What Did You Do Today?

That simple question will be asked countless times today around the globe. Sometimes it will be parents asking their children—sometimes it will be a spouse asking a spouse. It is a simple question, but all too many times we don’t like to have to answer it! It is like taking a test that we didn’t prepare for. I don’t know, what did I do? Our days get so busy that sometimes I really think that we can’t answer that question. We move from one task to another without ever really registering that we have done so. I know that it is true with me. I used to not be able to tell you what I did the previous day (but I knew whatever it was, it was important!) Since I started pasturing in Stillwater, I have taken the time at the end of the day (or the beginning of the next day) to write down what I did. This has been an important practice for me. It keeps me aware of what I accomplished as well as what I didn’t do. There are weeks where I hardly had time to get out and visit people (not a good thing, but it happens none the less.) There are other weeks that it seems that I did nothing other than visit!

It is important for us to see what we are (and aren’t doing) because it is a reflection of our priorities. For me, that means juggling sermon and Bible study preparation around visiting members, visitors, and the sick. It means making sure that I am also taking adequate time to refresh myself physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

I was never one to keep a journal and “write my thoughts” each day; that is why I began keeping track of my day to day activities. It was simply a way of making sure I was using my time wisely. While this was very helpful in tracking the stewardship of my time, it didn’t really help me remember what I was thinking or dealing with each day as a pastor. That is why I started this blog. For me, it is a chronicle of what I am thinking, doing, and seeking to become.

Well, that is it for me, except to ask, “What did you do today?”