I know we all say it, "I canNOT believe it’s the end of the year! Where did the year go?!" I think you, like me, probably find yourself wondering, "Did I accomplish what I planned a year ago? Did I accomplish God’s will this past year?" I know I’m notorious for putting wonderful plans and schedules on paper (I’m afraid I’ve caused the demise of many a tree over the years!!! 
), but not so famous for carrying them out!!!
There is nothing wrong with writing down plans, dreams, even maybe assigning a time frame for certain goals. I have Type A tendencies, but I don’t carry them out! LOL!!! Seriously, I really do like to have a plan, and work the plan, and all that.
But I also know life doesn’t always fit into nice, neat calendar or Daytimer boxes!
How do you schedule in chicken pox? Or going to TN to get your mom, then helping her sell her house, go through her stuff and move her? Or a miscarriage? A barn fire? (Um, yes, I think we’ll schedule that next Friday at 4 p.m.—! 
)
I probably go a little to much with the flow of things, but I’ve learned that I need to let go my agenda if I’m going to have peace! When I’m so intense on accomplishing my goals, however wonderful and even spiritual they may be; when I rush to get back "to the plan" after a crisis, major or minor; when I focus too much on getting things done and crossed off my list and depend on that for a sense of accomplishment—I am in danger of missing the most important thing.
Life.
Have you read the book, Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot? In the Introduction, she has a quote by Annie Keary that has resounded with me all these years since I read it in 1995.
"I think I find most help in trying to look on all the interruptions and hindrances to work that one has planned out for oneself as discipline, trials sent by God to help one against getting seflish over one’s work. Then one can feel that perhaps one’s true work–one’s work for God–consists in doing some trifling haphazard thing that has been thrown into one’s day. It is not a waste of time, as one is tempted to think, it is the most important part of the work of the day–the part one can best offer to God. After such a hindrance, do not rush after the planned work, trust that the time to finish it will be given sometime, and keep a quiet heart about it."
Ahhh! That is the hard part, isn’t it? To not rush and get our plans back on track after an interruption, to trust, to keep a quiet heart?
It truly is offering our schedule and agenda to God. Even when we think we have gotten our plans from Him, remember, He is quite at liberty to change your course midstream! We like to have it all planned out, to know the starting point, the ending point, and all the rest stops in between. God often asks us to chuck it all and says, "Just follow Me! I will take you down paths where you will see beauty you couldn’t see on the freeway. I will make sure you get to your destination just when it is right for you to be there. In the meantime, won’t you enjoy My presence and My path for you? It may seem to be a detour, but you will be richer for it!"
I love the story of Much-Afraid in Hinds’ Feet on High Places. Many times there are detours and even seeming reversals of her path! But through the journey, she learns to trust the Shepherd to lead her in the way He deems just right for her. I think one of my New Year’s "resolutions" will be to reread that book!!!
Psalm 37:23 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in His way." I take that to mean that when I rest in His "ordering my steps", I will delight in His way!!! But when I’m fretting, stewing and plotting how to get my way, there is no delight!
It was nine years ago today that I found Laine of Laine’s Letters. I truly felt like "cool waters for a thirsty soul"!!! She is so in love with our Savior, you can’t help but catch it! I confess I don’t get up at 4 a.m., but I am again convinced I need to get up earlier than I have been. I need that time alone with my Heavenly Bridegroom! Just this morning, in my quiet time, I read in 2 Chronicles 22:19, "Now set your heart and soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore,and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God…" I have read how the home is to be a "little sanctuary" (miqdash me’at, from Our Father Abraham by Marvin Wilson, pg. 214) That is why I take the verse from 2 Chronicles to mean that first, I must set my heart and soul on God, to seek Him. The next part of the verse tells me to arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God…..I believe that means to arise early (whatever "early" is–basically a little while before the rest of the family!) and arise to build up my home.
Here is a meaningful description by Marvin Wilson how the home, as a small sanctuary, was to operate (this was in the time following the destruction of the temple that the rabbis taught this–so it is not "Biblical" in the sense of out of the Bible, but I believe there is nothing that contradicts what God wants for our homes here!)
"As a small sanctuary, the rabbis taught that the home, like the Temple, was to be set aside for special purposes. These included the worship of God (a ‘house of prayer’), the learning of Torah ( a ‘house of study’), and the serving of community needs (a ‘house of assembly’). Just as the shekinah (the abiding presence of God) filled theTemple, and as light, a symbol of the Divine, brightened the holy place through the menorah (the seven-branched lampstand), so each home was to reflect God’s glory through prayer and praise. In addition, just as the golden table for the bread of the Presence in the Tabernacle contained loaves of bread set in two rows (Ex. 25:23030; Lev. 24:5-9), so on Sabbath eve in the home two loaves of hallah are set on the table to symbolize God’s sustaining presence among His people."
What a beautiful picture of what we are to build our homes to be! This "construction", if you will, is not done with boards, nails, siding, and windows, but with prayers, praises, study of God’s Word and meeting the needs of others (serving first in the home, then outward to the community). Can you imagine the difference in the world if each Christian home truly became a miqdash me’at? And if every woman worked to "build her house", serving her family by "setting her heart and soul to seek the Lord her God" and then "arising to build the sanctuary of her Lord God"?
What a beautiful oasis to the weary ones around us it would be!
Oh, that is my prayer!
To confirm my readings in the Scriptures, when I finished my quiet time, I read a page in The Heart of the King by Ron Auch (remember I told you this book is worth its weight in gold!!!). I will share a few tidbits.
"Man can help you know about God, but pursuing God through prayer can help you know God. There is a world of difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Jesus said, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God’ (Mt. 22:29). You are in error because you do not know. Once again we are dealing with the heart knowing, rather than head knowledge. You err because you do not know the Scriptures. This does not mean you have a wrong interpretation of the Scriptures. It means you do not have a knowledge of the one who inpsired them. Subsequently, you do not know the power of God; you merely know of it.
"To have more insight than your teachers, you must understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. That will only come through a pursuit of Him. Does your heart throb at the thought of spending time with Him? Can you identify with Isaiah when he says, ‘My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you’ (Is. 26:9)?" (I like the KJV rendering of Is. 26:9, "With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early…")
"Does your heart throb at the thought of spending time with Him?"
Oh, that is what this is—a true and holy love! He wants to spend time with us! He desires it and is anxiously awaiting our coming to the private trysting place.
Does your heart beat to love Him more? To hurry to get to that blessed spot alone with Him for a few moments to commune with Him, to look into His dear face?
Often when I struggle to get up in the earlier hours, this quote by Thomas R. Kelly from The Spirit of Loveliness (by Emilie Barnes) runs through my mind:
"Hasten to Him who calls to you in the silences of your heart."
He is waiting.
Let’s not disappoint Him!
Shall we run to Him now?
Happy New Year