If you had a large block of time–say 12 weeks–what would you do with it? If your financial obligations were covered, if you had permission from your employer to take a hiatus, if your family was on board…what would you do with time?
In a follow-up meeting to our pre-staff-meeting meeting this morning (doesn’t that sound fun?) we went round and round trying to make a decision about the timing and structure of a certain piece of the puzzle for our church calendar. The sticking point (I think) is that people are so cotton-pickin’ busy. It’s difficult to plan things around all the other competing good things in our busy lives.
I often find myself feeling like I can’t slow down enough to make decisions that need to be made. The ride is spinning so fast and the need to keep all the balls in the air overcome my need to stop, step back, evaluate, and make choices and/or changes.
I was reminded tonight that the thing that matters most is LOVE. The context of love is the relationships that we share. Jesus nailed it (Love God, love your neighbor as you love yourself). Paul echoed it (Let love be your highest goal). I know that it’s right, but the path to that simple truth is not an easy one to follow.
There it is again–the difference between simple and easy. Ruthlessly eliminating hurry/busyness from my life should be simple. Making love for God and family/friends should be a no-brainer.
But in my hurried state, full of important things and multiple hats, I am finding myself pushed not toward love, but toward tired.
I would love to stop the ride, even for just a little while. I don’t want to miss the important things, but the urgent things are squeaking for oil. The tyranny of the urgent…Gordon Govier wrote a good article about this here.
When I say “yes” to everything, I am by default saying “no” to things. I must find a way to measure my priorities, and live my life based on the things that matter most.
So, if you had the gift of time, what would you do with it?
2 Comments
amanda · September 10, 2008 at 7:10 am
time… with more time and no restrictions… I would read and snuggle… my kids are constantly wanting to hold and be held and I do not enjoy it often enough due to the curse of a busy life… I would relish the idea of a day… a week… a month of nothing but reading and snuggling with my man and my kids….
I know that sounds kind of boring – I have many things on my bucket list… but truthfully I would rather just be with the five of us.
malea · September 10, 2008 at 4:52 pm
i think i’d like to sit outside with some old friends, and new friends too, and just talk, and be, together. with nowhere to be after, nothing else to think about, nothing else occupying my thoughts.