Islands

I am an island, a compulsive organizer in a sea of procrastinators. Neither extreme is very fun to live with- both in one household is a nuclear stand off.

You can always recognize fellow organizers. They arrive early to all events, and hold their hats on tightly to prevent the steam from shooting it off their heads as they await the procrastinators. The procrastinators are happy to be alive, as they saunter in 20 minutes late. The organizers are sometimes wondering why God allows the procrastinators to live.

The organizers tend to like rules and follow them. The procrastinators like rules at times, but have to break them since their procrastination has led them to a corner they can't get out of unless they smash the walls.

The organizers have sticky notes, with little boxes and many are checked off, usually in order. The sticky notes cover many surfaces of an otherwise neat home. The procrastinators may have sticky notes, but they can't find them under the 5 feet of papers and unopened mail they will read "tomorrow."

The procrastinators want to put their feet up, sip a nice tall glass of lemonade and enjoy the smell of dinner cooking that it is likely an organizer is making or the family doesn't eat til midnight. The organizer whisks the lemonade glass off to the dishwasher the moment it clanks down on the table, when there is still half a glass left.

Sometimes the organizer and the procrastinator cannot stand each other. They certainly don't understand each other. Each thinks God made a horrible error in creating the other. But as usual, God has the last laugh. It is no accident I am an island, an organizer in a sea of procrastinators. I am increasingly convinced that despite my attempts otherwise, I was not put here solely to reform all of them, a task which I seem to never be able to perform despite my best efforts. Sometimes, with increasing regularity, I am getting the urge to procrastinate, or at least pack only 2, not 3 weeks early.

I suspect the world needs both types, though between you and me, I think it would be better with just one.... I will leave it up to you to figure out which one. But ultimately, islands, while beautiful and distinct and unique.... are lonely. Waving to distant shores while writing sticky notes gets old. I think maybe it is best to try to be a peninsula, not losing all the qualities that makes one stand alone, but not losing the connection to the rest of the world. I will write myself a note to start that peninsula this afternoon.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.