It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?
Henry David Thoreau
I always think I'm a busy person. I spend most of the minutes of every waking hour involved in praying, caring for my family, working, cooking, cleaning, driving, and actively recreating through exercise and hobbies. I don't feel like I waste much time – I'm not a huge phone talker or TV watcher. Time is a precious gift in my book.
That's why I was very surprised when my visiting mother and toddler nephew, who had been staying at my home for the past two weeks, left town on Wednesday. What surprised me was that my schedule had been able to extend itself for that time period to not only accomplish all of my normal "stuff", but also to thoroughly enjoy their visit and all of the little extras it added to every day.
Somehow, once they shipped out, it seemed like just handling all of my regular responsibilities suddenly seemed easier, more manageable than prior to their arrival. Don't get me wrong, my lists still have lists! But the lists somehow feel a bit less daunting. I'm not really sure why that is.
Extend ourselves out of our comfort zone to help someone in need frequently feels like a stretch – how will we find the time and energy needed to add one more thing to our overburdened schedules? How can we find time to write a letter to an elderly relative? How can we manage to babysit a friend's kids when our own seem to be running circles around us? How can we possibly cook a meal for a sick parishioner when we can barely cope with feeding our own families?
Guess what, we can do it! God provides the time, the gifts, and the strengths to accomplish all of what He places in our paths. When I am at my busiest, I most need to remember to turn to Him in prayer and call on His grace and assistance. As for prioritizing, I've been reminded that taking time to love and care for others is a much better way to be busy than lots of the other ways I may choose to spend my time.