convenience will cost you

 So I was in a hurry.  I paid way too much!!!!  I had an honest motive but I was in a hurry.  I wanted to bake a dessert for homegroup and I was tired.  I was home from work at 5:45, dinner cleaned up by 6:30.  I was searching through the cookbooks for ideas, list made and off to the store. It was 7:30.  I just wanted to relax and usually baking is relaxing for me…..normally.  But, I was in a hurry. I paid way too much for premade cookie dough.  I had no coupon & it wasn't on sale. Let me truthfully tell you all these ingredients I had at home.  They were ready and waiting, they just needed to be combined together in the proper order, a little time and I would arrive at the same result as that package of dough from the store. 

As I was unpacking the groceries, eager to get the dough baking, the Lord speaks to me, "Convenience will cost you."  Why did I do it……..pay that much?  I used tiredness as an excuse. I really did want to make a dessert for homegroup.  I was just going about it the lazy way.  I would have had to clean up the kitchen again and I just wanted the easiest path to arrive at the same promised destination. Convenience will cost you.  Did I end up with a dessert? Yes.  Could I have arrived there with less of a price tag? Yes. 

I even bought other products that trip on a whim, no forethought.  Items I could have clipped a coupon for and didn't. Or waited till they went on sale.  Why, too much time…… Did I have the money, sure.  I didn't bother to simply wait AND the items cost me MORE!

I joke about cookie dough…….I don't joke about sin.  Are you guilty of rushing the Lord's plan for your life?  He might have cookie dough for you (i.e. job, spouse, home, dream) and you might rush it too quickly.  Will it cost you?  Just ask King David.  Did God bless him, sure.  Did it cost him? Lots!  Pray for wisdom, guidance and God's timing most of all. 

Nobody signs up for a commitment and says "Yes, I can't wait for the really hard part where my patience and dedication are tested. Oh, I can't wait to see how much I can endure."  No we say, "Where is the short cut?  Where is the convenience of the microwave?" Or store bought cookie dough.

Oh, and I'd bet the quick, store bought, cookie dough didn't taste as good as the homemade recipe would have.  Enjoy God's recipe, it's worth waiting for. 

a fruit inspection.....what do we got here?

--> When you buy fruit at the store, do you look at it first?  Do you just throw it in the plastic bag and take a gamble on what you get?  If I’m spending money on it (investing it in) I always like to know what I’m getting.  I’m just bummed when I get a tomato home and it has mold on it because I didn’t take the time to look at it thoroughly.  I once bought some produce that was wrapped up and you couldn’t SEE the mold growing inside.  YUCK!  I took it back to the store and exchanged it.  I didn’t buy it to throw it away; I bought it to use it. 

The year is wrapping up here in a few days.  This time of year I find myself doing a personal fruit inspection.  If I don’t look thoroughly there may be mold growing in an area of my life and it will affect EVERYTHING.  Mold always spreads.

My life: the talents, gifts, parenting, assignments, projects, time, money…..fill in the blank.  How have I been using them?  Is anything starting to smell?  Produce mold. 

Inspection.

It is a costly process.  The time it takes to be thorough always pays off, always. LACK of inspection is an even more costly result.  You end up not being able to use the area that was neglected.  OUCH.  Don’t bury your talent, gift, time and money….USE THEM for His purpose He has asked you to do.  If you don’t know the answer to that question, take the time to ask.  LISTEN, WAIT for the answers.  Embrace them.  Cultivate them.  Be found worthy of being entrusted with them.  How pleasing it would be to hear when it is all over,  “Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant!”

I have multiple things the Lord has asked me to do.  I know you do too.  To be faithful with those things honor Him.  I fail but I try my best.  As TobyMac sings, “It’s never too late to get back up again.”  Anne of Green Gables says, “Today is a new day with no mistakes in it.”  Or one of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t look back, you aren’t going in that direction.” 

It’s a new year soon.  Ask Him what is my purpose?

For me, personally……I’m fighting the good fight.  I’m not giving up. I feel like I’m just beginning.  He’s got good plans for me.  I’m rising up to the challenge. I feel like Rocky Balboa in training and getting ready for the biggest fight of my life.

Move on…..GO for it.  Inspect.  Start something new.  BEGIN.