I had fallen into a trap. It was a trap that was made up of a 3 ring binder, some planner pages and lots of unrealistic expectations. I had become a slave to the feeling of accomplishment that I received when I could check off a completed task. This began to backfire.
Instead of feeling a sense of accomplishment, I began to feel a sense of failure. Why? It is because life happens. Appointments, holidays, birthdays, sickness and unscheduled tasks, they all happen.
I truly believe God used the last few weeks of my life to allow me to see how much more confidence I had in myself and my Household Notebook (that’s what I lovingly called it) than I had in Him. So, He showed me.
Two of my boys have their birthdays 2 days apart. I scheduled a party for the weekend closest to both. The boys dad had to drive to Kentucky to be with his mom during her surgery that weekend so the parties had to be rescheduled. *MONKEY WRENCH*
I had a plan all mapped out for Black Friday. I knew just what I would get for the boys. I was going to stay within budget and still get exactly what they wanted! I woke up at 4 AM like any good Black Friday fanatic and got to the store early only to find out that the Transformers Optimus Prime toy would not arrive on a truck until the next day and they could not offer it at the same price again. This was true of all the stores in this chain. None of them had Optimus Prime. *MONKEY WRENCH*
I like to do things a certain way during the day and if anything else comes up then you guessed it *MONKEY WRENCH*
I get all worked up and discontent because my plan didn’t work. But how many of you know that God has a better plan? One bigger than what we can fit into our Household Notebooks and one better than our best dream could ever reveal. God wants us to trust His plan and He wants us to feel pleasure from His approval and not from crossing things off of our “To Do” list.
My Household Notebook now has a new function. It is now a strategy. It is no longer a false God. I use it when I get distracted so that I can get back on track. If I don’t do something that is listed there then it is no longer a problem. My day will be complete whether I remember to toss out the old food from the fridge or not. I want to end it with a check mark from God.
Also check out:
- List Plan-It – For the list lover in you!
- E-MEALZ – Easy Meals for Busy and Frugal Families
- Clutter Diet – Everything you need to tackle the clutter once and for all!
- Plan to Eat – Because eating at home should be easier.
I’ve fallen into the same trap. I began to feel like a failure when I could never follow the schedule I made for myself. Since then, I have a task check off list, but allow myself more freedom to move and stretch. And yes, God was the one to show me what to change. From our ideals to His, eh.
amanda
I’ve been going through a change myself. I wish I were more organized!