Prepare!

What are you preparing for? 

That is a question I often ask myself .

-when budgeting

I purchase more in harvest to prepare for winter, when I need purchase less items because the freezer and pantry are full. In winter I save what I do not spend of food budget to prepare for the next harvest’s purchases.

-when shopping

I ask myself, are you preparing for health or gluttony (I’ve put many things back thinking of Romans 13:14 – make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires).

-when listing daily goals

am I preparing for my one thing first, preparing for God’s spontaneity, or preparing for failure – listing more goals than possible to accomplish

-when praying

am I preparing to listen for God’s direction or to tell God what to do or how and when to do it?

-when writing

do I know for what am I preparing the reader’s heart. How can I map the journey if I am not sure of the destination?

Preparing can take time we don’t want to spend, but when I look back, I can see that the things that went best were well prepared. I have also found the more I do it (habit) the more it becomes a pleasure.

If I am going to eat healthy, I must first replace unhealthy things in my cupboard so when hunger strikes, I am ready with desirable and delicious healthy treats. If I leave one bag of chips, my downfall, I am actually preparing for failure – expecting it and already giving in to it.

I am a list maker – when my list is too long, I find that I hear God’s voice less – I simply have not prepared time to hear it. It is those days I look back and wished I had slowed down and recognized the need in someone’s eyes. My goal is to complete one main item. Other things are on the list to be sure, but above all I want my list to plan for spontaneity should God call for it. I don’t want to be guilty of saying, sorry, God, I have no availability until next Tuesday between one and four.

Praying – over the years I’ve heard a lot of suggestions for how to pray – and I’ve also heard some people over-sharing ‘prayer needs’ which sound more like gossip. Sometimes a good thing happens in that I don’t know how to pray. That’s good because I simply present the person to the Lord, who knows their true needs better than I ever will. Trusting God to work without my ‘suggestions’ is preparing my faith to be rocked by God’s involvement in our lives. I love Moses’ prayer – Ex. 34:9 … O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate; and do Thou pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Thine own possession.”

Before I sat down to blog today, I prepared in the Word, asking God what, of all the bajillion things running through my mind do you want me to share. (no writer’s block here – more like writer’s clog!) Presenting my blank page to God prepares me to hear Him. Receiving the focus calmed me and prepares my heart for the day and for this blog because when I know the destination, I can begin the journey.

Are you prepared?

Prov. 30:25         The ants are not a strong folk,

But they prepare their food in the summer

Is. 57:14     And it shall be said,

“Build up, build up, prepare the way,

Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”