Remember as a child your Mom or Dad telling you to:
• get that room cleaned…don’t delay
• do you homework…it’ll be worse if you wait until the last minute
• call your friend and tell him/her you can’t come to the party, the sooner the better

In your mind you were probably thinking that you just didn’t want to do that right now. What would it hurt to wait an hour, a day, a week? As time goes on, we still procrastinate. For me, it’s usually only on the things I hate to do or the things I’m worried about. I justify why the task doesn’t have to be done right away and I go on about my business. I must admit that I’m not usually a procrastinator. Those who know me know that I’m a planner and an organizer. I think through the schedule and the to-do list and I formulate the best method to get them all done. But there are times when I just don’t want to complete a task on the list and I put it off. Come on, we’ve all been there. How does it usually work out for you when you procrastinate?

Today, I sat down to pay the bills. Anyone whose read my previous blog posts knows that these are tough times for our family financially, so paying the bills is a depressing, yet necessary evil. It’s an evil I should have done at least 5 days ago, but I kept thinking…it can wait until tomorrow. I kept hoping that if I waited, some miracle would occur and the task would be less painful. But alas, I could no longer wait.

We have been blessed beyond what we deserve and God has provided us with funds that we did not expect to have. Without those funds, to be honest, the bills would not have been paid! When I think of the generosities that we have experienced, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Yet, I was still nervous about paying the bills. I knew the gifts the Lord had given us this month would certainly allow us to pay the bills currently due, but I was nervous about what, if anything would be left for the coming month as Phil and I both transition to new jobs with new pay schedules. So, my nervousness made me procrastinate. I put it off because I simply didn’t want to do it and be depressed by the results.

This afternoon, I sat down and did what I was dreading. As I progressed through the task, my heart started to lift just a bit more with each payment as I watched the balance in the check book. In the end, we did pay all the bills (only because of what the Lord has given us through the body of Christ) and we will be able to carry some funds over so that our transition will hopefully be smoother next month. Lord willing, these new jobs will bring us to a place where we no longer wonder if we can meet minimum payments. That still remains to be seen, but I know that for now we are doing ok. Not by our own strength and abilities, but by the Grace of God. He is providing beyond our wildest imagination.

As for my procrastination, well, it was just silly. With all the wonderful things I’ve seen the Lord doing in this difficult situation, I shouldn’t have procrastinated. I should have laid my fears at His feet and trusted in Him. He’s already proven He is awesome, mighty, and wonderful! I just need to have more faith, stop worrying, and do what needs to be done!