2/1/12

Time

AAACK! It's already Wednesday, and I've not sent my notes out! Where has the time gone? How have I let myself get behind like this? I've had other Important Things to do-- but what's unusual about that? I've simply not kept my focus, and have let the “pressing” take over the time that I should have spent on the “Important.”

Believe it or not, I've heard people complain about being “bored” sometimes. Hardly ever from my own kids though-- I think they've wised up, because they know I've got MORE than enough to give them to do if they bring up that complaint! That, or they're tired of hearing me say “I haven't been bored in at least 25 years...” Most of us have more than enough to do to keep us busy these days-- but how do we keep our focus on “What's Important,” rather than getting lost on merely what is pressing?

That might be a more difficult question that it first appears. Of course we've got to pay the bills-- but many jobs these days do their best to push beyond any boundaries you set, needing more time than you have to give. And you can never give enough time to the family. Then what about taking care of mom or dad and other extended relations? I'm always on a guilt trip for how little I do with them. And we always hear about the need to “take care of yourself...” and have the quiet devotional time, but if I want my marriage to work, I've got to invest more time there too. And the church needs me to help with this event-- but that's the same time as the gymnastics meet, the swim meet, the Boy Scouts camp out, my Army drill, and my wife's birthday (and don't forget the paper I need to be working on, the kitchen remodel project that's still not finished, and needing to take the dog to the vet...)-- what's a guy to do?

If we're not careful, it can get overwhelming, crippling. I rack my brain, and can't find an answer-- until I pause for a moment, and not only COMPLAIN in my prayers, but LISTEN in my prayers. I'm reminded that I have a mission that is beyond myself, and that mission shapes my priorities. As a man of faith, that mission is my calling-- a calling that each and every one of us as people of faith have. Sometimes its more clear, sometimes less-- but usually the more intentional we are at seeking God's guidance, the more clear it becomes. That mission or calling shapes my commitments and how I spend my time.

God has a calling on our Little Ones as well-- and sometimes they are even more perceptive to God and God's guidance than we are! Perhaps it's sometimes our job as teachers and parents to help our Little Ones understand God's calling and guidance-- perhaps sometimes it's THEIR job to help us get the clarification we need. Either way it involves a conversation about God's guidance in our lives between us and the Little Ones in our lives-- a conversation that won't happen unless we are intentional about it.

Sometimes a movie or TV show can get that kind of conversation started, as we see characters struggling with what's “the right thing to do,” when we talk with the kids about the character's struggles, we can then talk about our struggles. Or our table grace or bed time prayers can be a place to start-- “Have you ever tried to listen for God in your prayers rather than just ask for God's blessings on the list of the day?”

Of course that takes time. But isn't that what God put us on this world for in the first place?
Rev. Jim