Ann Voskamp published 25 things to keep in mind to keep your mind. In her own poetic way, most of them spoke to me. However, when I printed her printable, I couldn’t remember what half of them meant. Details have never been my strong suit. I’m more of a big picture gal. (Already seen this movie? no problem—I don’t remember it anyway!)
So I’m working on my own Sanity Manifesto, but I’m thinking of calling it something else. Perhaps “Singing at Evening” Manifesto.
“10,000 Reasons” by Matt Redman is one of my current “most played” and the final line of the first verse always hits me hard… “The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning. It’s time to sing your song again. Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes.”
I’m a morning person. I usually greet the day’s challenges with a somewhat upbeat attitude. It’s a new day, a new to do list…12 more hours to get things done. By the time Ray gets home, I’m usually a crumpled mess, exhausted by my to-do list, by the sin I’m combating. I’m not usually singing. But I want to keep on singing…finding 10,000 reasons all day long. Sooo, I’m working on what I can do around here to keep me singing until evening. I want to fight for joy all day long.
While my heart is the first and last place God must work, He has created me with five senses. He uses sense words throughout the Bible, so I know He wants me to use them. My environment can make a difference in my heart.
Here is the beginning of my Singing in the Evening list. Like Ann said, this isn’t a to do list, but a scaffolding for my days.
- Music – in the morning, during school, as I do dishes.
- Candle – when I think of it—to drive away the closed in house smell, the boy smell, the burnt toast
- Curtains open—we may not have much of it—but I’ll let in all the light God gives Michigan each day
- Hugs-take ‘em even when I’m mixing and moving through the house. Especially my little man—he gives hugs so well. Give ‘em—when math is bogging us down, when the dishes are done and the floor is swept, when we feel overwhelmed
- Gentle words. Oh, how this is so hard for me. Open my ears to hear and change my tone.
- Smile—it takes so much less energy than frowning, and it lifts the spirit
- Outside—5 minutes a day if that’s all I have (today my five minutes involved throwing away the pumpkin that was doing the slinky down the front steps as it slowly rotted in view of the world. Yeah, it’s January 28, it’s time to go)
- Look up—even when the skies are one unbroken grey, look up.
- Bend down—to talk, to love, and see the world from their eyes
- Do the next thing—so hard when there are so many things
- Feed the soul before I feed the bellies—God’s word and prayer
- Sing together—with the radio, with the piano, pick a hymn and sing while doing the dishes
To be continued…
