My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20 (NIV)
Life is not always sunshine and sweetness around our house. Take, for example, the day I threw all the cereal boxes across the room. Yeah. That day. To begin with, I thought an aide was coming to take care of Dad’s morning routine—a two-hour process. But no aide. Losing help means losing two hours out of my day. Okay, I thought. I can do this. I shuffled my schedule a bit, changed a phone conference call, and got to work caring for Dad. I was actually quite nice and friendly about the whole deal. My mind was racing, trying to figure out how I would make up the lost time, but my words were kind.
My day, however, didn’t improve. Lunch took longer than I thought, then my work took so long that all of a sudden it was 4:00 pm, and I had no idea what to do for dinner. I took a peek into the fridge and realized there would be no dinner without a shopping trip. Off I dashed. Company was expected after dinner, so I needed to hurry. With too many groceries to unload and put away, I threw the cold items in the fridge and threw together a supper. The rest of the groceries stayed in the car. After our company left, I cleaned out the fridge, which I had earlier noticed was a total mess, and re-stacked the cold items. No time to put the dry goods away, because it was time for Ray and me to get Dad to bed.
So there I was at 10:00 pm, Dad tucked nicely in, but for me just starting to put away the rest of my groceries. First, I had to rearrange the cans cupboard to fit in the just-purchased cans, and I felt that teeny bit of patience I had barely hung onto all day definitely slipping. And then … the cereal … just would not fit. I would have to take out all the boxes and other dry goods in order to fit in the new boxes, some of which, I now could see, I hadn’t actually needed to buy.
That’s when I snapped. I did not remove cereal boxes from said cupboard. I grabbed and threw them across the floor in a wrathful display of resentment and self-pity. I shouted for my husband and demanded his help. I raged about my day and my work and wept with the misery of it all. I was pretty much a huge big jerk.
Did you notice all the “I” statements in this tale? Yep. That day was all about poor me. My focus was not on others. My heart was not nestled in God’s hands. My manufactured patience crumbled, as it always will, for on my own I have not the fortitude, nor the temperament, to be nice for very long. My anger did not produce anything good. For starters, there were now cereal boxes all over the floor, not to mention the loose cereal that had spilled out during the rampage. And, my husband had received an earful he didn’t need or deserve after a hard day of his own.
I wonder how differently my day might have been had I stopped right when our aide canceled—and prayed? I wonder how differently my day might have been if I had consciously asked God to carry me? Perhaps I would have been grateful to have the “problem” of too much food. Good GRIEF. How many people in this world are hungry, Every Single Day, and yet I was upset because food did not FIT? Perhaps I didn’t have to be the superhero and clean out cupboards on a busy day? I don’t know. What I do know is that I don’t do well without God. I need Him. I want Him. And He wants me—close to Him.
God cares far more about my relationship with Him and my attitudes than clean cupboards. He longs to be there with me on my busiest, toughest days. Staying close to Him and listening to His voice, leads to the “righteousness that He desires,” a life of peace and blessing—for each of us and for those we touch day by day.
For this purpose Sweet Selah Ministries was birthed: a deep desire to walk away from a life controlled by my own busy, fussy self, toward a peace-filled life controlled by God at an unhurried pace. I’d like to live a life where cereal boxes stay in cupboards where they belong!
I am so grateful that you are on this journey with me toward more peaceful and purposeful living.
You are loved,
Sharon
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To encourage a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth that stillness and knowing God matter most—
and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
