Have you ever felt totally lost? It seems that every direction you start to go in doesn’t feel quite right so you go back and try something else, until you find yourself walking in circles with not a single hint of progress to show for it. It’s too overwhelming sometimes to just make a plan and go do whatever.

Lord, you expect me to get out of my safety zone and do what? But Lord, you know that there are so many people who want to criticize my efforts, shoot down my ideas before I have ever even run them through the process of prayer and sharing them with others. I sit there with my mouth closed tightly, bursting inside, knowing that I surely heard from God because I am not that clever to think of such a great idea. but I am silently frustrated, because with the next breath, I know that if I don’t act on it, it will probably leave my thoughts. Off to the back of my mind to needle me even more without me remembering what was so great about the idea in the first place.

I know that I heard from God, yet my silent contemplation overwhelms my sleep. Tossing and turning and wondering how and what and when and where  it will come to pass and if I will be able to formulate a plan to make it happen. It all floods into my thoughts as I try to rest. Prayer is supposed to unravel these types of frustrations, but I sit in my prayer closet, knowing that I need to speak it out, and still I wrestle with my lack of zeal that had to be squashed in order to make it another day.

And, what about that day? It is still 24 hours of my life that I will not be able to redeem, so how I spend it matters. Please help me not to squander the precious minutes of my life with trivial tasks that do not matter in the greater plan.

Cleaning and working, and all of the other chores have their place, but if I neglect my time with you, Lord, what will it matter in the long run? When the day is done, we will never be able to relive it. Our hope is to just do better with the time we have left on this earth. Take the time to think long and hard about what you will allow to occupy your time. My regret is the countless hours and days and years that are just a blur now that I could have planned better to be more effective. I know it sounds cliche’, but I regret the time lost that I could have used to make a difference.

When life is spent, how do you want people to remember you? How much time you took to clean your house? or to shop? or engage in entertainment? Will you be remembered for the way that you always had a smile on your face, or as one who took the time to encourage those who were facing dire decisions? or, who listened when it was hard to sort out a problem? Will they see the tears that you shed on their behalf? or the joy that you expressed when they got their answered prayer?

That day will come, but I have decided that it is not, today. In this week’s Lattereign, the Lord has given us an opportunity to declare that Today is a brand new day.