Clay in the Hands

I am the world’s worst when it comes to being “Type A” and wanting to make sure I make the most of my time.  In fact, I used to keep a slogan pinned to my wall that said, “No Regrets.”  I didn’t (and still don’t) want to to get to the end of my life and say, “I wish I had done this or that.”  So my approach to life has been intense – making the most of my time by becoming as streamlined and efficient as I can be.  The biggest area this has come in to play is the area of multi-tasking.  I never go to the doctor’s office without a book or my computer – I can’t stand the thought of waiting with nothing to keep my productive.  I often return emails while talking on the phone.  And I never go on a trip without more work than I could possibly get done while I am gone – just in case there is some down time and I could get something done.  The result, however, is impaired focus.  There is no way for a human being to focus, truly pay attention, to multiple things at the same time and the thought that we can is a sickness caught from our society.

I ran across this blog post yesterday by Pete Wilson (@pwilson), a pastor in a church in Tennessee. You can take a look at it here.  It is very well done and reminded me of the importance of balance – the balance between what I think I need to get done and my relationship with God.

Several years ago, I did a lot of study on spiritual practices and realized that I must carve some time into my “busy” schedule to be still before God.  That means if want to be close to God, one of the first things I must do is nothing.  That is really hard for me to do, but that is what it takes.  Simply being still before God and forgetting about efficiency and productivity.

In the long run, the real regret would be a life lived without a relationship with God.

Be still today!