in the distance. They had no binoculars that could view Canaan or even the opposite shore. But the Lord gave them a simple plan: ‘Tell the children of Israel to GO FORWARD’.”
Rob shares about a nineteenth expositor, C. H. Mackintosh, who “believed the Red Sea did not divide throughout all at once, but opened progressively as Israel moved forward, so that they needed to trust God for each fresh step.”
Mackintosh wrote, “God never gives guidance for two steps at a time. I must take one step, and then I get light for the next. This keeps the heart in abiding dependence upon God.”
This reminds me of another excellent book. While Stormie O’Martian is quite the prayer guru, she has also written a book that’s a huge source of comfort: Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On: Trusting God in the Tough Times.
She says, “God says you are not to be anxious about tomorrow, for there will be plenty of things to concern you when you get there.
You are to walk as a child of light, knowing that your future can only be reached one step at a time today. And you are to trust that He will give you the light you need, where you are right now, to take the right step.”
Let’s all choose to pray: Ask God where He would like our next step.
Rob Morgan suggests, “When you don’t know what to do next, cast out fear and seek light for the next step.” He adds, “Sometimes plodding is better than plotting.”
Just take that next step. Rob closes out this chapter by saying, “At the moment of their greatest perplexity, the Red Sea divided before the Israelites, and they took their first hesitant steps into the midst of the piled-up waters, timidly testing the sea floor and finding it a highway of hope—one that had to be traveled step-by-step, moment by moment.”
Let’s close with a hymn Rob includes in this reassuring chapter:
“Never a trial that He is not there,
Never a burden that He does not bear,
Never a sorrow that He does not share,
Moment by moment, we’re under His care.”
(Moment by Moment by Daniel W. Whittle)
Take the next step.
Eat the frog.
God will guide you. Do you trust Him?
‘Til next time!
We’d love to see you Monday, the 27th! You will be so blessed to hear from Rob Morgan! Every book he’s written is a tremendous gift to us readers. Come join us!
