"On Priorities"

The floor has needed vacuuming for days and days now. Plus, the furniture begs to be dusted. I would like to say I am one who cleans religiously on a weekly basis. I'm not. I never have been and, at this point in my life (a seventy-something), never will be. My impulsive nature is to deal with it when the urge hits. I guess you could say a regular schedule of cleaning isn't a high priority.

My days begin early. I'm usually up by 5 or 5:30. It's a habit begun many years ago when I had four children at home. The very early morning was the one time of the day I could call my own. After the children left home, that practice continued. A cup of green tea, spending time at the piano, working on Christmas ornaments for the family, time spent on the phone with friends--There's nothing like the crack of dawn to accomplish these. If I were to categorize this time in my daily life, it would certainly be placed at the top of the list as a priority.

A priority is like a yardstick which measures the level of importance something holds in a person's life. The mark may be high, low, or somewhere in between. Each of us has our own most important priorities which factor into, and even control or motivate our lives. 

For some, that criterion of high priority is met in education, financial worth, a circle of friends and business contacts. It may also include political or environmental causes, church, health and fitness, hobbies, or sports interests.The range is as broad and varied, as one-of-a-kind as we are as humans.  

When one's priorities are revealed, it is like peering through a window deep into that person's being. An undeniable statement is made without words, explanation, or definition. A person's priorities are a true representation of what they deem to be of value. We invest our time, our money, and ourselves in that which is most important to us; if it doesn't matter to us, we don't.  

The true worth of a priority, however, is when it is measured against God, life, and eternity.  Will it matter in the end? Is it eternal?

Personally, my life springs from two base priorities: God and family.  He is the author and source of my life; my family comes second only after Him. 

The urge to vacuum hit. I am hoping I will have that same kind of impulse to mow my lawn.  Apparently the care and upkeep of my yard isn't a priority either. A friend asked recently what I would do if I was retired.  My response was I would probably have a cleaner house and a yard I enjoy. I can hope, but time will tell. They may not be that much of a priority after all.


"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:21