Renewal

“We know we are in need of renewal when everything feels of the same importance” Rob Bell

It is that time of year again when the slower rhythm of summer quickly gives way to the louder hum of fall. Without even realizing it, the to do lists grow and everyone’s expectations start to hit a more frantic pace. It seems it’s go time!

The crazy sneaks in, and before I know it, executing gets in the way of enjoying, and I find myself just checking boxes, completing tasks, and forgetting what actually matters. The need to keep up with the deadlines, events, paperwork, birthdays, holidays, you name it, makes everything in the day seem like it is of def con 10 importance. My intentions for my days are to get the list done, not to focus on being present in any of it. It is so easy to lose track of what’s a priority on the list, it all blends, it all seems of the same importance. Anyone else?

Sometimes the small stuff smothers, and you have to ask yourself…why? Why am I so overwhelmed with the minor? Why does it seem so important to complete the endless list of tasks?

I think this is where the catch is…isn’t it easier sometimes to run through a list than actually face what you might really need to do?  It is simpler to get the dry cleaning, buy the groceries, clean the car, organize the playroom, than it is to be still and think about the real needs in your life.

The stuff that really matters is often pushed out when we let the less important things take center stage. When we don’t have a balance in our lives, a perspective that opens our eyes to what God is really doing in this world, we get bogged down in thinking the minutia is the real deal. The obsession with keeping up with our co-workers and neighbors, or the endless chatter about what teams our children make, or what level classes they are taking, all leave us running empty. They are fleeting and don’t provide the energy we need to find the joy in our days, to feel the peace of the God that loves us.

I love the idea that when everything feels of the same importance you know it’s time for a reboot. Such a good warning system; such a good way to keep our eyes set on the right stuff. There are things that matter and we should keep our hearts, and therefore time and energy focused there, the other stuff is just a distraction from the good stuff. We all have lists of daily things that need to get done, but if they feel like they are as important as the real stuff, the people stuff, the love and compassion stuff, then it’s time to take a break, fill back-up, and start again. And so…here is to a fall done differently, one where we can all keeps our eyes on the right priorities, and create a balance that pushes us to remember what really matters!