Two things happened recently that have me simultaneously dancing with joy and worrying about my compulsive tendencies.
The first thing was the completion of some really cool planning charts for my latest book projects. There’s a chart for each of the six sections of the books. Each chart is neatly divided into five boxes, for the four chapters in each section and the corresponding appendix. The charts have neat, centered titles, summaries of each chapter and bold-faced headings followed by blank spaces where I will jot down important information and ideas. Of course, from past experience, I know how unlikely it is that I will remember to use the charts throughout the project. But for now, the completion of the charts makes me feel industrious, and their existence make me very happy.
The second thing makes the charts seem like child’s play. A school teacher friend of mine has agreed to coordinate reception preparations for our daughter’s wedding. This is a woman after my own heart. She loves to make plans and check off lists and label tubs as much as I do. She will not laugh when I give her a ten page, reception instruction list, complete with a perfectly centered title and lovely little check off boxes. She will be as thrilled as I am.
It could be because:
- We bonded 22 years ago, when we huddled together in the corner of my classroom each noon hour, pumping breast milk for our babies who were born just a week apart.
- God knew I would need peace of mind during my daughter’s wedding weekend and provided someone able to give me such a gift.
- Compulsive people naturally come together and arrange themselves into neat rows and columns.
I can’t choose A because it explains our friendship but not our innate personality traits. I can’t choose C because I’m in denial about being compulsive, and I hope she is, too, at least until after the wedding. We can face our demons later, I always say.
So that only leaves B, which is the best, most comforting answer. I’m not compulsive, but my God is a God of order, not chaos.
Me and my friend, we’re just trying to be more like him.
