Nagging shrews – Blessing?

Yesterday I arose before daylight and began my day by writing WFTD. Soon the sun came up and the sea was absolutely beautiful as it rose up out of the ocean. The wind was exceedingly calm and the sea was smooth and a very nice shade of blue. I glanced out at my boat sitting idle on its boat lift. Hmmm

I had not taken my wife fishing for some time because conditions have to be absolutely perfect before she will venture out. Yesterday was that perfect day. There is a place that we go that takes about thirty minutes to get to by boat located in an area that is referred to as the “back country”. It is right in the middle of the Everglades National Park in the Florida Bay.

Turquoise blue and green water surrounds hundreds of uninhabited islands and it is a virtual paradise spanning perhaps a million acres that is literally teeming with wildlife. The last time we went fishing in this area, we literally caught sea trout, redfish, Ladyfish, Jacks, and other species with every cast. I estimated that we caught in excess of 300 fish in just a few hours of fishing. Additionally we saw porpoises, eagles, rosette spoonbills, white pelicans, and a myriad of other species. Very cool place to go Very cool!

I pleasantly asked her if she wanted to take a ride over to Flamingo and spend the day having fun.

She responded in shrew-like tone, “Don’t you need to be working on your book?”

“Huh?”

“You need to be working on your book!”

I whined, “I want to have some fun. All I ever do is work.”

She gave me one of those looks and said, “BOB!”

Alas I knew that she was right. I needed to spend another day pounding away on the keyboard. I have been sitting in my chair for so many hours that I finally had to obtain a big furry pillow to sit on, (that looks like a stuffed Persian cat), to lessen the load on my aching posterior. Hour after hour I sit and write and pour out my life story which has been depressing and dark for months. Sometimes it is all I can do to maintain the self discipline to stay at it. Occasionally, (like yesterday), even that is not enough and I need some not so subtle encouragement from my wife and/or a few select friends that constantly harass me about getting it finished it too.

I sullenly did not answer and returned to the keyboard. By yesterday afternoon I had completed yet another chapter and I am one giant step closer to completing the book. I hope to finish two more chapters this week before I have to fly to Atlanta for the day on Thursday to attend a Board of Directors meeting for the Covenant House, a wonderful organization devoted to helping homeless children. Maybe I can get some fishing in over the weekend. If not, I will be hammering away again on the keyboard.

What I have to realize is that God put me on this earth to accomplish His purposes and not my own. I am retired and could afford to fish,hunt or travel the world literally every day for the rest of my life, but God did not put me on this earth just to frolic around. God needs workers and I am not going to ignore His call, (and if I momentarily forget my calling and succumb to temptation, my wife will make sure I remember to stay on task).

Yes we should make time for enjoyment of God’s many blessings and smell the roses, but His work comes first. Are you making God your number one priority? Did you even go to church this Sunday? What have you done exclusively for God that has nothing at all to do with you lately?

Are these questions uncomfortable? Don’t let satan and his temptations rob you of the joys associated with serving the Lord. If temptation overwhelms you, do whatever is necessary to defeat it, even if it comes right down to listening to your nagging spouse, but get to work for Jesus

1 Cor. 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to
man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide
the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.