What Should I Do?

The profound simplicity of this ancient poem offers timeless wisdom to answer the nagging question, “What should I do?”

Do the Next Thing

From an old English parsonage

down by the sea

There came in the twilight a

message for me;

Its quaint Saxon legend,

deeply engraven,

Hath, as it seems to me,

teaching from Heaven.

And on through the hours the

quiet words ring,

Like a low inspiration—

“DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,

Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.

Moment by moment,

let down from Heaven,

Time, opportunity, guidance,

are given.

Fear not tomorrows, Child of the King,

Trust them with Jesus,

“DO THE NEXT THING.”

Do it immediately;

do it with prayer;

Do it reliantly, casting all care;

Do it with reverence,

tracing His Hand

Who placed it before thee with

earnest command.

Stayed on Omnipotence,

safe ‘neath His wing,

Leave all resultings,

“DO THE NEXT THING.”

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,

(Working or suffering)

be thy demeanor,

In His dear presence,

the rest of His calm,

The light of His countenance

be thy psalm.

Strong in His faithfulness,

praise and sing,

Then, as He beckons thee

“DO THE NEXT THING.”

- Author unknown

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23: 3).

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

What aspect of this poem stands out to you?

How could the admonition “Do the Next Thing” make a difference in the common feeling of being overwhelmed?

Shout Welcome Your Unwelcome Task

What task do you hate to do?

Take out the trash

Talk with a coworker about their annoying habit of chewing gum

Wash or fold laundry

Fill the car with gas

Initiate the hard conversation

Write a thank-you note

Buy groceries

Get an annual physical

Grade papers

Sort the toy room

Floss your teeth

Rake the leaves

Clean the grill

Take flowers to the cemetery

Make the bed

Complete homework

Exercise

Regardless of size or significance, when any unwanted task Velcro’s to us, the longer we delay, the heavier it becomes.

“Regardless of size or significance, when any unwanted task Velcro’s to us, the longer we delay, the heavier it becomes.”

— Living With Eternal Intentionality

The simplicity of this short paragraph lifted from the pages Joy & Strength offers a game plan; Read to the end to discover a possible solution.

“No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.”

-Alexander Maclaren

“If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.”

— Alexander Maclaren

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

What about you? Is there an item, a task, a chore, or a function that occupies a permanent reservation on your list of unwelcomed tasks?

Please offer your secret for dealing with it.

A Buffet of Books for Summer Reading

Food trucks, farmers’ markets, and family reunions punctuate our summers; and so does the opportunity to pause and read a good book! If you want suggestions for literary enrichment, I invite you to consider these options for your beach bag, tote bag, or back porch basket.

“Food trucks, farmers’ markets, and family reunions punctuate our summers; and so does the opportunity to pause and read a good book! ”

— Living With Eternal Intentionality®

Forty Autumns by Nina Wilner

This riveting memoir captures the day-to-day and year-to-year reality of one family divided by the Berlin Wall between East and West Germany. Multiple generations of relatives suffer at the hand of a global Cold War. The author’s extraordinary literally skills keep the reader engaged to the last page and beyond.

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielson

Resistance by Jennifer Nielson

Words on Fire by Jennifer Nielson

Rescue by Jennifer Nielson

First, a friend—and then my voracious reader granddaughter—introduced me to author Jennifer Nielson. While these four mentioned volumes are classified as YA, young adult fiction, Nielsen masterfully offers sufficient substance to hold the interest of an adult reader who enjoys historical fiction.

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

Oh, my! The New York Times calls this true story of exploration to Antarctica, “One of the great adventure stories of our time.” Taken from the pages, one reads, “They were castaways in one of the most savage regions of the world, drifting they knew not where, without a hope of rescue, subsisting only so long as Providence sent them food to eat.”

Seated with Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison by Heather Holloman

Professor, Ph.D., and author Heather Holloman invites her reader to “Find your seat at the greatest table with the greatest King.” She continues, “… you can be free from self-consciousness, from comparing yourself to others, and from being so preoccupied with whether you have a seat at the table that you’re missing the incredible life in Christ that could be yours.”

The Book of Proverbs

The Book of Proverbs, saturated with rich practical wisdom, contains 31 chapters. Summer’s middle month of July also contains 31 days, thus lending this Book in the Bible to reading one chapter of Proverbs for each of the 31 days.

Summer gives us permission to lose ourselves in a good book. I hope you will be gentle with yourself, hit the pause button, take a deep breath button, and read. Then, please tell me all about it!

“Summer gives us permission to lose ourselves in a good book. Hit the pause button, take a deep breath button, and read. ”

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“He has also set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

“To everything, there is a season …” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

In this season of summer, when will reading fit into your other planned activities?

How does your intellectual nourishment bring glory to God?

Which titles would you share for the rest of us to consider this summer?