Rebekah

Tomorrow is a new day. The very moment I open my eyes, I have a choice. I can either choose to align my heart with God's and bring life, reconciliation, joy, understanding and love to the people and the world around me, or I can choose the path of me. What does the path of me look like? Sooooo glad you asked! I took that path today, so I can intimately describe it.

Path of me:

Wake up. Grumble incoherently. Snooze a bunch, nudge my Bible under my bed with the arm carelessly slung over the side of my bed as I steal another 20 minutes of sleep from God, my job, and myself.
Hurriedly get ready, run out of the door -- try not to trip on the stairs in my heels. Jump in my messy car and drive about 15 miles over the speed limit on surface streets in order to get on the freeway and join the rest of Bay Area traffic. Impatiently tap my fingers on the steering wheel for the next half hour and sigh a lot. Depending on other drivers, perhaps yell "moron" at another driver or two.
Get to work. Slow down just enough to hug my coffee cup with both hands and jumpstart my system with Peet's House Blend coffee. Smile for the first time all day. Smile quickly vanishes as I read my emails, run reports, talk to clients, and forget all about the people all around me.
About 2 hours into my day, I feel vaguely irritable and can't figure out why. I say the first thing that comes to mind to my coworker. Usually it is snarky comment, sharp like a barb. Feel a little guilty. Pray for the first time -- interrupted about 5 seconds in with a phone call.
Fast forward 2 hours to lunch. Run out and grab something to eat, read a book for school or mill about San Ramon doing a bunch of nothing. Feel a sense of discomfort and disquiet.
Get back to work and insert foot in mouth with coworkers. Coworker(s) say something back that gets me angry. Stew for an hour or so.
Time to go home. Throw everything on my desk into the cabinet, lock everything and run to my car, try not to twist my ankle on the cement. Enter the chaos which is Bay Area traffic.
Get home. Waste entirely too much time on Facebook, look at apartments and jobs on Craigslist, plan vacations, etc. 2 hours go by. I finally pick up my school books to begin reading or take a test.
Stumble around the house, trip on my clothes and belongings that are all over the floor. Yawn and look at the clock. Freak out, need to go to bed! Hurriedly get ready and jump in bed.
As head hits the pillow, a still small voice asks, "do you want to talk?" And then I remember Him. Some nights I do. Some nights I reach over and turn off the lamp and shut my eyes hoping I can wake up early enough in the morning to say good morning to Him.

On days like this I think about Rebekah in the Bible. She had no idea what was going to happen to her the day that Abraham's servant came to her town of Nahor. Toward evening, it was the custom of the women of the town to draw water from the well just outside of the town. On this one day, she goes with the other women as usual. Other than noting the fact that she was beautiful and a virgin, the Bible does not note that she did anything remarkable as she approached the well to draw water to bring back for her family. The servant, who interestingly enough is not given a name, has been praying to the God of heaven to show him the woman he should bring back for Isaac to marry. He does not pray for himself, but instead prays that God would show kindness to Abraham by providing the wife for Abraham's son, Isaac. He asks specifically that the woman he asks to have a drink from would not only offer him to drink, but also water his 10 (TEN extremely THIRSTY travel weary) camels. This is not only kindness, this over above, turn the other cheek, hand your cloak off your back kindness.

Rebekah of course is the woman that fits the prayer list. What is remarkable about this? She was going about her business and following her usual customs. When the moment came for promise and destiny to meet real time, she did not falter. She was not even aware that spiritual balance was tipping in her favor -- that she was about to set in motion something that would effect all of eternity. Ready in season and out of season, she poured from the abundance of her heart and with the strength of her arms. Likely she had no thought for recompense or reward...

Every day I have the servants of Abraham come across my path -- praying for God's provision, God's hand and His heart here on earth. Oh Lord, that I would be like Rebekah! Give me a heart that seeks You and hands that willingly and skillfully serve others!