Back in *squints* was it really January? A WHOLE STINKIN' YEAR AGO? O.o Wow, does the time fly. Anyway, last year I made my first writer-blogger-bookish diagnosis. Recently I've been studying myself (don't worry, I have not yet extended my critical examinations to other humans.) and realized it might just be time for another diagnosis.

This weeks installment of Hannah's Definitely Professional Opinions?

Laziness.

I think laziness is a more difficult problem to spot. Why is that? Well, often times, we like our laziness. I have an hammock (given to me by my big brother who totally spoils me) and I love to hang it up in on definitely on the trees at a very safe distance from the ground don't worry. But when I climb into that nice, cocoon of warmth, I get sleepy. I lean back and cross my ankles and smile and gaze at the lovely world around me.

It's cozy. It's nice. It's relaxing.

But, ehem. I don't usually get much done. I might take out my science book or laptop, but somehow studying the viscosity of blood and the properties of hemoglobin just don't compete with sitting back and enjoying nature.

Yes, we need to sit back and enjoy nature every now and then. But not for three hours every day, at the expense of work we really need to be doing.

This line is so hard to walk. We need rest, but we can't let rest consume us. And we can't ignore responsibilities for the sake of recharging.

So where is the line? How do you do everything that you need to do, while still getting a healthy amount of rest? 

First suggestion? Make a list. So long as you keep all your to-do's floating around your mind, they will likely stay there. It's really hard to get All the Things done when you don't have a clear vision of what those things are. It makes laziness quite easy because we don't really know what we're supposed to be doing anyway, so why do anything at all? Might as well kick back and watch Netflix. 

Another suggestion would be to time yourself. Sometimes, we really do have an unfair amount of tasks at hand. It's just not possible to do them all in a day or a weekend. So keep track of how long you've been working so that you can allow yourself a break and not feel guilty about it. 

And my last thought would be to commit. Don't just make a list. Don't just watch the time. Say, "today, I am going to do this." And then do it. Tell someone else, and let them hold you accountable. If you want to reach a word count or finish a chapter, word wars are awesome. You can tell your buddies your goal, and they will fight you to it, and they won't let you go until it's done. 

Laziness is often a result of lack of preparation and thought. When we don't get a game plan or think things through, it's easy to just let it fall from our minds. Let's be more intentional. Let's be more determined. Let's put our chins up and chug down the copious amounts of coffee and get our game faces on. 

Make time for rest, but make time for responsibilities too. 

//

I hope you are all doing well! I've been struggling with laziness a lot this month. I've also found that laziness can be a self-defensive mechanism of sorts. A way of hiding from our fears and expectations. I'll delve more into that aspect of laziness next week. 

Do you struggle with laziness? Do you tend to let things fall to the wayside? What reasons do you find yourself doing this for? 

<3 

I don't know about you

but I always imagined in the back of my mind

that the Garden of Gethsemane

was where the choice was made.

that in that moment

he decided to do it

to sacrifice himself

to die

to separate from His Father

and suffer a brutal

agonizing death

apart from God.

did Jesus have faith?

I think He must have had to

because in those moments

He was human

and humans fear.

so with fear in His veins

but God in his heart,

He stepped forward and let Judas kiss His cheek

let the soldiers drag Him away.

but you see, it wasn't over yet.

yes, there's more to the story

but that's not what I mean.

Jesus may have made a choice in that garden

or long, long before

(He came down to earth, did He not?)

but the moment the guards snapped the chains on His wrists

was not the moment of no return.

because Jesus was able to turn back

He was able to step away.

if He wanted to

He could have called down a legion of angels

thousands upon thousands of heavenly warriors

swords raised

light beaming from their faces

in defense of the Son of God

their Brother and King.

He could have looked down

and healed every wound on His body.

with a blink

He could have sent the whip

tearing His back apart

into a thousand flecks of dust.

He could have forced His will upon the screaming mass

and had them cry for Him to be released instead.

He could have asked the guards politely

to lower their weapons

and walk away

and they would have done it.

every single moment

every single breath

every heartbeat that passed

between those chains snapping around His wrists

and the final breath whooshing from His lungs

was a choice.

in any of those moments He could have cried,

"Father!"

and ended it then and there.

no more pain

but freedom

no more sin

but His Father's loving embrace.

but He didn't do it

because the only way He could truly finish it

was to do His Father's will.

so he let them snap the chains on His wrists

when He could have broken them like a twig.

He let the guards push and shove Him

and drag Him into the court

when He could have blinked and had angels at their throats.

He could have said over the screaming mob,

"bow before Me, the King of the earth!"

and every knee would have hit the pavement

if He so desired.

he could have called down God Himself

to lift Him down from the cross.

but He didn't.

instead He stood quietly

and humbly.

the courage He must have had

floors me

for Him to let them drag Him away

to beat Him

and spit on Him

and tear His back to shreds

(how did he hold out

and stay strong through every single lash?)

take a hammer and nail

and drive the stake into his wrists

(how many times did the hammer hit the nail?

how many shaky breaths did He take

to stay brave and let them do it?)

with every lash 

and every beat of the hammer

and every ragged breath 

as he lifted himself up by the spikes in his wrists

to draw in another painful breath

every single breath He had to choose to take

and not to call it all off.

He let them do it. 

He let them do it all.

because He loves us more

than His own life.

how can we love Him

any less?

we often ask ourselves

"would I die for Jesus?"

He died for us, after all.

but the harder question, I think

and the one I ask you now

is "will you live for Him?"

///

Sorry about my absence last week! And I come back now with an unusual post, but this is something I've been thinking about the last few weeks during the Lord's Supper. Jesus had so much courage, and I had never really thought about the fact that He had to keep choosing us. Because at any moment, He could have called it all off. Ended the agony, the suffering, the horror of the cross. But He didn't, and that is something so incredible, I will never be able to comprehend it. Our God is amazing.

How have you guys been? How has the new year started off for you? What do you think about during the Lord's Supper?

<3