In the Way

I purchased an ottoman over a year ago for Stella to stand upon and look out of the window in the home office. For whatever reason, she chose to ignore my invention and instead hop upon the couch to do her best barking to anyone who dares to circle the cul-de-sac. Soon, I moved the ottoman behind the desk so that she could look out of the other window instead. There was no couch adjacent. Instead, she chose to continue to engage her preferred methodology. The ottoman did however get in the way and obstruct my movement as it was positioned behind the office chair. Countless times I would back into it. I would hit it as I swiveled in the chair. And finally, because I’m super clumsy, somehow as I attempted to locate a book on the shelf behind me, I tripped over it. A few days ago, I just stared at it in exhaustion and then I thought to myself, why are you attempting to make it into something it’s not? As I furthered pondered, I had to admit that it was useless and not used for the purpose originally intended. So, I moved it from the office to the trash can. I slightly hesitated, thinking I could donate it; however, it was never properly stuffed and would likely be a nuisance to someone else’s space. Instead, I chose to discard it. It felt good. The space behind my desk is no longer a barrier. And, of course it got me to thinking, what are the things in my sphere of control or influence that I needn’t bother the Master about?

God certainly doesn’t require my assistance, but He’s given me the ability to navigate a few tasks simply because I’ve chosen to follow Him. So, as we begin this new year, what might we assume authority to address? Sure, I could have placed the blame on Stella. I purchased the ottoman to assist with her viewing pleasure, but she never asked. Sometimes our assumptions lead to our disappointment. We cause ourselves unnecessary roughness, burdening ourselves with assertions that were never requested of us. We walk around pouting like someone stole our bike. Psalm 42:11 reads, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” The scripture goes on and commands to hope in God. Too often we place our hope in people, places and things. In this instance, I hoped that purchasing the ottoman would serve as a “babysitter of sorts” providing a distraction while I continued to work, when instead, I can use Stella’s “pop-ups” as a reminder to get up from the desk, take a stretch break and a breather because working remotely while having a lot of perks can also be quite sedimentary. We must be intentional to admit when we’ve mistakenly created an error while being surprised at the outcome, as though we didn’t play a role in the construction. In this new year, may you remove anything that impairs your ability to walk in purpose – even if it means taking a deep dive at yourself as the potential culprit.