With the holidays now over and a new year underway, I am struck by how quickly we all slip back into our routines. Not that routines are a bad thing, necessarily. They often define the rhythms of our day to day lives. But sometimes those routines can get a bit out of control. We find ourselves racing from place to place with little chance to breathe or take stock. We are often so busy adding quantity to our lives that we rarely have time or energy to add quality to them.
I keep on my desk a booklet given to me by a friend entitled "Tyranny of the Urgent!" It's written by Charles E. Hummel. I return to this little gem time and again as a reminder to follow Jesus' example of balancing priorities. At one point, Hummel says, "We all know what it is to go full speed for long hours, totally involved in an important task. The resulting weariness is matched by a sense of achievement and joy. Not hard work, but doubt and misgiving produce anxiety as we review a month or a year and become oppressed by the pile of unfinished tasks. We sense uneasily our failure to do what was really important. The winds of other people's demands, and our own inner compulsions, have driven us onto a reef of frustration." (pp. 4-5)
Does that describe your experience in any way? How does the "tyranny of the urgent" impact your spiritual well-being? What have you found helpful in bringing better balance to your life? Is there something practical that you can suggest to help others find ways to bring that balance to their lives as well?
Blessings,
David
