The Busyness of Life

Take a deep breath and let the day begin...

5:00 wake up, take a shower, get dressed, put on the make-up, and do the hair
6:00 wake up the girls and get them out the door
6:30 head to the babysitters house
6:45 head to work
7:00 – 7:15 depending on the gods of the road get to work
7:30 start my work day
5:30 the work day is over time to head home
6:15 pick up the girls and go home
6:45 get dinner going and eat
7:30 – 9:00 baths, pack lunches, go over homework, prayer, and bed for the girls
9:00 "free time" i.e. get clothes laid out for tomorrow, pack my lunch, do homework, watch TV, listen to music, read a book or go to sleep

Repeat

Monday night is movie night, Tuesday we run errands, Wednesday I have study group from 6:30 – 9:00, Thursday I have school from 6:00 – 10:00, Friday I’m exhausted, Saturday run errands and entertain the girls, Sunday is church, laundry and dinner. I try to squeeze in a nap if I am lucky. Depending on what is due for school Saturday and Sunday evening are reserved for homework.

Factor in doctor/dentist appointments, weekly counseling sessions, jump rope club, bowling, bible study for the girls, and miscellaneous events for school and I think that pretty much takes care of every waking moment I have. And yet I look for other things to keep me busy. Am I crazy or what!

No I'm not. It's not just my reality but that of many women all across the world. We have so much on our plates and yet we allow ourselves time to add just one more thing because we think we have to. It's our job to make the world go round. We balance the weight of home in one hand and the job in the other and we are so determined to succeed that we often run ourselves in the ground in the process. And for what? The reasons are endless.

So how do we get out of this life of busyness and what is the alternative? How do we juggle work/life balance and still feel fulfilled and successful? I don't have all the answers but I do know that there has to be a happy medium in there somewhere.

For me it's about making choices, determining my priorities and what the end result will look like from the very beginning. What do I consider success and do I need to lower the bar just a little and stop trying to be "Superwoman". Average is good - some days! I welcome it and when I get a few extra minutes I'll try not to cram something in there and just take a few deep breaths and enjoy the moment. Now if last night is any indication of what a little silence and free time will do to me then I have a long road to travel but I'm working on it!

But seriously, we need to slow down and take inventory of all that we are involved in as women, moms and families and start putting some boundaries around our time spent running to and fro and start building those relationships that won't feel so awkward when the busyness comes to a halt and we realize that it's just us or them and appreciate that time for what it is. After all tomorrow isn't promised to any of us and what will it matter how busy we were versus how much time and energy we invested in building the relationships that mean the most in our lives.

Dis-Obedience, Un-forgiveness, Busy-ness

There are several things ruminating in my mind that I have struggled with so I just decided to put them out here just to get them out of there.

Disobedience, unforgiveness and busyness can weaken our relationship with God. I am a personal witness to this. As I've struggled with this off and on my entire life but especially in the past year or so. The busier I become the less time I have to spend with Him or in His Word. That allows disobedience to rear it's ugly head and then unforgiveness jumps on the wagon and I am so weighted down that I'm stuck and that is certainly where the enemy wants me to be. But being stuck doesn't have to last if I but come to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit He will forgive me, and in my weakness strengthen me so that I can be used by Him so that He may get the glory as others see the changes in my life.

Disobedience provokes the following in God:

Anger - Psalm 78:10, 40 (NIV) "they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law. " 40 "How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland!"

Forfeits His favor - 1 Samuel 13:14 "But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." (Saul's fall from grace)

Deprived of His Promised blessings - Jeremiah 18:10 "...and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

Brings a Curse - Deuteronomy 11:27-28 "the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known."

The Word gives up strict instruction on forgiveness - Matthew 26:28 This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Mark 11:25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Luke 6:35-38;42 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." ... How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Luke 7:47-48 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

Busyness was also an issue that the Lord had and He rebuked people because of it.

Luke 10:38-42 “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and HEARD HIS WORD. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, LORD, doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Psalm 39:6 NLT "All our busy rushing ends in nothing."

Ecclesiastes 5:3 NLT "Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool."

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "

So, in other words, obedience, forgiveness and time spent daily with Him will strengthen and deepen our relationship with Him. And that is one of His greatest desires, to have an intimate relationship with us.