As I write this, I am in the midst of a very busy season. Along with the typical weekly things that must be taken care of, I also have two final papers to write for class and a final exam to study for, reports and preparations to make for Charge Conference, some District matters to attend to, and preparations to discern for the forthcoming season of Advent (it is only about eight weeks away!). On top of all that, I am also trying to handle some very serious pastoral care concerns within our Parish and within my own extended family. It is that season in which everything seems to be happening all at once, giving me very little time to do much of anything else.
I’m sure you’ve been there as well, haven’t you? I’m sure you’ve found yourself in situations wherein there seems to be no time for anything, for everything is taking up too much time. If only we had another day in the week, or even a few more hours in the day, we might have more time – more time for prayer, more time for study, more time for relationships, more time to love God and love neighbor instead of just trying to make it through what is before us.
However, this week I received an email that helped me refocus on what was really important. We all have more time than we want to admit. What is important is that we prioritize that time, that we actually make the time to do those things that will help us get through all the other things that must be done. In the article (here is the link: https://churchanswers.com/blog/ten-10-minute-refreshers-for-busy-and-weary-church-leaders/) the authors noted that there are some very simply 10 minute ways that we can refocus on the important things. This got me to thinking, 10 minutes isn’t much time is it? Surely, we could all take 10 minutes to accomplish one of these tasks to help us in renewal and refocus? If we are completely honest with ourselves, we probably should be spending 6 minutes of every hour doing so anyway. Why? Well, consider those six minutes a tithing, ten percent of the hour dedicated to God, communicating with God through prayer, hearing from God through study, spending time with God in meditation, worshipping God through our connections with others.
How much time do you spend with God each day? How often do you feel Jesus’ presence as you go about your busy lives? How do you feel the Holy Spirit calling to you, guiding you, and encouraging you as you go from one task to the next? Perhaps its time for a refocus, a renewal in our routines, a reestablishment of our relationships in order to make the best of the time that we have been gifted, for the honest truth is – we never know how much time we have left to do that which we have been called to do, Amen?
Blessings be upon you all, Pastor Steve