So, the title, Ten-Thousand-Year Plan, is a bit daunting. Who does that? I am a planner, I confess. Positive or negative, it must be in my DNA. I cannot go a day without a plan to accomplish something. Now, before you label me a workaholic, my plans might be to read a few chapters in a book or to make a neglected phone call. I know how to rest and relax. So, what if I have to plan to kick back. I do some of that every day.
When I read a devotional about having a ten-thousand-year plan, I anticipated something I could grab hold of and use. The scripture content is I Corinthians 3. In a concise paraphrase: The only things that really count are those that contribute to others’ knowing Christ and being set free by His grace and love.
As a planner, I make lists for what has to get done like the laundry and meals and work. Which never make it to a list. But on my to-do list, I need to convert my thoughts from day-to-day trivialities that offer stress to the ten thousand year thought process. Here is a question to get me started.
What do I focus on and talk about?
If only what I’ve done for the Lord matters, what about all those other things that prompt me to anger or stress or disfunction? Is there any way to tame those bothersome thoughts into the ten-thousand-year plan? If not, I question if they need to be on my lists. Life is full of the mundane through important daily chores. Do I need to add things that in the long term are not important?
If I can (with some practice), I will let go of the trivialities of my day and get on with the plans that make a difference.
How do you separate the trivial from the important?
I don’t always get everything done even if it is on my list but I figure that if I am moving in the right direction, with my priorities in the right place, then I’m doing pretty well. I just have to remember that my priorities are not the same as those of the world. God, family (husband before children), church and everything else. Even jobs are in the everything else category so they will not sneak into first, second or third place. Then, I find myself using Phil. 4:8 and temporal/ eternal to judge quickly when I can. It is definitely a minute by minute task.
I am still trying to figure that out. I find it easier sometimes to concentrate on the trivial instead of the important. Sometimes the important just seems so overwhelming. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
Great piece! Love the animal photos. I liked this article and the way you explain the important things. When I feel that I am getting overrun by the trivial, I try to remove myself from the space, such as going outside in the back yard to complete a task on the computer or phone calls that are more important than washing dishes or picking up toys that will soon be thrown around the living room again anyway. Yesterday, on Saturday, the school was open in the morning for teachers to go and prepare for our return to campus after an extended hurricane evacuation. I had planned to go and spend a few hours there but when we woke up it was clear that the day was beautiful and Gian wanted to go out and play, so I scratched my plan and took my family to City Park. The students can do without a worksheet on the first day back, and I can make a plan later at home. It was so important to spend that time with my family. Thank you for the reminder.