Climbing the Mountain!

No, I'm not announcing a crazy fitness quest.  The Indy Mini is hard enough for me, thank you very much.

Lately I've been thinking about a whole host of things that I need to deal with, change, root out of my life, & start doing.  Add on the list of projects that never seem to get completed (hello sewer!) & the things that by nature never get finished like laundry, grocery shopping, dish washing...I'm sure you know what I mean.  All of that stuff has started to become a mountain in my mind.  And it makes my soul weary. 

Mike & I were talking about it last night.  He said he just felt overwhelmed.  I gave him a fist bump & a hearty Amen!  We talked about how we would be praying for one another & what we could do to help each other.  It was good.  And we found lots of reasons to be grateful & content.  The Lord has taken good care of us & He has faithfully kept us.  We aren't discontent with His provision & care, but we are not content with the things that need to change.

Usually when I feel like this I start making lists.  Crazy list making woman that I am I can make lists of character qualities I need to put off & put on.  Lists of chores/projects to do.  Lists of ways to have a little fun when it seems like all we do is work.  Lists of financial goals.  Lists of bad habits to ditch & good habits to cultivate.

But this time I'm just going to try to rest.  Let the Lord show me day by day, moment by moment what He wants from me.  I don't think He is as concerned about finishing the sewer as I am.  I don't think He is as frustrated as I am that my read-the-Bible-through-in-one-year schedule is out the door.  He just wants me to read my Bible.   Know what I mean?

This morning I had a little quiet time at work (ahhh...).  I was working in the hood drawing doses & frankly, the first one was a real booger.  Too much activity, too little activity, too much, too little, didn't even change the activity that time!  I seesawed that thing probably 8 times.  *sigh*  I thought, "Lord, I'm going to start this day frustrated & boogered up.  Are you going to help me?"  I'm a little demanding, huh?  But good God that He is, He did help me.  I took a deep breath.  I asked for help to quiet my mind & I kept working.  It's not like it was all easy, hit the dosage right on the head every draw after that but I was not so quickly disquieted.  I got to thinking & fretting about The Mountain.  I should have been praying & dropping my burdens.  But the Lord was listening & He knew what I needed.  Do any of you remember the Patch the Pirate song "Little by Little"?  Those words sprang to mind & I let them sing to me while I was drawing up the remaining doses.   Let's see if I can remember them well enough to type them out for you:

When mountains tower, rugged & high,
Rise to the challenge
Look to the sky!
Trust in the Lord & start out to climb,
Great things are done one step at a time!

Little by little,
Inch by inch,
By the yard it's hard,
By the inch, what a cinch!
Never stare up the stairs,
Just step up the steps!
Little by little,
Inch by inch.

Growing in Christ takes work every day
Reading your Bible, learning to pray.
Build godly habits, seek help divine
Great things are done one step at a time!

Something like that.  I think you probably get the idea *grin* 

I have also been thinking about these verses:
Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

and

John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Bottom line, I am grateful for my salvation, my great God Who tirelessly & lovingly keeps working with me to make me better than He found me, & my husband who is such an encouragement along the way. 

So I'm going to climb this mountain, Lord willing!  And hopefully not litter the trail with pages of lists & To Do's & restless worryings...it's a journey that takes place one step at a time.

Can I get an hearty Amen?