There are certain days in life that are more productive than others. And then there are other days that are extremely productive. Today was one of the later.
It all began with my breakfast at 7 am. By 8am, the Dish Network man was here and well underway installing new wired boxes with underground cables are now installed in my out buildings, replacing the existing spotty, unreliable wireless receivers.
At the same time, the construction crew arrived and went to work on our driveway entrance. It had been cut through to install the new water line on our road. Now, however, it has been dug, formed, and sits ready for concrete to be poured the first thing tomorrow morning.
Later in the day, the remainder of my new bookshelves were delivered - with zero damage! I will have them installed tomorrow; and will be ready to finally start unboxing my books which have been in storage for over a year now.
8 pieces of mail came and not one single one of them was a bill! And best of all, my beloved Georgia Bulldogs jumped to number 2 in the national poles after having defeated #3 Clemson this past weekend!
By 6:30 pm, I was happy, but dog tired. I had had a good and productive day; but I had not yet done the one thing I had committed to myself that I would do - I had not yet exercised. I was on the cusp of giving myself a pass when my beautiful wife bounced in and changed into her exercise clothes to head down stairs to start her nightly aerobics via DVR.
I was convicted, and begrudgingly got up and changed my clothes and made my way out the door. I did not want to go walking; but doggedly headed off up the road, more or less quilted into meeting my commitment.
I had yet not gone a mile when I happened upon a smart phone laying on the edge of the pavement. Recognizing what it was, and seeing that text messages were blazoned there for all to see, and not really knowing what else to do, I called our county’s emergency office and dutifully reported my find.
In short order, a sheriff’s deputy made his way to the spot and retrieved the phone. For my part, I felt good in that I knew I had done a good deed. Someone would very likely be happy to get their phone back intact. My spirits were lifted; and my pace quickened.
I had gone about another mile or so, and was approaching the lake. I saw a man with Louisiana tag getting into his car by the pier, and asked him if he perchance had lost a smart phone. He checked and replied that he still had his. Then he asked if could get some help.
Long story short – he had come up ahead of the hurricane and was waiting it all out before heading back home. He said that he had heard there was free camping somewhere nearby, but could not find it. I gladly told him where the free camping sites that had been established by the TVA and its subsidiaries were along the lake shore.
I could see that he was very grateful; and as he pulled away, I felt even better about having gotten out of the house and gone walking. Once again, my pace quickened.
Little did I know that there was one more blessing awaiting me. Indeed, the best one was saved for last. Returning from the lake, I encountered another car, which slowed down in response to my hand signals. I inquired as to whether the man or woman inside might have lost a smart phone. They checked and held theirs up.
Then, they two asked if they could get some help. They were from one county over and were riding around looking for “some old campground with a pavilion where outdoor fall revivals had supposedly been held ever since shortly after the civil war”. They wanted to find it so they could be sure to be in attendance this year.
It took me little time to direct him to the National Campground, located barely half a mile away. He and his wife were extremely thankful as they pulled away and made their way there. I was glad to help; and as I made my way back home, I all but skipped down the road.
Why? Because I quickly realized that the Lord had used my wife to motivate me to get up and get going. Why? Because He had obviously scheduled three divine appointments for me this very evening. Unbeknownst to me, when I left the house, one person had already lost something very important that was dear to them; and I was the one ordained to help them find it and retrieve it.
More importantly, another man needed shelter for the night. Through no particular skill other than a basic familiarity with the locale, I was uniquely positioned to direct him to where he needed to go.
And last but not least, the Lord had intended to use me to give direction to a couple seeking an opportunity to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
I had a good day today. But let me tell you that I had an even better evening! How has you day been? Was it long and tiring? Was it productive but still exhaustive? Either way, I pray that your evening is always better than your day!
I specifically pray this for both you and me tomorrow. No matter what I have planned; no matter what you have planned; no matter how productive it all is; no matter how tired we are, may our day not be complete until we find the one, two, or three divine appointments, tasks, and/or blessings that God has planned for us!
After all, it’s not really hard. You just have to try to do right and be available for the Lord and His will whenever the opportunity presents itself.
