Mind-Set

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village Voice

“Mind-set”

            When something is set, we think of it as unchanging, immovable.  We plant bushes in the ground, they grow roots, and they are set.  Other things are set, such as set in motion.  We set plans into action and believe we don’t have to change them.  Oh, but don’t think too quickly.

            I realize not everyone has experience in the military, but I must use an analogy here.  During the Cold War, the Soviet Union feared going to war with the United States.  The driving factor for this fear is the adaptability of the US forces.  In the US Army, every man knows the mission.  Every soldier knows the job of the one appointed over them and the jobs of those under them.  They are adaptable and can change in a moment’s notice.  If a leader is removed from the battlefield, there is always someone who will step up and immediately fill the shoes of that leader and the mission continues.  Not so with the old Soviet-style leadership.  Only the leaders are briefed on the mission and only they can command.  If a leader is taken out, the soldiers left cannot make decisions, nor are they allowed to!

            One other “set” analogy is concrete.  It is fascinating to know how concrete “sets up.”  The term for this process is known as curing.  It is a chemical process which actually produces heat.  This is why in the summertime you will see concrete crews covering the newly-poured concrete with plastic and spraying water on the plastic, so as to slow down the curing and prevent cracks from occurring.

            Many years ago, while on a trip we visited the Hoover Dam.  The design and building process of the dam is ingenious, accomplishing something many said was impossible.  One of the things the guide said was, even though much of the concrete was poured between 1931 and 1934, in the thickest parts of the dam, the concrete is still curing!  It’s not pliable as one might think.  The concrete has not reached its maximum “set,” even to this date.

            When we rise in the morning, what is our mindset.  Do we dread the day?  Are there undone tasks from the day before still hanging over your head.  One technique to time management is to make a list of tasks at the end of the previous day.  This way you can already be organized with a plan of action.  Prioritize the tasks, then check them off as they are accomplished.

            On your to-do list, do you have prayer and scripture?  If we fail to plan, then we plan to fail, as the saying goes.  But what happens if the day changes and our plans are also changed.  Our ability to adapt to the changes of the day relies on our ability, or maybe our desire to change with the day.  Somedays I believe God laughs when we make plans, knowing He has something better in store for us, if we only trust in Him.

            If or when you make a “to-do” list, put scripture reading and prayer at the top, then don’t check it off.  You will have a prayerful mind all day and your mind will be set on God and ready to receive the blessings He has for you.  Today, still be in the “curing” process for God!