When I run into someone at the grocery store, or at a gathering, and ask the usual question, “How are you?” the typical answer I get is “Busy.” Everyone is “busy” these days. Somehow, all our time-saving devices have lost their effectiveness, and we have added them to the list of things to which we have become slaves.
Sometimes I wish I lived back in America’s pioneer days, back in the days where one had time to sit and knit before a warm winter fireplace, with family all around cracking nuts or reading books – and having time to simply “be” with each other.
Alas, those days are gone . . . forever? And with all our methods of communication, we have lost the unhurried face-to-face time that would allow us to talk and listen, to understand and be understood, to soak in the joy of “being with” someone.
Not only do we as adults feel the impact of this breakneck speed of life, but so do children. While I came home from school and played in the creek, swung on backyard swings, rode my bike down our country road, or climbed a tree book-in-hand, my niece and nephew a generation later were hurriedly shuttled from ball game to swimming, to gymnastics, to music lessons, with barely any time in the evenings to breathe.
This means, of course, that parents are rushed. Evenings are rushed. Time to simply sit and “be” with each other is often nonexistent. And kids grow up thinking this is the way life and relationships are.
Even worse, because you as a human get your initial concept of God from the adults in your early life, you may have grown up believing, either consciously or unconsciously, that God is like your parents – too busy for you. Too busy to listen, too busy to help, too busy to pay attention to you, definitely too busy to simply enjoy being with you. And because He does such important things like holding up worlds, creating galaxies, and keeping the universe moving in sync, even if He had time, you would be way down on His list of things-to-do. But you’re not!
God is never too busy for you! You are His special beloved treasure! He tells you, “I am with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matt 28:18). That’s a personal promise. This means that every time you talk with Him, He hears. When you cry, He hurts with you. When you rejoice, He rejoices with you. In fact, He even wants to simply “be” with you, just enjoying spending time with you. Unlike human parents, there will never come a time when God says, “Come back and talk to Me later – I’m too busy right now.”
You are never alone in life! There is Someone who takes every step with you — Someone who even enjoys just “being” with you!
Please leave a comment below and share how knowing this about God impacts, or can impact, your daily life.
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Enjoyed your inspirational article Pastor Sherry. I think anyone, whether they are religious or not, can appreciate the value of investing the time to just ‘be’ with people we care about. I believe it’s all about realizing our priorities in life – we all have the same 24 hours in life, and we have the power to choose how we spend that time.
marquita herald recently posted..Rejection: It Could be the Best “No!” You Ever Heard
Absolutely, Marquita! Relationships are terribly important, whether one believes in God or not. And they seem to become more and more important as we grow “more mature.” It’s definitely a priority thing.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him.” (Psalm 145:18 NIV) He’s never too busy to talk to you. He’s always near. He never says, “Some other time.” – God is never busy for us. He always wants us to reach Him through prayers. Inspiring post Sherry.
All the Best,
Jans
Jans Mendoza recently posted..How to make a Welcome Page on your Facebook Fan Page?
Welcome, Jans! Yes, God is always there for us. We just have to remember to turn to Him — all day and in everything.
My 6 year old is just now understanding that not everyone believes in God and he is so worried about specific people he knows. Being a single mom does leave me “busy” but I’ve included the kids in all my chores I need to do at home and we chat as we work. BUT it’s been a while since I “played” with them in the sandbox. I need to change that. Thank you !
Joyce Penner recently posted..His funnel isn’t the traditional MLM funnel but it worked
Hi Joyce,
Wow, single mom and a 6-year old! You’re definitely busy! I think I know at least one of your “whys” for being an entrepreneur!
God bless you as you make time to play more with your kids.
Hmmmm, I sometimes wonder whether people are as busy as they say that they are. On the other hand, it is very easy to appear to be busy but actually get nothing done. My take is that they want us to think they are, whereas, in reality, that is not the case.
There are plenty of places on earth where life is much slower than in our Western countries. We choose to be here I suppose so we cannot complain. Funnily enough, in those countries, God (or some form of a god) often plays a much more leading role in people’s lives.
Maybe it is not God not having time for us that we should concern ourselves with, but us not having time for Him in today’s busy world.
Trevor Barrett recently posted..4 Tricks For A Healthy Financial Lifestyle
Hi Trevor,
Hmmmm, you may have hit something. Could it be that sometimes we just say we are busy so that perhaps someone else knows better than to ask us to do something?
Interesting insight about other countries. Yes, we seem to have so much technology that our worldview does not include God, or if it does, He is a Being so far out of touch with us that He’s not worth bothering about. People in slower-paced countries have time to notice God at work, and actually have a better view of Him than we do in the Western world.
Which brings up the question of us having time for God. So very true. And when we do, I wonder how many even know how to spend that time with Him?
