Too busy?

Life sometimes gets away from us, especially during the Christmas season. Some of us - especially those in the retail world - find the demand to work extra hours increasingly difficult to turn away. Then there's shopping to be done, parties to be attended, and snow to be shovelled on random days, setting us into a frenzied panic as we try to meet all of our obligations. So when a casual aquaintance asks to spend time with us in December we struggle to make time for them and often fail to find a feasible rendez-vous.

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Have you ever found yourself in this situation and given your friend a detailed laundry list, explaining all the items you have stuffed into your schedule over the next three weeks to account for your inability to accomodate time with them? Friends, forgive me for I recognize I too am guilty of doing exactly this. It wasn't until it happened to me when I was struck by how this impacts the listener. Because when you do this you are in effect saying, "I've booked these 30 other things into my schedule and they take priority over you at the moment". WOW! Pretty harsh when you look at it this way.

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And now I'm going to take it a step further: How many times have we said this exact same thing to God? "God, I know you're the one who's given me my life and all the time that I have; you're the creator of time! But work, parties, gifts....these are all more important than you right now. So forgive me for skipping devotions/prayer/church this week; I just can't make the time for you right now". OUCH!

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Moses knew the value of time management and wrote about it in Psalm 90:10-12: Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away....Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

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Moses reminds us that our days on this earth are numbered; when we get to the end we won't regret a missed paycheck, but we will regret a lost friend. How much more will we regret if we lose our relationship with Christ! I implore you, the next time a friend wants a few moments of your time that you can't seem to spare, don't give them your laundry list of chores and engagements; cancel something in the next 3 weeks and make a commitment. And do the same for Christ; He gave His son for you; surely you can find a few moments each day for Him!