It was a given in our home for years. When my husband (Daddy to our three kids) prepared to head out for his annual canoe trip to Canada, the last few days before the trip found him uncharacteristically crabby. Miserably so. The more organized he became about his trips (checklists and preplanning and no longer leaving everything to the last minute), the less crabby those pre-trip moments.
The enemy of our souls would like nothing better than to foul the air around our departures for the conference. Who isn’t at least a little stressed? Who isn’t being called out of one comfort zone or another? Day to day we work in our sweats…alone…not fighting 500 people for a bathroom stall or playing musical chairs for lunch.
Who isn’t mourning not having “enough” time to finish our pre-conference to-do lists?
Who of us–veterans and newbies alike–isn’t concerned about taking full advantage of the conference opportunities, not wanting to miss anything the Lord has for us?
But we have one more responsibility–to honor the Lord in our pre-trip moments. Don’t worry about ironing your conference wardrobe. Do that when you arrive (Deb Raney’s famous tip). The rooms have irons and ironing boards. Don’t crowd out your family while you’re crowding in one last task.
It’s Wednesday now. Set yourself a deadline for when you will say, “Enough. That’s enough.” Monday evening? Tuesday morning? We invite frayed nerves and crabby attitudes if we count on saving important conference tasks until the day before and then find an inevitable interruption–loss of electricity, trip to ER for stitches for son who thought he could fly, fog, printer malfunction, unexpected company (how dare they?)–messing with our good intentions.
I’m speaking to myself. I’ve been known to leave for a conference and the first thing I long to do when I get in the car is take a nap! (Not so productive if I’m the one driving).
Lord, my one sheets are ready. Is my heart ready? My pitch is polished. Does my attitude sparkle? My clothes are clean and coordinated. Am I adequately clothed in Your grace?
For the King and the Kingdom,
Cynthia Ruchti