Busy But Not Barren
Life is good. Sherri is a month away from retirement, I begin as pastor of Embrace Church in High Point, North Carolina, in a month and a half, and we are expecting our first grandchild, Yalena Elizabeth, in August. Life is good!
But life is also busy. So busy, in fact, that I didn’t remember until Sunday evening that my monthly devotionals for Living Life Magazine were due this week. I’m also preaching at our church this weekend, participating in our final children’s ministry program before Summer vacation this Wednesday, and preparing for next week’s podcast on Season 4 of “Church on the Edge.”
But the good news is that this busyness is not busywork. Busyness that is nothing more than busywork breeds barrenness, and barrenness, in turn, breeds busyness that is nothing more than busywork.
Distraction is the zeitgeist of our age. Cell phones, iPads, televisions, and a multitude of distractions keep our minds busy (but generally unchallenged) and our hearts disengaged.
Like most of you, I need a few distractions to help me relax and get away from the pressures of multiple deadlines. The problem comes when the distractions become hindrances to those needed times of rest and solitude.
I got back from men’s prayer breakfast this morning, finished my podcast preparation, and almost dragged myself to the gym for what would have been an energy-less workout. Instead, I crawled into bed for a midday nap. That’s when I realized I missed today’s post and would miss posting tomorrow as well if I didn’t get it done now.
It’s done, and I’m done. Good night, or should I say, good day.
In Christ,
Dan