Not an Inconvenience

A couple months ago I updated you on the progress of my next book, which I have now decided to call, Finding Joy: More Confessions of an Irritable Mother. I told you of the decision I had made to cut a few of the devotions (to satisfy my Type-A personality tendencies, so I could divide the book into four "one week" sections) and also the decision to post the "cut" entries here (to further satisfy my Type-A personality...no need to waste what I have worked on so hard! *grin*).

So today I give you...

Not an Inconvenience

I had my plans. I had just picked up the van from the repair shop and was on my way to run some errands. By myself. It is always enjoyable to run errands when I can do it without kids in tow, asking for this or that toy, needing to go to the bathroom, or complaining about the “quick errand” taking too long. Perhaps when I was finished I would do some window shopping, bargain hunting, or just go to a coffee shop and enjoy one of their wonderful no-bake cookies. I had not worked out all the details – I just knew I was going to get my errands done and enjoy the afternoon, by myself, at a leisurely pace.
Just as I was pulling into the parking lot of my first destination, my phone rang. The caller ID told me it was someone from school calling. Because I was not expecting to hear from anyone at school, I figured this call was not a good one. Reluctantly, I answered the phone.
The school secretary told me Joshua was in the office and wanted to talk to me. He told me he had a headache, and when I asked what he wanted me to do, Joshua said he wanted me to pick him up from school and bring him home. I would like to say I immediately switched over to saintly mother mode and sped out of the parking lot to rescue my hurting child and nurse him back to health. But that would be a lie.
Instead, I started arguing with myself. Awww, how am I going to get my shopping done? Can I take him with me? He won’t want to run errands. Do I go ahead and complete my errands now and make him wait at school? Why does he have to have a headache? Do I really need to go get him? What ever happened to, “Just put your head down on your desk. You’ll feel better in a little while.”? This interruption is ruining my plans today!
I sat in the parking lot for a minute contemplating what to do next. I had told Joshua I would come and pick him up. Should I just run into the store real quick, since I was already there, and take care of my shopping before I fulfilled my word? Technically, I had not said I would come right now to pick him up. Maybe Joshua would not even notice if it took me fifteen to twenty minutes longer to get to school than it should. Perhaps I could get some of my errands completed before my afternoon plans were totally interrupted.
Or, perhaps not.
Before long, duty and responsibility won out and I begrudgingly drove out of the parking lot to pick my son up.
As I was driving to school, trying not to be mad at Joshua for having a headache and ruining my plans, it occurred to me God never sees me as an interruption. When I come to Him with my needs, God never feels “put out” or inconvenienced. He never looks at me and says, Oh, Karen. I had other plans today. I was going to bring a few babies into the world. There is a hungry mother looking for food for her children, who really needs my attention. I wanted to paint a beautiful sunset for someone to watch tonight. And after I’m finished, I thought I would like to just sit back and watch the stars for awhile. This really is not a good time. Could you try Me again tomorrow? In fact, He wants me to come to Him when I’m not feeling well, when I am troubled, when I need to ask for His help, and when I just need comforting.
Is there something weighing you down today, which you have neglected to bring to the Lord’s feet because you did not want to bother Him with it? Were you thinking He had better things to do than listen to your little problems? Did you want to avoid inconveniencing God or interrupting His other plans for the day?
Give Him your burdens, my friend. He loves you and He wants to carry them for you. Don’t worry. He can handle it!

Your Turn:
Do you sometimes feel like a burden to God, like you’re inconveniencing Him by telling Him your problems? Read 1 Peter 5:6-7. Based upon this scripture, do you think God wants to hear your problems, or wants you to keep them to yourself?
Spend some time in prayer unpacking your burdens with God. Give them to Him, and leave them with Him. Really. Picture yourself opening a suitcase and removing the burdens, giving them to the Lord. Don’t put them back in! Then just sit and imagine yourself resting in the lap of your Heavenly Father who loves you so much. Thank God because He cares for you.

Truthfully, I didn't want to cut this entry, because I like the Your Turn section so much. But I had my reasons...Anyway, I hope you will take time with God to go through it!