Daily. Seems like a good idea to do things daily. We eat every day, we sleep (or should sleep) every day, drink half our body weight in water, exercise. There are a lot of things we ought to do, but then there are all the things we don’t end up getting to because time is a limited factor. I decided to do a stretch goal and record videos of myself that I could edit and create a daily devotional series for my podcast and friends on social media. Obviously I don’t record a new one each day, I am trying to do one week at a time and then post each day. But I’ve come to realize just how ambitious a daily goal is.
What do you do with your day? What do you do on the daily? Well not to be crass, but I am what you mike describe as an infrequent visitor to the bathroom. I don’t have as some of my friends describe it “a daily appointment on the throne.” I feel in many ways it’s a good analogy for the way I see life too: every day is different and new. So in this Covid-19 time I’ve realized again just how this is not super healthy. Not only do we need to be “regular” when it comes to our digestive track so our body stays healthy but also we need to be regular and routined so our relationships and soul stays healthy.
I am a huge proponent of flexibility but as you think about your life there ought to be somethings you’re inflexible about. I’ve come to realize that because I am so haphazard about the way I structure my days and weeks I have difficulty making new habits like: praying for prayer requests every day, making pastoral calls, sitting with Jesus, doing yoga every night, eating dinner at the same time every night with my family – and now making devotional videos.
A new Covid-19 daily goal has been to read a chapter of the Bible with Janel each evening, usually right after Ashlynn goes to sleep but before our obligatory Netflix and chill (or more recently nightly chats, which has been a really fun alternative to brain numbing tv). I suggested the Gospel of Mark since our church is doing a bible study live on Youtube about it. I was struck again by Jesus’ invitation to his disciples to go away from the crowds.
30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.
Mark 6:30-32 NLT
Jesus was a really flexible person, for one he lived on the go without a place to call his “home” and even this attempt at getting away was interrupted and out of it came the miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand (and their families). But Jesus was persistent, that evening he sent the disciples ahead in the boat and then he found some quiet by himself to pray. Jesus might not say we need to worry so much about our daily plans as long as we are inflexible about our need to be with God, to withdraw to lonely places as it were.
Well, as we find ourselves all cooped up in our homes this April, I know I feel bored and lonely at times — though I have a great distraction in a toddler and a wonderful companion in Janel — I still need to be inflexible about finding the quiet places to be alone with God. Maybe that’s a chair in your house, or the steps in front of your house, the balcony of your apartment, or even the bathroom. Let’s be flexible in this crazy disruptive time and who knows what miracles of plenty Jesus will work in our midst with the very little we posses, but may we also be inflexible about the habits and times we set aside to be with God.
May God give us all the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.
Would love to hear from you and how you are structuring your day in this season.
Share on my Facebook page or as comments on the blog.
Peace, Lars