Great insights, Trevor!
Pastor Sherry,
I have to disagree with you. I don’t think those days are gone forever. They are hidden within us, masked by the chaos and hubbub of modern day living. We can still take the time to go face to face and have an in depth and meaningful conversation. In my business, network marketing, that is essential to develop the trust of know, like and trust.
Thanks for letting me voice my opinion here!
RICK
Rick Lelchuk recently posted..Know, Like and Trust… And the Winner Is?
Hi Rick,
Disagreeing is ok. In fact, your point about us still being the same people who need community (my words, not yours, but same idea) is well taken. Surely, we do. And too, I believe that our modern chaos and hubbub drowns out some of those inner and more quiet longings.
Yes, in internet marketing one builds relationships, and I am enjoying that. But these friends are not the same as the friends I kayaked with at 6:30 a.m. this morning on the river, or the friends with whom I share my spiritual journey, or the ones who can hold me accountable for the deeper things in life, or the friends who have been with me when I’m happy or sad — in different situations.
There are different levels of relationship. I value relationships with internet marketing colleagues. But I wouldn’t place business/financial conversations in the same category with deeper-level dialog. And unless there is a sharing of what’s deepest in us, I’m not sure I can call that a real friendship, even though we all use that term. Is this making any sense?
I guess we think that if we slow down we are going to miss something when i was growing up in the Caribbean SUNDAY was a day of rest to quite down, enjoy,and just let god do what he does best listen and bless but now every body is just busy doing what nothing and i agree with you the kids think that’s how it should be,my 13 years granddaughter is always bored need something to do i just wish i could show her how to be at rest . thank you for taking the time to let us know to rest is to be blessed.
Hi Lenore,
Thanks for your insights! It’s interesting that you said we think we’ll miss something by slowing down. I didn’t mention this in my blog, but we truly are bombarded with things to do, places to go, people to see. Long ago there was no entertainment in smaller towns except lectures, singing schools, and homemade parties — corn huskings, barn raisings… Ok, I realize I’m fantasizing about the “good old days,” but the fact is, there really WAS less to do. But we actually have much more to miss out on today if we don’t slow down. There are friends, relationships, connections with God, listening to what He is saying to us through different avenues, and the REST that you mentioned, as well. When do we simply rest? Ok, I’m on a roll, and I’m “preaching to the choir” since you already know all this, so I think I’ll stop! You have a wonderful day, Lenore!
Pastor Sherry, thank you for pointing out some of the challenges we face in modern 21st century society. I realize that not all readers of this blog may live in this fast pace, but I know I sure do. I recently read a good portion of the book, The Shack, in which a man meets God face to face. What stood out to me was how unhurried God was, among other things
Steve-Personal Success Factors recently posted..Discover 6 Secret Success Factors For Leading the Field
Hi Steve,
There may be a few who don’t live high-paced and fast, but I’m guessing they are pretty far apart. Although, I have seen some homeschool families who seem to be able to have time to converse and “be with” each other.
The Shack has a lot to say to us, I think. You picked up on the unhurridness of God. Hmmm, maybe we have such a problem with God’s timing because we have that same problem with our own? There’s a quote that I love: “But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay.” That about sums it up, doesn’t it! Blessings to you!
How refreshing. As I read this I have been guilty of exactly what you said. I’m working on the computer and my 3 yr little boy is tugging at me to come play with him……I guess I’ll be going now.
Thanks for adding value to my life today!
Hi Steve,
So very glad you stopped by! And that you left the computer for your little boy
Blessings on you today!
I always find delight in reading your posts Pastor Sherry.
In today’s “lifestyle” it’s not uncommon to hear a response as “I’m good but just busy.”
My observation in that response is that many of us are simply NOT choosing to embrace the little moments in life. The phrase “stop and smell the roses” is a cliche because it’s true and it makes sense. Instead, we adopt a way of thinking that is way beyond where we truly are at – that is, in the moment. It is in the present moment that we are the most powerful and most appreciative of what are and what we own.
Behold the power of now.
I totally know what you are speaking about with your niece and nephew. That’s a completely familiar scenario it seems nowadays. While extracurricular activities are important (it builds positive directions – self confidence, healthy bodies, social interaction outside of the home and school, etc.) it is also very important to stop and be grateful for what we have (right now).
Thanks for your post Sherry. I’m stopping right now to give thanks to you for being who you are and for filling the minds of your readers with absolute and genuine information.
-Jaclyn Castro
Jaclyn Castro recently posted..How a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) Will Help You to Succeed in Your Life
Hi Jaclyn,
I had replied to your comment, but lost it! Don’t know how that happened.
Thanks for your insights. You’re so right about the “now.” If we could learn to live in the “now,” and “stop and smell the roses,” maybe it would momentarily break the cycle of busy-ness and feeling rushed. And if that cycle was broken, we could feel less rushed, even if nothing had changed on our to-do list.
