One Day at a Time

"One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I'm askin' from You.
Just give me the strength to do everyday
What I have to do..."

That's what was in my head this morning when I woke up.  Marilyn Sellars sings the perfect scratchy vinyl version on youtube.  (I'd publish a link to it for you if I could figure out how.  Still working on the techno part of this blog).  But, it's interesting that a song will sound in my head at just the time that I need a little encouragement.  My friend calls it a "companion song".  That's a perfect description.  I could use a companion right now.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with life.  Like today.  I'm working on two very big projects at the same time, the garden revamp project and the re-do the guest bedroom project, both of which need my full attention.  At the same time, I look around and see all the other garden projects waiting for me.  Then I look around the house and see the purge the linen closet project, the reorganize the pantry project and then there's the Garage with a Capital G project where all the extraneous things from the previous projects pile up.  Projects, projects everywhere!!  Arghhh!  Maybe I shouldn't look around so much.

I have to remind myself that they don't all have to be done immediately and I can set aside the jumble and overwhelm and just focus on one thing at a time.  Like getting the guest room done before our family arrives this weekend, and then our friends after that.  Everything else can line up for second place.  Except the plants my friend gave me.  They have to be planted several days before yesterday.

Oh dear, what's a girl to do?  Well, first off, she shouldn't panic.  What's the worst that could happen?  The plants will languish in wait, the weeds will keep growing, the pantry and linen closet will remain unchanged and the guest room will be just a mattress on the floor.  The only thing possibly harmed in this scenario would be the plants.  Which may now be dead.

Okay... so what's the best that could happen? Everything could magically get done and done perfectly without me exerting any energy whatsoever either physically or mentally.  Or I could move forward and calmly apply my gifts and talents to accomplish the tasks before me and learn to enjoy the process of "living in the midst life", and understand that it's ok to feel the pressure and pull of life's inevitable events, big and small, for there are blessings to be reaped from that.

Since I don't believe in magic and I need to exercise my "moving forward skills", and I am motivated by love and the deadline is just two days away, I think my choice is pretty clear.  The most important thing for me to focus on today is the guest room because that most closely involves relationship and love.  No, my family and friends don't need a fancy guest room to sleep in while they're here but I love them and I'm so happy they want to visit, and it's a blessing for them, and for me, to be able to provide them a comfortable and pleasant place to rest.

So, there.  Thanks for helping me sort this out.  I know what I must do.  I'm gonna get those plants in the ground!!  <kidding>  They'll be fine.  And though there are love and blessings to be had in accomplishing the myriad other tasks I could do around the house, today I'm gonna go for the guest room kind.