A couple of weeks ago, we took a morning trip to the local library. I got a great spot, right next to the parking toll machine. Also a great spot for everyone else going to the library to watch my unpacking process that looks more like a Chinese fire drill. Finally, with a double stroller packed with my 9 week old and my 19 month old, my 3 and 4 year olds alongside, we waited for our turn at the toll machine. A young mom behind us holding a toddler girl in her arms looked upon my bunch and commented, “Wow! Four boys?” I confirmed to her, “Yes, four boys!”
My 3-year old son Teddy, tilted his bright blond head, looked up at her with his big, blue eyes and nodded, saying, “Yeah…we’re busy.”
Life with Four Boys
The first thing this story makes me do is laugh. The next thing I do is cringe. How many times had he heard his father and I use that word to describe our life? And what does it say to others?
“Busyness is the enemy.” This is what I read all over these days. It conveys a lack of priorites, no reverence for quiet time with God, no time for your friends and family.
But what if MY busy is WITH God? WITH my friends & family? Can I be busy AND have my priorities in line?
What is so wrong with being busy?
Time for Thesauras.com. What does busy really mean?
Engaged. Hard working. Diligent. Perserving. {Sounds good to me.}
Buried. Occupied. Overloaded. Slaving. Unavailable. {Um, not so good.}
So, maybe it shouldn’t be about the fact THAT we are busy, but WHAT we are busy with?
Or, if I look at those words above, the first ones (the good ones) convey action. The act of being busy.
But, the second ones (the not so good ones) are more the feeling of being busy.
I don’t hate being busy, I hate feeling busy.
If I’m really busy doing the things God has for me to do (i.e. be a loving wife, train up four young boys, serve in Marriage ministries, engage in the lives of my friends and family) and I’m looking for him to provide my direction as well as my energy, then I shouldn’t feel busy as I do busy. Right?
What are you busy with these days? Do you FEEL the busy? How do you stay in the DOING and not in the FEELING?
About Danielle Peters
Well put and balanced, Danielle! I tend to think that one should question her “busyness” the moment her physical or spiritual health, or family begin to show signs of neglect.
I love this!
That’s an unusual perspective to hear, and a refreshing one (perhaps because I’ve been doing a lot of “sitting around” recently).
This is what I’ve learned these past few years — I can be busy doing lots of good things, but are they the things that God has called me specifically to do?; if I am busy doing His work (that He called me to specifically, not just whatever church stuff needs to be done) there is a kind of excitement and energy that I feel, not an exhausted overburden, even though I am busy; in a regular week, if a friend has a need and I can’t help her that day or the next b/c I am too busy — it means I have my schedule too packed and have not left enough time for God to use me. Keeping this in check is hard, since I am a people pleaser and love to say yes to everything. There are some very good and worthwhile things that I have had to say no to.
How perfect. How extremely perfect. God has certainly used you and your words this morning. Last night I was complaining to my husband that I didn’t want to go to church; I simply had way too much to do. Of course, this didn’t slide with my well meaning “we don’t just skip church” spiritual leader, but it frustrated me. I went, and of course got a great spiritual meal. Nonetheless, I need to slow down my work… And be more busy with the Lord’s work.
Thanks for sharing!
Megan Volnoff
“The Mrs”
http://mrsvolnoff.blogspot.com/search/label/iBELiEVE
Thank you ladies for all the comments. There has also been some great discussions started on Facebook comments both on my personal page and the FancyLittleThings page. I have those times where I find myself physically and spiritually drained, neglecting family, saying “yes” to everything instead of pausing to seek some Godly guidance…and that is when I FEEL the busy. Some have posted that sometimes we seek to be busy to feel significant, to be recognize for how hard we are working. I surely do that too sometimes. But, the thing I realized about the “busy” my 3-year old referred to, it is the “busy” (hard work, diligence, perserverance) it takes to raise four young sons and be a supporter of my husband and engage in the lives of my family & friends. And in these times, I feel God energizing me to meet these demands because my work as mom-wife-friend-daughter-sister is a holy work. And THAT is the kind of busy I want to be.
I think you have made some valid points. I think “busy” becomes a problem when we are over-committing ourselves outside the home. This is our season to be wives, mothers and homemakers. As long as we are busying ourselves with the right things, being busy isn’t a problem. I’ve have lived both sides of this, and I am glad to say that I feel like I finally have it right!
Everyone interprets things in their own way. What I have observed over 23yrs of listening to women is that they do get caught up in the busyness of life and don’t take the time to be with God or to spend DIRECT time with their children. Children are not getting that face to face time with mom and dad. That takes slowing down, getting on the floor to play a game or having a tea party with your daughter and just listening to what they have to say. I do believe the saying “if Satan can’t make you his he will keep you busy. (Distracted from what is truly important).