Busy Busy Busy

I never used to feel like I was too busy, and back in the day I was busy almost ALL THE TIME. It just didn't matter. I had lots of energy and I thrived on challenge. Not to mention, most of the time I was doing things I loved. (I guess we're really all busy ALL the time, it's just a matter of what we're busy doing.)

These days, it seems I get tired. Maybe it has to do with getting older, but I'm not totally convinced of that. Most of us who are 40-ish and 50-ish have plenty of energy for the things we WANT to do. It just seems like we lean more toward the recreational-type stuff. Maybe we feel like we've paid our dues and it's time to enjoy life. I know for certain that although I enjoyed raising my girls, there was a big sigh of relief once they became grown and I knew their life-choices were no longer my responsibility. It's kind of like going back to when Leonard and I first met. "It's just you and me, baby!" We can do whatever we want, whenever we want.

All of this would be well and good . . . except I really don't want to live life for myself. That's not what I want my life to be about. I really do want to make a difference in people's lives. I want to inspire people to search for God. I want to be a blessing to people.

If only I could get past this secondary desire to just coast through the rest of my life.

We've been talking about joy in our Small Group. Because of that, I noticed something in a song that I normally wouldn't have noticed. "The joy of the Lord is my strength". I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard that through the years, but for the very first time it really impacted me. His joy gives us strength.

People down Red Bull by the case to keep their energy level up (personally I've never touched the stuff... my thinking is "what goes up must come down"!!!) But God has given us the real thing. His joy gives us strength. If I ever get to author my own Message Bible it will say, "It's like the Red Bull that never goes dry". Can you imagine feeling fully-charged and ready to face any challenge? Can you imagine being full of excitement over the magnitude of possibilities? It may seem like focusing on the task at hand would help us get psyched up, but once again the Bible gives us an answer that doesn't necessarily make sense in the world's thinking.

Focus on Him. Abide in Him. Let His love permeate your soul. Be filled with His joy. And suddenly everything else looks a whole lot brighter...... and most definitely a lot more fun.