I’ve Made My List and I’ve Checked it Twice

A line from “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” song. Even Santa makes lists. I’m there! I admit it. Should have been there long before now when I forgot this or that at the grocery store or in the meal preparation for family or friend get-together. Oh, yes! I’ve been the one that prepared a lovely meal and then when the meal was over, realized I left a salad or another item in the refrigerator instead of serving it.

Yes, I make “to do” lists and I’m proud of it! I’m filled with a sense of accomplishment as I check off each “to do” item. Last week, my “to do’s” included getting my home ready for the family coming in, getting the pantry and fridge stocked with food, getting my baking done, preparing all the dishes for the meals (I make a list of each item and check it off once it’s prepared), squeezing in my annual family photo — even though we had to do it inside because outside it was pouring down rain.

There are a lot of “have to’s” in my life. I have to pay bills. I have to respond to emails. I have to go to the grocery store. I have to put gas in my car. I have to wash my car. I have to clean my house. I have to eat. I have to pay taxes.

It’s interesting to look at my “have to” list, and the “get to” list. My “get to” list are the things I “get to” do spontaneously AND intentionally, because I CAN, and because I really want to do those things. I GET TO write a daily blog that often keeps me up late into the wee hours of the morning — seeking God for “the word” that just might make the difference in someone’s day. I get to be a living-out-loud Nana, Mom, daughter, and friend — no hold-backs on living with passion and purpose. I get to be free of having to have the house in perfect order when the grandkids are here — the messes are nothing compared to the freedom of doing the things that matter most. Spending time together TODAY — in this sweet, present time — time that we’ll never have like this day again.

Then I wonder where does my time with God fall? Into the “have to” list or the “get to” list? Do I consider my time in the Bible as a “have to” or a “get to?” And what about my worship and praise to Him? Actually, I do pray for God to create in me a “get to” holy desire to spend time with Him, in His Word, worshipping Him and praising Him for all He means to me. I want it to be the item on my to-do list that becomes so non-negotiable that it comes before everything else in my life. I want my life to be filled with “get to” moments and not “have to” tasks because I can see them all through the lens of blessing and answered prayer.

Aren’t we so glad that we’re not on God’s “have to” relationship list, but we are on His most precious “get to” relationship list. He considers us His most cherished and beloved possessions. He even LISTS us on the palm of His hands – we are unforgettable to Him. Shouldn’t He be unforgettable to us?

“….yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” Isaiah 49:16