What's Real and What's Ideal

I tend to get these pictures in my head of what I want life to look like. Right now my big one has been that I want to drink something hot out of a mug while I read my Bible in the morning. 

Now since I don't drink coffee or tea this seems like a stretch. Maybe hot chocolate? 

photo courtesy of carlos porto/freedigitalphotos.net

And I would prefer to do this hot-drink-in-a-mug-drinking and Bible reading on my back porch while watching the sun rise.

I hate mornings. Did I mention that? Although I do wake up consistently early enough to see them. 

Let's not forget that my back porch has no furniture besides an old kitchen table and is covered in balls, shoes, and various toys that I try to keep semi-organized.

And have you looked at the price of wicker couches (which is what I would love to have out there)? That'll wake you up. Forget needing a hot, caffeinated drink. 

It's a good thing I'm not waiting to read my Bible until I get my dream scenario perfected. There's a good chance it might not happen for years. And that's a lot of days that I need my time with Jesus.  So what does my Bible reading look like? I've already fixed my hair and makeup (because I hate doing that and the later it gets the worse it seems.....and I like to look pretty before Justin leaves!) and I'm sitting on the bed in semi darkness reading on my iPad and drinking water. (Where changes frequently for me; that's not the important part. Just note it looks nothing like my perfect picture.)

And occasionally I'm also eating some chocolate. We're all for chocolate around here. 

It's good to have ideals to work toward. To have a vision to guide in making decisions and setting priorities. But life is not perfect pictures. Life falls short of our expectations. Life disappoints.  Days run short on hours to do it all. 

So decide what's important. 

It's important that I read my Bible. It doesn't matter where I read my Bible. It doesn't matter what I drink while I read my Bible. The Word is the Word regardless of those extras. 

It's important that I make my husband a priority.  It doesn't matter if our dates are movies and desserts on Friday instead of fancy dinners out right now. 

It's important that I teach and train my children. It doesn't matter if we complete Pinterest-worthy craft projects. (Good thing too- because we don't!)

Are there important things you are waiting to do until they are "perfect"? Don't wait on perfect; it never comes. Grab hold of your values and work them out in your daily life regardless of the extras that you may or may not attain.  On my 80th birthday it will be very obvious that I've spent time in the Bible (1 Timothy 4:15) and I'll be glad about that.

I probably won't even remember that at one time I wanted to read my Bible with my hot drink on a wicker couch on my back porch.