Running on Empty
That blog title is not how I feel, although I border on it from time to time, it's the title of a new book a friend gave me yesterday. When she handed it to me she said, "This book completely changed my life." I couldn't wait to get started reading it.
When I tucked myself into bed last night (after much jubilation in Uchenna and Joyce's Amazing Race win and subsequent defeat of Rob and Amber)and cracked it open, I was amazed at how much I almost immediately saw myself in the pages. It's obvious that author Fil Anderson is addressing a common issue in the world, and the church. I guess we can get caught up in so much busyness we get distracted from the very purpose our lives are supposed to be about. In so many words, we should be 'learning to live WITH God instead of FOR God.'
Mr. Anderson notes, "In his kindness and mercy, God has shown me that I am here to play, to dream and to drift as much as to do the hard work I've been given. I believe God recognizes there's holiness to my play that's as sacred and real as the holiness of my prayer. I believe God knows that without playing there will eventually be no praying. God knows that constant noise, endless activity, and the dreadfully hurried pace that permeate our culture will misdirect your life and mine just as placing a compass near a magnet will draw the needle away from true north."
Reading this paragraph catapulted me back into a distinct and life changing moment I experienced last year. (As I typed that last sentence, I had a faint memory of typing this in my blog before, so forgive me if I've already written it. Now where was I...?) I was driving back to the office after my lunch break during a particularly upsetting time in my life, when the Lord whispered something to my heart while sitting at a stop light. It was this simple 7 word sentence... 'Life slows down in the quiet place.' Ever since then, this constant reminder of God's desire to connect with us in a still moment has come back to me several times. It's how I remember to quiet myself when life gets hurried.
Speaking of a hurried life, mine has slowed down a bit this week. We shot a car ad today (by the way if you see footage of a gray F-150 tearing up private property and cherry groves... it wasn't me), and will be in the office all day tomorrow. I'm thankful for lulls in our work when they come, even if they are just for a couple of days. Next week is booked solid again...
All this typing about a hurried, distracted, obligatory life is wearing me out... So on that note, I am going to take an hour to relax and watch a movie with my family.
Remember to take it easy. Make your aim to be busy learning to live WITH God... not just to be busy.
When I tucked myself into bed last night (after much jubilation in Uchenna and Joyce's Amazing Race win and subsequent defeat of Rob and Amber)and cracked it open, I was amazed at how much I almost immediately saw myself in the pages. It's obvious that author Fil Anderson is addressing a common issue in the world, and the church. I guess we can get caught up in so much busyness we get distracted from the very purpose our lives are supposed to be about. In so many words, we should be 'learning to live WITH God instead of FOR God.'
Mr. Anderson notes, "In his kindness and mercy, God has shown me that I am here to play, to dream and to drift as much as to do the hard work I've been given. I believe God recognizes there's holiness to my play that's as sacred and real as the holiness of my prayer. I believe God knows that without playing there will eventually be no praying. God knows that constant noise, endless activity, and the dreadfully hurried pace that permeate our culture will misdirect your life and mine just as placing a compass near a magnet will draw the needle away from true north."
Reading this paragraph catapulted me back into a distinct and life changing moment I experienced last year. (As I typed that last sentence, I had a faint memory of typing this in my blog before, so forgive me if I've already written it. Now where was I...?) I was driving back to the office after my lunch break during a particularly upsetting time in my life, when the Lord whispered something to my heart while sitting at a stop light. It was this simple 7 word sentence... 'Life slows down in the quiet place.' Ever since then, this constant reminder of God's desire to connect with us in a still moment has come back to me several times. It's how I remember to quiet myself when life gets hurried.
Speaking of a hurried life, mine has slowed down a bit this week. We shot a car ad today (by the way if you see footage of a gray F-150 tearing up private property and cherry groves... it wasn't me), and will be in the office all day tomorrow. I'm thankful for lulls in our work when they come, even if they are just for a couple of days. Next week is booked solid again...
All this typing about a hurried, distracted, obligatory life is wearing me out... So on that note, I am going to take an hour to relax and watch a movie with my family.
Remember to take it easy. Make your aim to be busy learning to live WITH God... not just to be busy.
1 Comments:
That reminds me of the bit about going into your room, shutting the door, and praying to your Father - finding a quiet place to focus. I hope your down time helped.
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