Connecting Even in the Busy

By: Jenifer Metzger

God, create a clean heart for me

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not banish me from Your presence

or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore the joy of Your salvation to me,

and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:10-12 CSB

We know we need to stay connected to God. We want to stay connected to God. But if we were honest, we'd simply say, life is busy. Among diaper changes, school drop off lines, deadlines, sports, projects, dishes, and so much more, how are we possibly going to stay connected to God?

When my kids were younger, we homeschooled which me quite busy. I had to teach, corral kids, clean house, do laundry, and cook meals. I was in go mode from the moment I woke up with the sun until I fell exhausted into bed late at night. On top of life at home, we were children's pastors which added a heavy, though blessed, work load. Then when March came, baseball season started up which added yet another heavy work load. If you think of your own situation, I am sure you completely understand.

So how can we stay connected to God when we are running on empty day after day after day? If I could go back twenty years and look my younger self in the eye, I would say, "Jenifer, it is possible." And that is what I want to tell you today. Friend, it is possible. We can stay connected to God even in the busy.

Ask God for help. This is the most important step, ask God to help. Ask Him to restore the joy of your salvation {Psalm 51:10-12}. Ask Him to give you a deep rooted desire to spend time with Him and to stay connected with Him. Ask Him to help you draw near to Him so that He will draw near to you {James 4:8}. Ask Him.

Draw near to God, and He will
draw near to you. Cleanse your
hands, sinners, and purify
your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8 CSB

Wake up earlier. Wait! Don't scroll away. I know you are tired. Believe me, as a mom of four -I already told you how busy I was- who has always suffered from insomnia, I know you are tired. But I also know that God is the Author of time. If you can give Him time, you will be amazed how He multiplies your time. I'm not saying wake up an hour earlier, though if you can that would be so great. I am saying, spend a week waking up five minutes earlier. That's it. (For me, that might mean hitting snooze only three times instead of four.) Get up five minutes early and read a couple verses and spend a few minutes in prayer before starting your day. The next week, wake up ten minutes early. The next, fifteen minutes early. Continue on until you are waking up with enough time to spend some time with God before you begin your day. Maybe it's thirty minutes, maybe it's an hour. There is no right or wrong, the goal is just to spend time with God. When you give God those first moments of the day, when you sacrifice a few minutes of sleep for something more eternal, watch and see how your day goes.

In the morning, Lord, You hear
my voice; in the morning I plead my
case to You and watch expectantly.

Psalm 5:3 CSB

Be creative. When you fold the laundry, pray over your family who wears those clothes. If you are going on a walk with the kids, pray over your neighborhood. As you make your bed, pray over your husband. There is no rule that says we need to be on our knees with eyes closed and head bowed -though I do believe there is a time for that. But God still hears you when you cry out to him behind the steering wheel of your car or while you are putting on your make up. So pray anywhere and everywhere. Pray continually.

Pray at all times in the Spirit with
every prayer and request, and stay
alert with all perseverance
and intercession for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18 CSB

Fill your home, office, or car with truth. As you go about your day open the Bible app and let the Word of God fill your surroundings. Play worship music. Listen Christian faith podcasts that speak truth. So often we have the TV on or music playing for background noise, why not instead have truth from the Bible or worship music playing?

“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord

is one. Love the Lord your God with all your

heart, with all your soul, and with all your

strength. These words that I am giving you

today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to

your children. Talk about them when you sit

in your house and when you walk along the

road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them

be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on

the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 CSB

Don't miss church. It can be so tempting during a busy season to miss church. What will missing one Sunday service or one Bible study hurt, right? There are two issues there. First, it is so easy for one to become two. For two to become a month. For a month to become two months. And so on. Second, we need the fellowship and encouragement of other believers. We need to stand in worship with our church family. We need to hear what God has laid on our pastor's heart, it may be for us right then. We need to serve, to pray for others, to be prayed for. We need our church. Make it a priority and don't skip just because life is busy. Say no to things that interfere with church, make your plans around church, but don't miss.

And let us consider one another in order

to provoke love and good works, not

neglecting to gather together, as some

are in the habit of doing, but encouraging

each other, and all the more as you see

the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25 CSB

Life is busy for all of us at different times. In fact, life is busy for all of us almost all of the time, just busy in different ways. But we can still feel connected to God through all life's busyness.

Discussion:
1. During a busy season, do you struggle to feel connected to God?
2. If yes, how do you combat that feeling?
3. If no, what do you do to avoid getting to that place?