Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Too Busy?

Are we too busy? Do we need to create space for people in our schedules?

____________________


She looked at her watch again. The tenth time in the last few minutes.

"When will they stop talking about this? We have business we need to get to and I have barely enough time to the next place if we end on time."

With these thoughts circling in her mind, she began looking for a place to jump in and get the conversation onto the reason why they had all planned to gather at that time. She wasn't listening to the words being said - she had no idea they had a good reason for not getting right to business. She was just looking for a long enough pause to take control of this conversation.

Finally, she found her place.

"We really need to get down to business. We have some things we need to discuss and we only have a short time to do that."

Oblivious to the fact that one of the people in the room was dealing with a personal crisis and the others had been trying to help, she just pushed on and started in on the agenda. Not even an acknowledgement of the other person's situation because she didn't even notice.

Everyone reluctantly got on with the business and then left. She hurried off to her next meeting.

Later that day, she was sitting in her office wondering why she felt like she was on the outside of any further conversation with people in the office. It almost seemed as if they were avoiding her.

She finally took the time to reflect on her interactions that day.

The meeting this morning - the one where they'd all been having a conversation about something and she'd just been focused on getting through the agenda. Had she missed something there?

They'd all seemed shocked when she just pushed on to the agenda the second she found a break to jump in. Maybe that was because she's interrupted something else that was important too. They had needed to get onto business. But, maybe she could have handled that transition better?

Maybe if she'd been listening instead of just watching the clock she would have noticed. Maybe it would have been as simple as acknowledging whatever the other conversation was about and how important it seemed to be to others in the room before explaining that they really needed to get on with the agenda of the meeting.

She realized she had some work to do. Some colleagues to talk to, apologies to make. She'd missed something important.

She had another thought . . .

What if part of the problem was how tightly packed her schedule was, so that it didn't leave any room for life? What if her constant hurry was part of the problem? What if things needed to be changed so she had room in her schedule for people rather than just pushing through everything?

____________________


Sometimes we create schedules that are so jam-packed with things we don't have room for life to happen. We need everything to go exactly according to plan so that we can get it all done.

But, what if, in our hurry, we're missing out on what God has for us? What if we're missing the people God wants us to see? And the conversations God wants us to have?

Maybe we need to look at our calendars and allow for space for relationship.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Learning to be Okay with Unanswered Questions

I'm one of those people who wants to know to understand everything. I don't like not knowing, or having unanswered questions.

That means there are times when I would come across a passage of Scripture that wasn't clear and I'd end up frustrated. I would spend hours reading commentaries, looking up the original language, trying to find the answer. All good things, but if I couldn't come to a clear answer to my question, I would just be frustrated.

Lately, I've been learning that sometimes I have to be okay with questions. God doesn't always reveal everything perfectly clearly in my timing. Sometimes, over time a part of Scripture I've had questions about comes clear. Sometimes the question that was frustrating me becomes less important to me over time.

And the questions usually push me to pursue God more deeply. To spend more time studying the Word. Those are good things, and even through they might not bring me the answer I'm looking for, they have good results in my journey with God.

I'm learning to be okay with the unanswered questions sometimes. Some of them I may get answered later. Some of them may not be answered while I'm walking on this earth.

The important thing is what I do with my unanswered questions. Do I allow them to drive me deeper in my study of Scripture and relationship with God? Or I do I allow the frustration of them to drive me away?

Friday, January 13, 2017

He Is Enough

Trust Me
The words He is calling
Trust Me
I see you in your need
Trust Me
I love to provide for you
Trust Me
I am enough for all you need
Trust Me
I can carry that burden
Trust Me
You don't have to walk alone

I'll trust You
I hear You calling to me
I'll trust You
I know You see my need
I'll trust You
Thank You for providing
I'll trust You
I know You are enough
I'll trust You
Handing off my burden
I'll trust You
I'll never walk alone

Trust Me
I will always go with you
Trust Me
I want to know your heart
Trust Me
With all you honest thoughts
Trust Me
With every part of you
Trust Me
I'll always be enough
Trust Me
 I'll always meet your need

I'll trust You
I know that You go with me
I'll trust You
You already know my heart
I'll trust You
With all my mind has wondered
I'll trust You
With every part of me
I'll trust You
You will always be enough
I'll trust You
You always meet my needs