Keeping Track

So much of life is keeping track of things.

I just added up my checkbook - keeping track of my balance.  I enter the receipts from various purchases and subtract to see what is left. 

As I work in my checkbook, I try to keep track of upcoming bills.  What needs to be paid next?  Do I have or will I have money to cover these expenses?

It is Wednesday morning.  I need to keep track of the week.  Counting today I have four days til Sunday.  I need to keep track of my work.  How is my morning worship sermon progressing?  What about my evening worship study?  What about the Sunday School class I will be covering?  Am I on my way to being ready?

I need to keep track of my work.  Tonight we have Prayer Meeting and I have the Teen Group.  I need to plan to have everything in readiness - lessons, refreshments, materials, technology - for them tonight.  Tomorrow is also the deadline for getting my draft of the bulletin out to Dottie and Dean.  I need to start that today.

What about my church members?  I need to keep track of them.  One is having a surgery tomorrow.  I will need to call him tonight and plan to see him at the hospital tomorrow.  That changes the flow of my work.  Today is the monthly adult meeting - the "Keenagers" - I plan to attend, but how long should I stay so I can get everything done?  Others I need to call.  Some I need to text.

What about my family?  My folks are on their way back to Florida for the Winter.  My wife is at work.  My son is working on finishing his CDL.  My daughter and her family are in Indiana.  I need to keep track of them, pray for them and see what I should do to support, encourage or help them.

There are various chores and projects that I need to keep track of.  The dog needs a bath and trim.  There is yard work to complete before winter.  There are meals to plan, groceries to buy, technology to install, cleaning to do.  These are shared responsibilities, but I need to keep track of them.

Above all, I need to keep track of myself.  Am I on track?  Am I staying close to Christ?  Am I in His word?  Am I taking enough time for prayer?  Am I sensitive to my faults and repentant for my sins?  Am I bold to witness for Christ?  Am I true to His will?

It is easy to lose track of things.  We lose track of the time.  We lose track of projects.  We lose track of people.  Paper piles up - some of it is important and most of it is trash - but I lose track of important things in the pile.

It is not enough to just live from moment to moment - we must be careful to keep track of what is truly important.