Life is busy. Life is filled to the brim with appointments, deadlines, to do lists, birthday parties and grocery lists. Life is busy, and there’s nothing you can do about it right?
That’s what I used to think–I still do at times. It seems like every time I finally make that coffee date with a friend or call that long distance family member, we think and often say, “We have to do this more often.” We shrug our shoulders and say, “Well, you know how it is, we are busy!”
A couple of weeks ago, the same was true. Had coffee with a dear friend, exchanged the “busy life” line and moved on. As I drove home I thought to myself, it doesn’t have to be this way. Life and busy don’t have to always go together.
I’m a wife, a mom of three, a pastors wife, teacher, tutor, after school program leader, a friend, sister, daughter…you get it. So life can be, busy.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how busy doesn’t really mean fruitful. You can run place to place but not produce any lasting, meaningful fruit in your life. Busy isn’t an award we should be pursuing. If you’re a leader, a doer, a mover and a shaker (just wanted to say that) busy is adrenline to your soul. You love being busy! But, it often leaves you poured out and empty, with not a lot to show for it, except a completed to do list and maybe even a pantry filled with this week’s grocery list.
The other night at community group, I was talking with another mom friend of mine. We were talking about how our lives seemed filled to the brim, not necessarily with meaningless things. Family, work, community–all the right things. For us, it is not so much removing any of those main things, but more about decluttering the unnecessary and avoiding the trap of being driven to do something rather than led to do something.
For some of us, we need to get rid of certain things that are not producing real fruit in our lives. We need to say NO to the things that are keeping us from saying YES to the things that build us up. But for some of us, it’s simply exhaling and pausing. Sitting and being rather than doing and completing.
What does that look like? How can we carve out moments? It’s not easy and it takes intentionality.
Each morning at work, I have a planning time while my students are at their specials. This is a time I get work done–copies, grading, planning. But today, I chose to breath to EXHALE… to sit and read my devotional ( I snoozed twice the AM & didn’t get to before beginning my day). Sure, those items that I need to DO will still be there, but I will be more calm, better focused and be clear minded when I do.
I soaked up this incredible Florida fall morning, sipped my coffee my friend bought me this morning and sat. Reflected on the goodness of God, prayed for my friends who are hurting, and pulled out my phone to encourage you to breathe.
Do you find find it hard to carve out moments to just sit?
Comments