Have you ever found yourself so busy that you don’t have time to stop? With deadlines looming and too much still to do? Have you found you’ve said yes to too much and suddenly have lots of plates to keep spinning and are in danger of dropping them all?
No? Good for you, you’re doing better than me!
I had one of those days today. Too much to do, not enough time to get it done, things going wrong that any other time would go perfectly. The sort of day when it would be handy to be able to click and get the job done, or maybe stop time. Or even just have an extra hour or two in the day.
Does that sound familiar? There are so many things looming in the near future, fast approaching on a number of fronts that stress and anxiety are almost constant companions. Church, work, social life…
STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF!!!
In the midst of it all, a friend made me stop and eat and drink. For an hour I couldn’t really afford I stopped and I sat and I breathed. Sometimes it takes someone outside to break through all the noise. Sometimes all the busyness and distractions just pule on the pressure. Sometimes all the busyness is just a place to hide…
In the gospels, Jesus regularly went away to spend time alone with God. Usually this coincides with big events. Healing all night? Retire to a hillside. Fed 5000 men plus women and children? Send friends away, spend some time alone. A painful, agonising, humiliating death looming? Spend time alone in prayer in a peaceful garden.
So often, we can try and face all the demands that life throws our way on our own. We can push through thinking it will soon be over, or we can pile on the pressure to do better, to give more. Or maybe we can be tempted to run in the opposite direction.
Maybe we should take a leaf out of Jesus’ book. When the world is demanding our time and energy, maybe we should take a stand. Or rather, maybe we should fall to our knees and pause for a moment, and just breathe… Whatever it is we are facing, we are not facing it alone. Take some time, remember God’s presence, feel his love that doesn’t depend on meeting deadlines or being perfect.
Stop. Sit. Breathe. God is with you.
The Reason for my Hope Blog 