Have you had those days, when you try so hard, very well intended, but get nowhere?

Some days I feel like I should be in the circus, I’m so good at juggling. My to-do list is longer than my shopping list and new must-do’s rush in as the tyranny of the urgent pulls me in so many directions that I’m exhausted before mid-morning, and worse, accomplishing very little.

Recently, my attempt to walk my Golden Retriever, Lily, and three others I was caring for felt just like my interior frustration—pulled in four directions and going nowhere.

When I returned from the walk, I searched for “confusion” in the Bible and found strong words.

“And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem, to injure and cause confusion and failure in it.” Nehemiah 4:8 (Amplified Bible)

“In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in.” Matt 24:11 (The Message)

Ouch. Clearly, confusion is not my friend.

But simply not wanting to be confused, and resisting being pulled in many directions, all of which are good in themselves, is not enough.

“One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.”  Elizabeth Elliot

As in so many areas of life, doesn’t it all depend on where we put our focus and trust? Isn’t it a matter of willing our focus back to the Lord and choosing to trust him with our circumstances, with our choices and with our future? With every minute of every day?

Once again I choose to trust that God has prepared the way before me, with provision along the way. Only then, as the warring demands inside come into order, can I proceed with my day, one step at a time.

“In You, O Lord, do I put my trust and confidently take refuge; let me never be put to shame or confusion!” Psalm 71:1 (Amplified Bible)

Questions:

Do you have a daily struggle?

What do you do to manage or change it?