Feb 20, 2010

It Doesn't Take Much

I slept in this morning. The coffee was made, the house is clean, my husband is at the gym, and my son spent the night with one of his friends. Stillness and quiet; things we do not get enough of in our society. We frantically run around doing errands, going to work, taking the kids to practice, heading to church, meeting our small groups, volunteering at the school, working on the house, cleaning, doing the laundry, helping with homework, making phone calls, sitting in traffic - until we hit the wall.

We expend all of our energy on the temporal that we leave nothing left for the permanent. After the supper dishes are done, I collapse on my sofa and turn into a vegetable. I am like Cinderella every night, at the stroke of 7:45, I turn into a pumpkin. I don't have anything left to give. Sadly, though, this is the time that is important. This is the time that is eternal. Meaningful conversation with my spouse, physical affection, that is all more important than my errands were that day. Reading with my son and tucking him in at night, those things are so fleeting, I will surely regret not doing it more because I was tired from a day's work. I have a life long friend, who I dearly love, that lives 6 miles from me, I have not seen or spoken to her in 3 months - why? We are both busy.

We have had a really cold and long winter. The country is in so much trouble and I have been killing it at work. Perhaps, I have fallen victim to the hustle and bustle of this modern American life.  I am going to take today and enjoy this rare sunshine and 60 degree weather. Today, I am going to make some phone calls and today I am going to reset my priorities.

Maybe you will join me?