the list goes on...

I’m a sucker for lists. Scattered across my desk are about six legal pads, each with its own list or two or three scribbled across the top pages. Some are nonsense. Some are the never-ending “to-dos” for today, this week or whenever. I even make little boxes in front of each item so I can check it off when it’s completed.

I have house projects, weekly errands, business-related items, gifts to send, emails to write, books I’d like to read, topical Bible studies I’d like to explore. It’s really a hodge-podge of the stuff of my rather busy life.

Sounds terribly anal and it probably is. But, it keeps me sane. I have a good memory, so I don’t tend to forget things, but the lists help because I can visualize everything together and then prioritize what I really should do first. It rarely gets done in that order, but I like to think I’m organized enough to know what I should be doing.

Occasionally I’ll add to my lists “Read a book” or “Garage sales on Thursday” or “Paint something” just to see something fun to do instead of chores, although strangely enough, I sometimes enjoy cleaning the house and organizing closets. (Even stranger, painting and picking out paint colors are a diversion for me not a chore, but that’s another story).

Even in my journal, I will occasionally start off on a tangent, listing things I’d like to do before I die, things I hope to accomplish this year, my prayer list keeps growing and growing, and I’m very fond of making a list of things I enjoy, like new socks, clean sheets, new baby smell, the smell of rain, a good baseball cap, clever business names, etc., etc.

It recently struck me that lists aren’t all that crazy of a concept. They’ve been around since, well, Biblical times.

The Ten Commandments? A list of rules. The fruits of the Spirit? A list of desirable qualities. All those begats are really just a list of relatives. And the Beautitudes are another list– those who are blessed in the eyes of the Lord.

Maybe I’m not so crazy after all, compartmentalizing my life into manageable pieces. It’s more do-able when you can see progress by checking off a box.

I think life goes better when we can see a little accomplishment, instead of a million things to do. This way I can focus on what’s been done, doing more and not worry about what has to get done. Then, the little details don’t take over what’s really important like spending time with my children, the Lord and my family.

Making a list and checking it twice might be a matter of baby steps, but that’s probably how I do things best anyway. One step at a time. One box checked off at a time. One day at a time. One list at a time.

Check, check.


Editor’s Note: Anita Hansen wrote the following poem in response to the column above. (Keep in mind she wrote it in a style similar to that of Dr. Seuss). It makes me chuckle.

Kara's Lists
She made the lists, the lists she made
She like to make the lists
She checked the lists, the lists she checked
Because she liked to list.

She looked them over, back and forth
Back and forth she looked
She looked and looked until she found
Nothing missing when she looked.

Order was her life,
Everything in order
She did not fuss, could not fuss,
When it was in order.

So the story goes and goes,
Kara likes her lists
It's a gift God's given her
To list and list and list.
–Anita Hansen
06-01-02