You know it’s true, right? That if you don’t manage your life, it will manage you.

I’m trying to tame the beast of busy with Three Big Things:

Context

What season are you in? What have you come out of? What are you heading into? Some seasons are busier than others, and there are different kinds of busy. Right now we’re in the season of two kids, two fish, a dog and a rabbit. It’s a season of writing deadlines and school fundraisers and kids’ parties and friends turning forty and celebrating, but we’re done with the season of being busy all night feeding and changing very tiny humans and we’re not yet in the season of waiting up for busy teenagers. Whatever the season, maybe the thing is to shift perspective and see life as full, not busy. We’re enormously wealthy with experience and opportunity, in season.

Character

How’s your heart? Are your life-seams unravelling in all the busy? When my words cut and I cut corners with my kids and I cut people off in the traffic and conversation – I know I have to cut something out of my life. I mean seriously, who are we trying to impress, keeping all these balls in the air? Mark Batterson says success is when the people who know you the best respect you the most. We’d do well to wow the near and dear before we wow the far and wide. We have a Father who sees what’s done in secret, and rewards. Besides, the Big People in the Big-Out-There are also too busy – and way too busy to notice what we’re busy with.

Calling

What Kingdom role have you been called to play? You’re not called to be Superwoman. You’re called to be you. (Why are you still trying to be Superwoman?) It’s ok to say No sometimes. Jen Hatmaker said at Catalyst last year how no other generation has been asked to say Yes to all the things that we say Yes to. ‘Stop trying to be awesome,’ she said. ‘Be wise.’

I cried out, ‘I am slipping!’ but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Psalm 94:18-19

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