One benefit of these frigid Manitoba mornings
is, you don’t waste time staring into your closet deciding what to wear. You
simply wear it all.
As I bundle up for my morning walks to
work, I’ve been contemplating the importance of doing things in the proper
sequence. Long johns before pants, pants before ski pants. Then boots, parka,
hood, scarf. Backpack. Gloves. Big leather mittens over the gloves. It all
works together quite nicely to help me survive the brutality known as our
weather.
But what if I decided to mix it up one
morning because I’m bored with the routine or feeling a bit rebellious? Maybe I
want to put my long johns on last, or my boots first. What if I put on my
backpack and then tried putting my parka on over that? Or maybe I could put on
my big leather mitts first. It could be done—maybe. But by the time I managed
to zip my coat and tie my scarf while wearing those bulky mitts, I’d be
frustrated to tears. I’d be sweating like a boxer. And my work day would be
almost over.
Doing things in the right order applies to
so much of life, doesn’t it? No matter how much we might like to skip some
steps, especially if they’re hard, life works better in a certain order. We
need the education before the good job, and the experience before the better
job. We must practice before proficiency comes. We’re required to raise
children before we can spoil grandchildren. Buckle up before driving off.
Oh sure, we can try doing things cart-before-the-horse.
It might even work, with effort. Instead of washing dishes right after we’ve
eaten off them, we could wash them just before we eat. Either way, we’re eating
off a clean dish, so what’s the big deal? But seriously, who wants to be
scraping off yesterday’s stuck-on spaghetti before you can enjoy tonight’s
chicken?
You might succeed at driving to the gas
station on a flat tire and then putting air in it. You could try washing a
dirty floor before you sweep up the loose dirt. It’s possible to dress first
and then take a shower. It’s also really, really dumb.
How about marriage, sex, and having
babies? These days, people laugh at the idea of saving sex for marriage. Like
it’s downright dumb.
But is it? Have you ever met anyone who
waited and regretted it? I haven’t. Present company included. Most things work
a whole lot better when done in the right order. Your Creator knows you and put
some rules in place that He knows will, if followed, work best for you and the
order of your life. Sure, you can change the order and “get along fine.” Lots
of people appear to do exactly that.
And lots of people don’t. They carry
around emotional scars from past relationships which deeply and negatively
affect their present one—wounds they could have avoided by doing things in the
order intended by the One who knows them best, loves them most, and understands
their heart.
Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love
and romance and sex. It’s a cold world, friend. Why make your life harder than necessary?
Bundle up in the right order.
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