Putting carts before horses

My day consists of this:
I get up when most people do. Get ready. Sometimes I go get a waking little boy or two. I kiss and hug their mother. She makes me coffee most of the time so I kiss her again. If the boys aren't awake I ask Sheila if I can go wake them to tell them bye. She treatens to take my coffee away.

I go to work. I'm blessed to have a good job with good people. But I do what I do so I can pay our bills. If I find sunken treasure, I'd probably let someone take my spot. I try to work hard so I can continue to provide. I got home at 7 today.

When I get off work, I call home to see if there's anything I need to pick up for dinner. A lot of the time when I drive in the drive way, both boys are waiting at the front door and run and crawl to the truck. From that shreiking moment until about 9pm - it's busy. Backyard baseball, monster truck rallies, and races around the coffee table. We eat. We clean up after the food bomb named Josiah.

Baths.
Put Joe to bed. He's easy. Actually he reaches for his bed. Throw him in while I pray for him. He's gone.

Then maybe a "Man Show" with Eli.
After I pray and cover and drop a couple of elbows on Eli in his bed, I go say Hello to my wonderful bride.

There's about an hour or two left before we go to bed. Sometimes that's filled with bills or sermons or studying, etc.

I love my life.

But I imagine if you took me back 15 years ago and I didn't know Shiela or Eli or Josiah: If you told me I had to get up early to go to work, couldn't fish whenever I felt like it, couldn't spend all my money on hunting... If you told me I had to change diapers and clean up food bombs.

It would sound like prison.

But I feel in love with Sheila first. And it started what I now see as a semi-charmed life.

That's why I think we should preach the goodness of God. Without a heavy love for the King, the kingdom looks like a prison to those looking in... It's foolishness to those perishing.

At times I've been a fool. Carts come after the horse. So preach the cross. The cart will always follow - they're tied to horse and useless without him.