Throughout my life, I have always lived on a schedule. Every day is devoted to certain tasks, and it has worked for me so far.
I know what day it is by what I’m doing that day.
I’m often impressed by wife Martha’s ability to multitask. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage can do a dozen things at once and get them accomplished the way they’re supposed to be, but I have a hard time knowing what she’s doing at any given time.
I plan my week in a very precise routine. I can only do one thing at a time, and it must be on my schedule.
Unfortunately, my schedule was recently interrupted. I spent five days in the hospital and then more than two weeks at home recuperating.
Being in the hospital is a very boring time. There isn’t much I can do because I have medical personnel coming in and out poking me with needles and all sorts of things. Just when I think I’m falling asleep someone comes in.
Some even came in around 3 a.m. How in the world can you sleep in a hospital with such a routine? I never knew what day it was. One was just like the other, and I wasn’t getting anything done.
Now, I’m trying to get back on schedule, and boy is it difficult. I guess it’s because of my age I can’t begin to pull everything back together again as quickly as I need.
I remember recently asking wife Martha, “What day is it today?”
Looking at me with one of her grimaces, she said, “What day would you like it to be?” Then she laughed and walked away.
I spent one whole day going through journals to figure out what I was doing each day. I carefully made notes and began understanding what I was doing Monday through Friday.
I got up one morning and walked out to the kitchen where Martha was making breakfast. She looked at me and said, “So, what day is it for you?”
Looking at her I said, “Today is National Apple Fritter Day.”
She brought my breakfast and a cup of coffee, but before walking away, she said, “Today is Wednesday, and it’s the day you do your radio work. And it doesn’t include fritters.”
Aha. That will solve my problem for today. I’ll spend the morning doing my radio programs for the week. I was kind of happy to hear that.
Often, I think about what it would be like to multitask and juggle multiple tasks at the same time. I wonder how much I could get done if I could do that.
My Tok needs to Tik on time everyday. Getting back to my regular schedule is a very relaxing thing for me.
I thought of a verse of scripture along this line.
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
— Ephesians 5: 15-16
Although the days are evil, each day I need to walk exactly in a way that honors God.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
