Time, Lists, & Roots.
Based on Jordan Lee's Soulscripts blog post,
What to Do if You Don’t Have Enough Time For God
"But let’s just call out the elephant in the room for what it is and recognize the reality that this tends to be a pattern we fall into because it’s the pattern of the world we live in: clock in, clock out, order your priorities, categorize your goals. It’s how it is.
So I have to shift my thinking and understand that He cares about ALL aspects of my day – long after quiet time ends. He cares about the time I dedicate to my work, my commutes, my conversations, my cooking, my care taking, and more. He wants all of me and giving Him all of me is to include Him in all the things.
I can include Him in the stillness of the morning and the stirring of the day — in the sip of OJ in the morning, in shampooing my hair, in the kisses I steal from my husband, in the conversation with the lady at the bank — when I take on a heart of gratitude, presence, and love.
If I don’t, I miss it. I miss the glory of this very moment if I zip through time slots and cross things off lists without a thought..."
A couple of thoughts just from the first part of that blog post:
- I love lists! I love crossing things off my list! It makes me feel accomplished and organized and focused. But when I get especially busy and feel the crushing pressure of a heavy to-do list, I do get into task mode and can categorize God into a bulleted time slot.
- I love that she says we have to shift our thinking and understanding. To dedicate the moments of our day- even if it is just ONE moment in the morning as I take a sip of coffee before my 8:00 AM class starts to recognize that I NEED JESUS TODAY, that moment is precious and eternally edifying to my soul. It takes a persistent heart to take on a heart of gratitude, presence and love. It takes a heart that overrules and overcomes the rushes of the world's pulling demands with a quiet spirit, with an empowered Holy Spirit which has been given to us already.
- The last point from this segment of the post that I want to share is when she writes, "If I don’t, I miss it. I miss the glory of this very moment if I zip through time slots and cross things off lists without a thought." Without a thought. Often times, when I get into task mode and start skimping o
- n my Jesus time, I find myself wondering a week later... "How did I get here???" But there's some insight- a red flag, a measurement that we can use right here. When I start doing things and crossing tasks off my list thoughtlessly I am probably missing out on the goodness nestled in those tasks and duties, and furthermore (warning, you might not like this...) I am probably doing too much. Yep, for me, this is a huge deal! When I become a thoughtless doer, I am most likely trying to do too much. And while I can't just flat out drop all my responsibilities, I can delegate or reach out, asking for help.
Jordan writes, "Am I trying to make God one of my priorities or am I letting Him be the very thing every other priority pivots around?"
…And just this morning in class, my professor reminded us that everything we do is interconnected. So our priority with God and the time we spend or don't spend with Him manifests itself into everything else we do (or don't do)!
So this is for both me and for you:
When my to-do lists become reduced to stressful, thoughtless tasks, take just one moment to slowly sip your morning cup of coffee or tea. In that moment, shift your thinking and understanding by just saying something, anything to Jesus.
Then, eliminate something from your to-do list. You can delegate it, postpone it, or decide that "the world will in fact be okay, if this task is not completed." Then gosh darn go grab your Bible and re-root yourself.
Today's a new day. Go grab this day by the reigns and make the most of it from this moment on!
Love Always,
Melly XOXO
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