busy (again)

with such a title you might think i'm writing to complain about myself once again. but, thus is not the case. i'm writing for a different perspective on my last post. i suppose it would be less confusing to have entitled this one "busy part 2", but i've never claimed to be non-confusing (just ask kara about that). so anyway...
i've not been blogging for very long. so some statistics are easy to track. such is the case with this one. no other posting has generated more feedback to me than my last post: "busy". everyone is busy. my fellow Christ-followers especially resounded with the posting and let me know it.
tangent: if we're so busy, we are we taking time to write and read blogs?
i want to thank everyone for sounding off. busy-ness can alienate us from those that we love, but the response has reminded me that i am not alone.
but, just to let everyone know that i'm serious, i want to tell you that i actually left someone hanging with an indeterminate commitment. of course, the holidays don't last forever (it just seems like it), so planning for january and beyond has already begun.
one person gave me an invitation to an event--an event that i would really like to attend. but, i shared my heart with them and told them i was not making any further commitments at this time. i assured them that i would probably be OK to come when the time came and that i would let them know for sure (to assure enough food. there better be food!).
it's not much, but fewer commitments are a good start to being less busy. less busy is a good start to being a better listener of Christ.

Holy Lord, please continue to teach me to listen. for my own benefit and the benefit of those around me, let me be less busy and more active in the things that really matter: love of family, time in Your Word, worship, serving and healthy living.

busy

why do we let ourselves get so busy?
i'm sure we'd all agree that we do it to ourselves. no one is making us busy against our wills. we keep agreeing to all of the busyness.
i'm learning that there is a major difference between busyness and hardship. some have a full plate dealing with issues of hardship (poor health, financial woes, etc). but, busyness is beyond that. sometimes we have both at the same time. hardship is often inflicted upon us, but busyness is brought upon ourselves.
when will we learn to quiet our hearts and minds?
it seems that too many people think God can speak louder than the noise. i'm not sure that, fundamentally, that is correct. i'm sure God can speak louder than the noise, for He can do all things. but, i'm not convinced that God would speak louder than the noise. His own Word tells us to "be still" before Him. He cannot contradict Himself, so i'm pretty sure that means to do it.
it is in those still moments when He speaks, not loudly, but clearly.
to be too busy is, in fact, too tell God to shut up. we choose cacophony over the still, small voice.

be encouraged, fellow journey-ers. God is patient with us when we bite off more than we can chew. He stays with us and says, "don't talk with food in your mouth. stay with Me and I will help you finish chewing and digesting all that you've taken on yourself. all that you're trying to eat will probably cause you heartburn and indigestion, but I'm here with you for that, too."

what a fool i am, o God. teach me to stay with Your quietness and to take time for the really important things, things i should do, not just things i can do.

deep sigh

finally it seems our email is working again.
please resume using jadamson@lovedtolove.org.
thank you.