Busy

It’s been awhile since I last sat down to write. I’ve been very busy. I don’t like the word “busy” – it’s overused and has almost become as common a response as “fine” when asked, “How are you?” It’s acceptable. It’s been normalized. It’s expected. But that doesn’t make it right.

I think our society has made an idol of busyness. If you’re not busy, you’re not productive. Or worse, you’re lazy.

However, when I’m busy I feel as if I’m just trying to get through the day. That’s not living; that’s existing. Last week seemed especially loaded with things to do as I worked during the day, attended meetings in the evenings, and prepared for my weekend meetings during any “down” time. I didn’t even have time to return a friends’ phone call.

When I’m busy, my priorities get thrown out of whack. I’m too tired to play with my children as I fall into bed each night. But I can’t sleep because my mind is racing with things yet unaccomplished. I don’t take the time to walk because I think I could use those thirty minutes to answer emails piling up in my inbox. But truthfully, I could have used the energy that comes out of a vigorous workout.

What really throws me out of balance is my avoidance of quiet time with God. In order to accomplish all I have on my list of things to do, I must first be filled with energy that only the Holy Spirit can give me. When I don’t spend this time with God and try to do it all in my own strength I burn out very quickly. I need to partner with God in order to have the energy and enthusiasm to do His work.

Each activity on my agenda last week had merit. Each was good and important and worthy of my attention. But none of those activities should have been at the expense of my relationship with God. When God comes first, all else falls neatly into place.

I need to spend time being quiet and contemplative without feeling guilty that I should be doing something else. God calls me away to be refueled. I don’t just want to exist, struggling just to make it through another day. I want to live. I want to enjoy life. I know that the only way to do that is to commit to working on my relationship with God. Not adding another thing to my to-do list, but diving into the refreshment that only quiet time with God affords.

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

Passions

“I’m a snowmobiler,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. I thought it was an odd comment to make to a girl he had just recently met (and in the dead of summer at that).

“I see,” I replied although I really didn’t. I was just being polite. Months later I understood what my future husband meant by that simple proclamation. He was a snowmobiler.

Around September, when the days become cooler and shorter, he starts to get a little spring in his step. The excitement and the anticipation of the upcoming sledding season carry him away. He whistles (as I sob quietly) while we pack the summer lounge chairs away in the shed. He rakes leaves with enthusiasm, as I pull in closer to the fire.

The first snowfall moves him to action. Into the garage the snowmobiles roar, released from their summer slumber. I have never seen a man spend so many hours lovingly tending to a machine.

I have learned what he meant by his claim, “I am a snowmobiler”. He thinks about snowmobiling all the time. He subscribes to four magazines that he reads daily. He talks with family about it. He searches the Internet and emails his friends about it. And I believe when he is making “vroom vroom” noises in his sleep, he is actually dreaming about it. My husband is a snowmobiler.

This has made me think. What if on first meeting a person I said, “I am a Christian.” Would they know what that meant? Would it become clearer after they talked with me for a while?

Do I subscribe to Christian publications and read the Bible? Do I talk with family and write to friends about God? Do I go to sleep with prayers on my lips?

There are many ways to describe myself – an avid walker, a recreational athlete, a motivational speaker, an author and a writer – but would I ever just say I am a Christian?

My faith permeates all that I do – well, that is my desire. But the question has just recently come to mind. How bold am I in my faith? I feel it’s a question that I’ll carry with me each and every day as I seek to know God better.

Just as snowmobiling has become a passion of mine (how could it not?) I desire to share with others the joy of having God as front and centre in my life. I am a Christian.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV).