Forgotten Schedules

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

“I’m sick of being ordered around!” said Lincoln when Dad reminded him to practice his trumpet. “Someone’s always telling me it’s time to get up, time to catch the bus, time to eat, time to do something! Just once I’d like to do what I want when I want to do it.”

Dad looked up from his tool bench. “Just for fun, let’s imagine we wake up one morning and find that anyone can do anything they want all day—anything at all. What will you do, Lincoln?”

“I’ll spend the day at the zoo!” said Lincoln.

“How will you get there?” Dad wanted to know.

“You’ll take me,” Lincoln replied with a grin.

Dad scratched his chin. “Well, I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to.”

“Aw, come on, Dad, you want to go to the zoo too, don’t you?”

“Okay,” said Dad, “so we get in the car and drive to the zoo. But when we get there, we can’t get in.”

Lincoln looked startled. “Why not?”

“No schedules—so the gate attendant decided to sleep late,” Dad explained. “There’s not much sense going to the zoo anyway. No one has shown up for work, so there’s no popcorn or ice cream, no train rides or seal shows.”

Lincoln sighed. “I know what you’re saying—that if we didn’t have schedules, we’d just have confusion, right?”

“Right,” said Dad. “When God created the universe, He organized everything. Even the sun and moon have a schedule to keep. We have schedules too because He’s given us things to learn and do as we wait for Jesus and grow in our faith. It can be hard sometimes, especially when we have to do things we don’t like or there are other things we’d rather be doing, but He’ll help us. As we follow His schedule for our lives, we learn to trust Him and see the amazing things He’s doing.”

Dad looked at his watch. “According to my schedule, it’s time for lunch. How about a hamburger?” Lincoln let out a whoop. “And then,” said Dad, “it will be time for trumpet practice.”

“Okay,” said Lincoln with a grin. “I’ll put it on my schedule.” Barbara J. Westberg

How About You?

Do you complain about having to do things at a certain time? Do you wish you could do whatever you want whenever you want to do it? When you wish you could do things your way, remember that God created and organized everything, and He has a plan for your life. Stay on His schedule by trusting Him to help you do the things He’s given you to do.

Today’s Key Verse:
Ephesians 5:15-16 Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time. (CSB)

Today’s Key Thought:

Do what God’s given you to do