Tic, Tac, Toe....

Three in a row.

Order is important. In childhood games, order matters - who goes first creates inevitable conflict. Or, tic, tac, toe cannot be won without a specific order - 3 in a row. The order of your meals must matter, as we refer to the first as breakfast, the second as lunch and the third as supper. And, even the order you get ready in the morning counts - you can't put on your underwear after your pants - can you?!?! Yes, order matters. It permeates our being. It helps us keep the peace and remain somewhat sane throughout the day.

I cannot help but think some of us are overly involved in order and others of us need a little more order in our lives. I am a firm believer that order helps establish patterns, ground rules, and helps one accomplish more faster.

Upon examining our Savior's life, I am even more convinced that order is important. When feeding the 5000, Jesus illustrated his orderliness - his ability to plan, and his overall idea of the bigger picture.

You see, before food even became an issue, Jesus wanted to know, "where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat?" (John 6:5). He anticipated the needs around him and planned accordingly. Then, once food was found, Jesus demanded, "have the people sit down." He had a plan, an orderly plan, one that allowed him to see all and to manage the crowd around him. And, finally, when everyone was done eating, he gathered the leftovers in an orderly manner - he commanded the disciples to "gather the pieces that are leftover. Let nothing be wasted." Jesus even had a clean up plan!

He didn't wait, haphazardly to meet the needs of those around Him - He knew the needs, He created a plan and He implemented it. Don't you think we are to do the same?

Without order, our good intentions remain just that - good intentions. But, order helps us to establish and carry out those intentions. Rather than run around like crazy headless chickens, we need to stop, take a few minutes, and establish a plan. Of course, like Jesus, we need to save some room for orderly flexibility. After all, sometimes a noon day message develops into a meal for 5000!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1