I Hate Stacks

There is no doubt about it!  I hate stacks.  It is early and a very tired, sore Doug (it's Kid's Camp Week) is drinking Instant Coffee (a crime of tantamount proportions for a coffee roaster) with Ruth blaring as I write.  There are stacks of books, papers and projects on my desk that remind me of the Sumester Class that I need to finish preparing, the Experiencing God series that needs to be polished, Summer Teen Camp speaking outlines that need to be done and so much more.  The piles of books cry to be read and my inbox is full of emails needing replies.

As I sat down, I realized something new about me: the air was let out of my balloon as I had to slide papers and stacks out of my way to begin writing.  The work crowds around me and prevents me from relaxing.  I seem to know that there is no way I can get it done and it distracts me taking the fun out of working at all this that I love.

At the traffic light this morning, I had the same feeling.  I was thinking about the nine kids that I got to help rescue from such a great injustice.  It is so incredible that they are free and in a safe house.  God is so incredible when he empowers us to do something great.  However, I found myself fretting over how I was going to raise $3000 a month for the first year to support their houseparents, the doctors, the clothes, food, rent, tutors, psychologists and so much more.  The work for these little ones piles up around me because I know that this project can't fail.  If it does, their nightmare begins again.

Somewhere in the midst of my dysphoria God spoke to me.  He reminded me that I didn't create the stars.  He reminded me that I haven't had to do anything but be available for His work to free the nine.  He reminded me that it was not and does not need to be a struggle.  He reminded me of the verse, "don't worry about tomorrow - today has enough challenges of its own."  He reminded me that if I follow Him to where He is working that I will see Him do great things that are far beyond any stacks I could pile or complete.  

So I sat down to write.