And what to do with an empty calendar?
Never in my life have we ever been so busy! I want everyone to know about it in hopes that someone will feel sorry for me...watch my kids, send me on a vacation, end the madness. But, reality whispers that this will be the way of life for several years.
My children are in school and activities. My husband is in ministry and those who are familiar with ministry know that you just can't leave work at the office. I am a working mom now. And this calendar will be full before this day is over.
But for one moment, and one moment alone (because my kids just woke up)...I am cherishing the empty calendar.
What will I put on it in October? The truth is, the husband and I already have our Google calendars full of activities. But what will this calendar (the one on our kitchen wall) have on it?
Will our second grader be able to read that mommy and daddy have a date night, a trip to nana's and papaws, a big #8 birthday party?
Will my Judah's field trip to the pumpkin patch make the cut? Or will the calendar take Joshua and I to the mommy and baby date at Day Care at the end of the month?
My google calendar has none of these events.
Meetings, yes. Small groups, yes. Interviews, yes. Events, yes.
These things are all important and needed. Please do not misunderstand me.
But, I realize that something about the American Way is just plain wrong. We are too busy for the things that truly matter.
My baby is sick and fighting sleep the past few weeks. He has always been easy, one to lay down without a fight. But as he has gotten older and a little more busy (and into everything!), he just wants to fight rest.
I am SO LIKE THAT!
Are you?
In fact it is easier sometimes to schedule an event that schedule time to rest. It is hard to rest!!!
But we have to.
We. Just. Can't. Do. It. All.
We can't be everything to everyone...somebody's gonna be mad at us.
We can't be everywhere at one time...we only have one us.
We can't give more that what we have...we are broke, and broken.
Rest is hard work, but it MUST be on the calendar. Let us pencil it in, in permanent ink....not a dry erase scribble, but with a SHARPIE!
Hebrews 4
4 Therefore,
since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that
none of you be found to have fallen short of it. .....
9 There
remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone
who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from
his. 11 Let
us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish
by following their example of disobedience.
