"You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” ~~Ezekiel 20:44 NLT
I've reigned as Queen of Procrastination in my life for quite a number of years. I felt quite comfortable with my routine of waiting then rushing. I found the rush of adrenaline near the deadline quite satisfying at times.
Sometimes, though, it's not procrastination; it's the busyness of life getting in the way of doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Then there are those times that I must scramble to complete a task. But that's not what I'm talking about here.
What I'm sharing today are the things I know I should be doing, but am not doing. I traveled that journey way, way too long. I've given myself too many excuses--"it's my personality" or "I'm just made that way."
Enough!
The Lord showed me a specific plan in 2006 how he wanted me to eat. I started off with gusto, but then caved into temptations. However, over the years the list of excuses popped up and again I procrastinated but would eventually get back to the plan again. This cycle has repeated itself over and over for the past five years.
Why? Because it's hard. Honestly, I procrastinated because I felt what I had to do was too difficult and I rather not deal with it. After all (here's the excuse), God didn’t tell my husband and children what to eat. It didn’t seem fair.
Whenever I ate whatever I wanted to eat--complex carbohydrates (breads, pastas, tortillas, potatoes, cakes, ice cream, etc.) in the quantities I wanted to eat, my blood sugar levels and endocrine system were affected. I confess, it often turned me into this grouchy, mean woman my family didn’t enjoy being around. That's not God's plan for my life.
Yet, so often in so many areas of our lives, the hard choices are the right choices. And when I make right choices, I can start to see the reasons the Lord led me to make those choices. Over the past 30 days, I finally started eating the way the Lord showed me. I stopped making excuses as I've been around this mountain too many times.
For one month now, I've made a deliberate lifestyle change and I'm eating the way I know the Lord wants me to eat--one day at a time without excuses (even with a house full of family and guests over the Memorial Day weekend). As a result, I feel much more energetic. I no longer need over-the-counter sleep aids to go to sleep at night, coffee to wake up in the mornings, and my stress levels have decreased so I feel more joy in my life. My family has commented that I'm a much more pleasant person to be around.
I'm still at the beginning of this journey, but felt that 30 days is a milestone marker. I'm now starting my next 30 day journey, one day at a time. I'm able to take this path of submitting to God's will for my life because He has been merciful to me in spite of my disobedience through procrastination. I am very grateful for God's mercy.
I'm laying down my crown as I no longer want to reign as queen of procrastination. As I submit to God in this one area, other areas are coming to light where I'll no longer procrastinate.
What about you? Have you reigned as king or queen of procrastination in areas of your life? Is God asking you to lay down your crown for Him?
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