"Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts."
~Psalm 90:12
Have you ever been so busy, so caught up in your to-do list, that when someone in your family had a need you deemed it an inconvenient interruption? I know I have.
There have been moments when I’ve been so focused on the task at hand (and the other work I have to do when that task is done!) that when one of my children suffers a minor booboo in that moment, I’m quick to brush it off with a quick kiss and a distracted “You’re ok!”
There have been other times when I’m busy and a fight over a toy breaks out between my children. Rather than remember that God has entrusted these children to me and that mothering them is some of my most important work, I merely yell across the room, “Anna, give that back to James right now!” and then get back to what I was doing. No feeling, no empathy, no heart tuned to the underlying needs of my children.
Perhaps you can relate.
In this culture of go-go-go, we have lost our ability to feel.
A friend calls us up with a heartbreak and rather than enter into her pain, we stare at the clock thinking how much more time we can give to this call before we really have to go.
Our child calls out, “Mommy!”, and we roll our eyes, annoyed at being “interrupted” again.
Our husband walks into the room and asks us a simple question and we bite his head off because he has interfered with the important thoughts tumbling around in our heads.
Friend, this is not appropriate. This is not how it should be. What we need to remember is that we are the masters of our God-given time and our to-do lists. We can take back the slower pace we have sacrificed on the altar of busyness. We can let go of our to-do lists enough to truly focus on and listen to our husband. We can pull back from our work in order to re-learn and extend our empathy skills when our children need us and are hurting.
The busyness is depriving us of our ability to feel, and I say that cycle stops now. You with me?
Because the fact of the matter is, busyness and hurry were never a part of Jesus' earthly life and ministry. His pace was a slow, purposeful, intentional one bent on fulfilling the work the Father gave to Him - and only that. May we truly follow in His footsteps in the days ahead.
Reflection Questions:
1) Have you found it to be true in your own life that busyness leads to our not feeling?
2) How would you say the pace and feel of your life compares to that of Christ and His example?
3) What possible changes is the Lord leading you to make?
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