Friday Fiction: Pokey Pokena

Her real name was Pokena but everyone called her Pokey.  Not only was Pokey a shortened version of her real name but it also described her personality.  Pokena was a slow-poke about everything and the ultimate procrastinator.  The sad thing was Pokey had lots of dreams and ideas - things she wanted to accomplish but never got around to starting or finishing any of them.  She was an ambitious, motivated person trapped inside a procrastinator’s body. 

One night as Pokey slept she had a dream.  In this dream she was given a grand piano by an accomplished pianist. 

“Wow!” She exclaimed.  “Thanks, I’ve always wanted a grand piano.  Now I can write songs for the world to hear.”  She had dreamt of someday writing and playing beautiful music.  She practiced on the new piano for awhile but quickly got overwhelmed by the enormity of writing for the world.  She decided to think about making a better, more detailed plan.  In the meantime she stopped playing the piano and got sidetracked with other desires. 

Some time later an artist came by and gave Pokey an art set.  It was complete with paints and canvases.  She had everything she needed to create a work of art.  This, too, had been a dream of hers - to tell the world a story with a picture.  Now she had the tools.  She could begin.  But first she needed to come up with a story to illustrate.  Pokey decided to hold off painting until she had just the right story to tell.

Then one day the doorbell rang.  It was the pianist.  “I’ve come to take the piano.”

“Why?” asked the shocked Pokena.

“Because you aren’t using it.  This is a very special instrument and it needs to be played.  The world needs music.  I will take the piano to someone else who will use it.”

“But I am going to use it.  I will make music.” She pleaded.

“When?”

“Soon.”

“It’s too late, Pokena.  Time is of the essence.  The world is an orchestra waiting to play a symphony.  It can no longer wait on you.”

“But I can’t write a whole symphony? I don’t know how to put it all together.” 

“You were never meant to write the symphony, dear.  That was your plan, not God’s.  You only needed to play your own part.”

 And with that the piano was gone.  As Pokey watched in dismay as the pianist left she noticed the artist coming up the sidewalk.  Dread filled her.

“I’ve come to take the art supplies.” He said.

“No! You can’t!  I haven’t completed my painting yet.” She cried.

“Have you started it? He asked.

“No, but I’m working on it. Really, I am.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to take the supplies away.”

“Why?” She asked already knowing the answer.

“You failed to use the gifts that were given to you.  I will take them to someone who will.  The world is a gallery housing many works of art.  The picture of your life should be on display only you haven’t created it yet. The world is waiting on a picture.”

“But I will paint for the world.  Just give me a little more time.”  She pleaded.

“You’ve already had time – time that was spent thinking about doing but not time actually doing.”

And with that, the artist, too, was gone – along with all the art supplies.

When Pokey awoke from the dream she was distraught.  Although, in reality, she did not play the piano nor did her art skills consist of anything more than stick figures.  She knew in her heart there was a message in the dream meant for her.  She examined her life and her patterns of procrastination and realized she wasn’t only putting off accomplishing many great things but she was also putting off “living”.  Pokey discovered accomplishing goals was, for her, always one day away.  The joy she could have in actually achieving her goals would never be felt unless she took action today.  Armed with this new knowledge, Pokena (as she now preferred to be called) adopted a new motto for her life: “Start Now!”  It was a simple motto but said so much.  Pokena realized if she didn’t “Start Now”, she’d never finish tomorrow.  The world would go on living without her contribution.  But that was about to change “starting now”.

Fill 'er Up!

Okay - so you know when life and it's demands are getting the best of you?  Your energy level gets zapped pretty fast, doesn't it?  I was looking at a fellow blogger's website the other day and she mentioned that we need to start our day by getting fueled (and I don't really think she had Cheerios in mind.)
I thought about this and knew immediately that I needed to get back into reading my Bible.  It is the ultimate fuel giver.  I just don't know why I ever put that book down.  Every time I do - I get emptied.

Recently our minister told us how he reads his Bible.  He picks five chapters each day (one from Psalm, one from Proverbs, one from the Gospels, etc).  He reads them with pen and paper in hand.  He makes a conscious effort to pull something out of what he reads.  This sounded good to me so I made a plan. As painful as it was - I knew I needed to get up earlier in the morning before everyone else. Only then can I feel like it's just me and God having a conversation.  I started my new journey with my minister's plan in mind.  I picked up my Bible and was off to get fuelled.

Low and behold - there was fuel at that station!  This is what I found in my first chapter (Psalm 1): 

Blessed is the man...

his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by steams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Reading this, I felt like God was reaffirming to me that I do need to meditate on His word.  And in doing so, my thirst will be quenched. I will not be hungry. I will, in turn, be productive and bear fruit.  I will not wither.  I will prosper. 

I LOVE that God spoke to me with this affirmation.  But wait...there's more.  I randomly selected the book of Joshua (Maybe it wasn't so random.  I was trying to get past the really hard-to-read books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.)  So I turned to Joshua 1 and it says the same thing.

Do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth;

meditate on it day and night,

so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful.

That's twice in one morning.  I get the message.  I will start and end my day meditating on the word of God.  I've only just begun my new "recommitment" to reading my Bible daily.  Although I am weak, I pray that God will give me strength to keep going.  My hope is that the fuel I get is like the adrenaline rush that runners feel.  The more they run the more the want to run.  I hope the more I read - the more I'll need and crave it.

I'm not Super!

Every so often I get a tad bit overwhelmed with all the things I want and need to do (Okay - that's really an understatement).  I simply cannot do it all. At least not all at the same time.  The sad part is - I'm the one asking me to do most of it.  I have a list of projects that, in my opinion, are very good ideas.  I'm positive there accomplishment would benefit me, my family and society as a whole (so - no pressure there). 

But it seems once again I've discovered that I'm not a superhero.  And, frankly, I'm a little put out by this.  Why can't I be a superhero?  Is that so much to ask?  I look at other people (I know, I'm not suppose to do that.) and by all appearances it looks like they get a lot done.  No, not just "a lot"! They get it "all" done.  I see "Supers" everywhere.  Super Christians, Super Moms, Super Wives, Super Entrepreneurs, Super ___.  You fill in the blank.  I see them.  But are they really "super"?  Or am I seeing things wrong?  Am I seeing them through distorted lenses?  Do I need better glasses? (Some with x-ray vision would be nice.)

I've been a little overwhelmed lately with feeling inadequate.  I kind of hate to put that in print but it's the truth.  Last weekend my Mom, sister-in-law and I went to the Women of Faith conference (which I thoroughly enjoyed and needed).  I got so many "take-aways" I had to come home and do a brain dump (meaning I had to empty my thoughts down on paper so I wouldn't forget any of the gems I learned). 

One of the participants at the conference was Amy Grant.  Ironically - one of the things I got from her isn't something she said but, rather, something I remembered.  Years ago, Amy had a song called "All I Ever Have To Be".  Seeing her and being in my current inadequate mindset, God jogged my memory to remind me of what I needed to hear.  I've pulled out some of her lyrics below. 

When the weight of all my dreams

is resting heavy on my head.

...I'm still hurting wondering if

I'll ever be the one I think I am.

The more I try to be the best,

the more I give the worst.

All I ever have to be is what you've made me.

Any more or less would be a step out of your plan.

As you daily recreate me help me always keep in mind

that I only have to do what I can find.

All I ever have to be is what you've made me.

(Amy Grant - All I Ever Have To Be)

I realized that I'm the one adding stuff to my plate.  Very little of what's on there is something God asked me to do.  I just took it upon myself to fill my plate with "godly" tasks while the "God-given" tasks were being somewhat neglected.  

I'll be honest - I still want to do it all and I still want to be a superhero.  But the irony is - I'm learning that God already thinks I am "super".  I just have to get to the point where I accept that "super" is not defined by what I accomplish but, rather, in who I am as a person - who I am as a uniquely created child of God.  And there it is again - All I ever have to be is what He made me.