Grace in Daily Life,  Singleness & Marriage

(Very!) Wise Counsel in Just Four Words

In the dark, quiet hours of the early morning, my mind was already whirling away as I considered everything on my plate for the day.

I was so happy when Fred was finally awake and we could talk and pray together.

He began to move into his day and I was still a little paralyzed by the size of the task before me. So I asked him a simple question and man! Did he bless me by a wise response. This was our exchange:

Me: “Fred? Do you really think I can do this?”

Fred: “Can you do what?”

Me: “Everything on my to-do list.”

Fred: “Not all at once.”

 And that was all I needed to hear to just do one thing, with peace and joy and hope.

There was no way I could do everything all at once–and isn’t that the very reason I was lying there, paralyzed? Together, it was overwhelming. The thought of tackling it all was impossible. But I could do something. One thing. The next thing. And maybe I could even do everything I needed to do … just not all at once.

As I have been reflecting throughout the morning on Fred’s counsel to me in those four simple words, I can’t help but think about all of the Bible passages that exhort us to keep wise company, have friends who are good influences on us, not spend lots of time with or listen to fools, etc. It seems to me that such advice, as good as it is, is often framed in the  negative: avoid these things; flee these things; bad company corrupts good characters, etc. But I am convicted this morning that I need to be meditating on the positive implications of these exhortations as well … because just four words, when they are wise and fitly spoken, really are like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11).

Thanks, Fred!

And thank You, Lord, for the astounding gift of a godly husband. Second only to salvation, my marriage to Fred is the most tangible evidence of Your care for me and Your grace towards me. 

4 Comments

  • Nancy

    Amen! We had similar mornings of thoughts of the overwhelming tasks at hand. All these tasks, though, are really due to the richness of our lives, full of people and responsibilities and things that need us! To have no tasks would mean we were alone and useless, how we’d hate that! This morning my rebuke came from Deut. 28:47 where God’s warning the Israelites of the curses that will come on them if they don’t obey Him, and right in the middle of the chapter full of curses we see that it’s the attitude of our hearts He cares about, for His curses will come “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things:……” This very abundance should bring us joy and gladness & how quick I am to respond with fretfulness and ungratefulness. So thankful for the Word, and for godly friends and husbands to speak Truth.

  • martha brady

    tara, over the years, i have heard similar responses from my husband too:) he doesn’t even think he is passing on expecially wise words. it just seems obvious to him. but at the time, i am so oblivious to it all! i agree with you…the husbands we have are truly a blessing!

  • Annette Friesen

    Wow, this is wonderful Tara, Not just the great counsel, but totally the way you processed it! It is now a piece of my devotions I will be offering today.

    Blessings on the to-do list!!