Count it all joy!
Procrastination is to postpone doing something, especially as a regular practice.
Oh, please learn from me and my mistakes. I’ve mentioned before that I have been taking two online classes to complete as part of my recertification process for teaching. These classes actually began on February 7th. There was no class to attend to keep me accountable and too much fun family time to be had. I thought in my mind, I’ll just do it over spring break. Ha! I may have gotten one day accomplished, but again….too much family fun time. The beach, boat, and fun talks and walks with family and friends were at the top of my priority list at that time.
Spring Break with family and friends. (Pictured l to r: Dede, me, and Holly)
By the end of spring break it was the third week in March. I had maybe completed nine out of 60 readings with reflections, and three out of 60 activities. I had a bad attitude toward the whole thing and so I just continued to put it off until the weekend. Weekend? That’s more family time; grillin’, chillin’, movies, shopping, oh me oh my!
The next thing you know it was the first of April. Classes ended April 16th! It is often said that one works well under-pressure, but seriously? I had taken it too far. The first part of Proverbs 12:25 was beginning to live in and through me. It says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” I could feel the stress. You could see the effects of stress on me. (blemishes, baggy eyes, lack of confidence, etc.) It was definitely “weighing me down”.
I had to get the anxiety out of me, and get Colossians 3:23 in me. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” I needed not think about impressing others in the wording of my reflections or the creativeness of each activity; I needed to just do it all as if I was doing it for God and through His strength. (Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”) When I focused more on getting it done and doing my best for God, He totally took control.
Well, God and I had a chat and He convicted me to just know that it HAD to get done, and to set a goal. So that’s what I did, with only two weeks left in the course. I first, did as Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (I’ve discovered in life that when I give God time, He gives me so much more than I could have imagined.) Then, I got out my calendar, determined what needed to get done and when. Finally, I got busy!
The family knew what had to be done. My husband was a saint in the cooking department. The kids graciously left mom alone (sometimes). I had closed myself in a room and crank out lessons after lessons in a week and a half. The “family fun time” was put on hold for me.
The goal I had set for myself was to be finish on Saturday, April 14th, at 8:30pm. Well, I completed it all on Saturday at 8:37pm! (No one’s perfect. Haha)
You should have seen me. I typed the final report to the facilitator, pushed the send button to email it all to her, got up from my comfy chair, and started running through the in Rocky mode saying, “It’s done. It’s finished. Thank You,Jesus. Woohoo!!!!!” I imagined the crowd cheering for me as I did a little “I’m done” dance for my family. A smile was not only on my face, but everyone else in the house too (even though they were probably laughing at my crazy parade).
Now the last half of Proverbs 12:25 was occurring, “…but a good word makes him glad.” I was glad, and I know God was glad. He was glad that I finally stopped procrastinating and got busy.
These past few days with “doneness”, I have thoroughly enjoyed. One of the pleasures in life I’m grateful to get back to is walking with my headphones on. You thought I was loco when I completed the classes parading around the house? Ha! You should have seen me tonight. The sun was about to go down, so the sky was i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e! (God was showing off His magnificance.) Nicole C. Mullen was jamming in my headphones as I was briskly walking around the neighborhood. My hands were waving in the air, and it wasn’t to get the circulation flowing, I was praising Jesus for everything. My shoulders would dance side to side, my step would get a little pep in it, and (oh no, I hope the neighbors didn’t hear me) I was singing out loud. Oh, what a relief!
Please learn from me…don’t delay, make a goal and stick to it, pray it up to God, and just do it and don’t wait! Did I get it done? Yes. But… I would have saved myself a lot of stress if I would not have procrastinated!
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13.