It all began with my breakfast at 7 am. By 8am, the Dish Network man was here and well underway installing new wired boxes with underground cables are now installed in my out buildings, replacing the existing spotty, unreliable wireless receivers.
At the same time, the construction crew arrived and went to work on our driveway entrance. It had been cut through to install the new water line on our road. Now, however, it has been dug, formed, and sits ready for concrete to be poured the first thing tomorrow morning.
Later in the day, the remainder of my new bookshelves were delivered - with zero damage! I will have them installed tomorrow; and will be ready to finally start unboxing my books which have been in storage for over a year now.
8 pieces of mail came and not one single one of them was a bill! And best of all, my beloved Georgia Bulldogs jumped to number 2 in the national poles after having defeated #3 Clemson this past weekend!
By 6:30 pm, I was happy, but dog tired. I had had a good and productive day; but I had not yet done the one thing I had committed to myself that I would do - I had not yet exercised. I was on the cusp of giving myself a pass when my beautiful wife bounced in and changed into her exercise clothes to head down stairs to start her nightly aerobics via DVR.
I was convicted, and begrudgingly got up and changed my clothes and made my way out the door. I did not want to go walking; but doggedly headed off up the road, more or less quilted into meeting my commitment.
I had yet not gone a mile when I happened upon a smart phone laying on the edge of the pavement. Recognizing what it was, and seeing that text messages were blazoned there for all to see, and not really knowing what else to do, I called our county’s emergency office and dutifully reported my find.
In short order, a sheriff’s deputy made his way to the spot and retrieved the phone. For my part, I felt good in that I knew I had done a good deed. Someone would very likely be happy to get their phone back intact. My spirits were lifted; and my pace quickened.
I had gone about another mile or so, and was approaching the lake. I saw a man with Louisiana tag getting into his car by the pier, and asked him if he perchance had lost a smart phone. He checked and replied that he still had his. Then he asked if could get some help.
Long story short – he had come up ahead of the hurricane and was waiting it all out before heading back home. He said that he had heard there was free camping somewhere nearby, but could not find it. I gladly told him where the free camping sites that had been established by the TVA and its subsidiaries were along the lake shore.
I could see that he was very grateful; and as he pulled away, I felt even better about having gotten out of the house and gone walking. Once again, my pace quickened.
Little did I know that there was one more blessing awaiting me. Indeed, the best one was saved for last. Returning from the lake, I encountered another car, which slowed down in response to my hand signals. I inquired as to whether the man or woman inside might have lost a smart phone. They checked and held theirs up.
Then, they two asked if they could get some help. They were from one county over and were riding around looking for “some old campground with a pavilion where outdoor fall revivals had supposedly been held ever since shortly after the civil war”. They wanted to find it so they could be sure to be in attendance this year.
It took me little time to direct him to the National Campground, located barely half a mile away. He and his wife were extremely thankful as they pulled away and made their way there. I was glad to help; and as I made my way back home, I all but skipped down the road.
Why? Because I quickly realized that the Lord had used my wife to motivate me to get up and get going. Why? Because He had obviously scheduled three divine appointments for me this very evening. Unbeknownst to me, when I left the house, one person had already lost something very important that was dear to them; and I was the one ordained to help them find it and retrieve it.
More importantly, another man needed shelter for the night. Through no particular skill other than a basic familiarity with the locale, I was uniquely positioned to direct him to where he needed to go.
And last but not least, the Lord had intended to use me to give direction to a couple seeking an opportunity to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
I had a good day today. But let me tell you that I had an even better evening! How has you day been? Was it long and tiring? Was it productive but still exhaustive? Either way, I pray that your evening is always better than your day!
I specifically pray this for both you and me tomorrow. No matter what I have planned; no matter what you have planned; no matter how productive it all is; no matter how tired we are, may our day not be complete until we find the one, two, or three divine appointments, tasks, and/or blessings that God has planned for us!
After all, it’s not really hard. You just have to try to do right and be available for the Lord and His will whenever the opportunity presents itself.