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In busy times…
• Ask yourself: What events are shaping my life? What am I busy with?
• Discover: What gives me energy rather than drains it? Where can I find more of that?
• Don’t ask, “How am I doing?” but, “What is God saying to me in these life experiences?”
• Listen for what God is doing rather than grading yourself.
• Find time in your schedule for discernment.
• Work on listening differently to Scripture, asking: “Where is something new?” “What speaks to us now?” “Where is the challenge”?.jpg)
It all started with a microwave dinner.
As
a parish pastor dealing with an overworked, short-staffed congregation,
I had tried to manage my schedule with precision. I routinely shopped
for groceries Thursday evenings so I could take it easy on Friday—my
day off.
Then
came the Thursday that changed my life. After a day of meetings there I
stood in the frozen foods aisle at 10 p.m., tossing a microwave dinner
back into the freezer because the cooking time was eight minutes. That
was just too long.
I had wondered for quite a while why, with
all the convenient services and machines, life seemed busier rather
than easier. The more tools we have, the higher the expectations. It’s
as if the technical world adds to our lives as much as it helps.
I
also had noticed the frantic pace congregation members kept, balancing
every bit of time among their children, jobs, parents and one another.
I
realized at this point that in order to offer any suggestions to those
in other church communities I would need to find a few answers on my
own. This process involved setting time boundaries and literally
rethinking the business of the church. It was the beginning of a new
kind of spiritual journey that would not be as carefully planned out as
I liked life to be.
I would need to enlist others in my
congregation to join me. Any time we suggest change—whether in a major
organization, our family or our congregation—it’s risky business.
Taming busyness involves risking new patterns. And risk-taking is one
of the best ways to increase our journey with the Spirit.
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