Busy

I'm an aspiring minimalist.  This means part of my life goal is to not have anything in my life that isn't "useful, or that I find beautiful".  Not only in material possessions, but in how I use my time as well.  I don't want to waste my life doing things that aren't useful or beautiful.

It is sometimes hard to live this way in our busy, over-scheduled world.  We have jobs and kids and lives that take our time all the time and we just hope everyone else understands that we don't have time to grow relationships with other people because we are just "SO BUSY".  And when we finally do have those moments all to our self, we want to fill them with something mindless, because we feel we need a break from our "busy".

But can I tell you my opinion?

This "busy" that we all seem to be a victim of? 

It's ruining everything.


First, we are turning our moments of silence into an information overload that makes us feel even more busy.  Watching youtube videos, scrolling through facebook, instagram, twitter, or reading online articles, is making our brains process a lot of information all at once.  It leaves us more tired than had we just read a book (one story line to follow), played a board game (being actually involved in a relationship building exercise with someone else) or working on something we want to improve on (bettering ourselves). 

Second, we are missing opportunities to build relationships.  People are important.  Dare I say more important than our schedules.  You may feel that whatever you are doing is very important, and perhaps it is, but when was the last time you sacrificed having something done in order to bless someone else?  When was the last time you asked someone to coffee just because, even though you were "so busy"?  Relationships aren't built in one sitting.  They aren't built, then sit in a patient, stable state until we need them again.  Relationships need time and we aren't giving it anymore.  We are too busy to devout our time to others. 

Third, we are missing God's callings.  We are so busy getting our daily chores done, that we don't notice God giving us a path, or when we do, we make excuses.  You are never too busy to do what God wants you to do.  Never.  Don't believe me?  My boss, a small business owner who can sometimes have a very hectic schedule, is in India right now on a missions trip.  He has every excuse to stay here but he went.  I'm not saying God is sending us all to India (oh please, Lord, India scares the daylight out of me!), but what have I maybe missed because I was too busy?

Fourth, it's ruining common courtesy.  We are too busy to be polite, too busy to put our phones away at dinner, too busy to help an old lady across the street or offer a hand to someone needing it.  Our days are filled with things so much more important than what other people might have that we don't give them a second glance.  We are annoyed in slow checkout lines, we look the other way when we see someone with a flat tire, we make excuses to avoid time with people, we  justify our rudeness as "rushed-ness". 

Fifth and most important, we are missing the important stuff.  When I'm old and sitting in a comfortable rocking chair on my front porch with great grandchildren at my ankles, I want to look back at my life and see great things.  My phone screen isn't great.  My accomplishments, while they will make my obituary look nice, aren't going to be the things I remember.  I'm going to remember the times I spent with other people-- the times I blew off something that I thought was super important to play with my child, the times Jim and I went for long walks all over town to discuss our hopes and our dreams.  The times I stayed up late trying to perfect the chocolate chip cookie for my husband.  The times I played a piece I worked on and it moves someone to tears.  The times I'm cuddling with my puppies.  These are the things I will remember.  Not that I always kept my calendar full and was impatient, rude,and stopped building relationships with other people.

I say we throughout this post because WE live in a busy world.  I can't think of a single person who reads this or who might stumble upon this who hasn't been a "victim" of their own busy schedule.  I have been blown off and ignored by people who were too busy to ever call, email, write, or try to spend time with me...even people who read this.  I have done the same to others.  We can't be all things to all people and I don't expect everyone to spend time with every person they have ever built a relationship with (nor am I expecting a sudden onslaught of emails, calls and letters), but we can all try a little bit harder to stop the busy and start the living.