Yes, I know the extracurricular activities are said to be beneficial — and certainly they have benefits — but I suppose one needs to weigh the benefits of the activities with the loss of a slower pace of life. And that boils down to each person’s choice. I would hope each family makes that choice for themselves and not because all the other families are living this way.
Thanks for your affirmation, Jaclyn! I’m enjoying getting to know you via FB
Pastor Sherry,
I can say guilty as charged but it’s not about blaming, but about awareness. The old adage of taking time to smell the roses comes to mind. The internet was supposed to cut our use of paper and as a society we seemed to use more paper than ever before. We don’t really trust this “New World” order we have embarked on. As we embrace new ideas, the old ones just show us how real and meaningful they were. It’s just like the “Good ole Days” – gone but not forgotten. They are ready to be resurrected at anytime we choose.
Thanks for the post.
Charles
Charles Seay recently posted..We Were Being Groomed
Right on, Charles! It’s not about blaming, but about awareness. Blame won’t get us anywhere. But being aware that there’s a different way of living can help us make good personal choices for ourselves and our own families. Maybe if enough of us made choices to take time to be with the people we care about — and time for God — we can start a movement that will spread!
Hi Pastor Sherry,
I am impressed with your article and your side of story ! It is very true that we are moving fast in today’s world and this has definitely changed the way we used to spend our time and the way we used to build relationship with people.
Honestly speaking, I still missed the time when there was no internet introduced yet but now with all the conveniences available, I am more pampered
but that doesn’t mean I am not busy. It is just that sometimes I need to make time for myself.
Whatever it is, we still have to keep up with new changes and live in the present moment !
Thank you, Pastor Sherry for giving me another perspective from your post.
Cheers
Pearly
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Hi Pearly,
I tend to think that Americans are the busiest, and forget that this is a world problem, not a local one. Thanks for reminding me that our entire world suffers from this busy-ness!
Yes, back when there were no computers in schools and no internet, our connections were made face-to-face. We actually knew each other. The internet gives us a chance to meet different people, though, and that’s a good thing. But I may never meet you face-to-face, so will not really know you. That’s not a problem, except that we treat our geographically-close family and friends this way, as well. We treat God this way, too, and maybe even worse, we believe He treats US that way. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Hey Sherry,
LOL I find it really funny that I was racing through your article that when I realized what was going on… I stopped and read it again!
You know, we here in the US race through everything and I now find myself as I’m now breaching 30, that I need to apply the breaks!
It’s one of the reasons why I’m so focused on building this business, so I can slow down and enjoy the more simple things (like you mentioned).
People really need to stop and take a look around, maybe when there’s enough people to realize that this whole “race” thing has been contrived as a plot to be used against us, we can start to turn the ship around?
Thanks for the inspiration!
-Dereck
Dereck recently posted..Xango Review: Mangosteen Juice Benefits
Oh Dereck, I’m laughing with you! And I can so relate! When did life become one big “get-through-it-as-fast-as-we-can merry-go-round, anyway? You’re blessed to be able to notice this at age 30 instead of age . . .
And I’m not sure it’s only the U.S. that races around. We might just have the corner of the market, but I know there are other countries where people don’t have time to breathe. Let’s pray that more people understand that busy-ness is NOT where it’s at. When we are this busy, we tend to tune God out as well, and that’s the real disaster.
Fantastic stuff….I just finished reading the book The Myth of MultiTasking in which I came to believe, like the author multitasking is worse than a lie because it’s socially accepted. Thus the reason for the “impact of this breakneck speed of life”.
Debi Talbert recently posted..How To Fall Asleep Fast
Hi Debi,
Funny, isn’t it, how so many “socially accepted” attitudes and behaviors can negatively impact out life. We do tend to go with the crowd and do what everyone else is doing, and worse still, HOW everyone else is doing it. What would happen if we all sat down and really thought about what was important in life (like God, family, relationships, health, etc), and made a plan to make first things first, keeping things in perspective?
Hi Pastor Sherry,
You certainly hit a nerve here. It is all too easy getting caught up commenting on posts and being busy, when I find that time out in nature can change everything in a very short time.
There is wonder in this world if we stop to smell the roses for a while, and quiet time in mediation makes all the difference to my mood.
Which reminds me. I have to go get my 5 year old from childcare! Guess life is a juggling act balancing everything. The real question is, what happens if we drop the ball all together?
John Gaydon recently posted..Abundance – It’s All In The Mind
Hi John,
Isn’t it wonderful what nature can do for us! Yet we go at breakneck speed without seeing the beauty and letting it sink into our hearts. But you at least have realized that and that’s a huge step.
Hmmm, I suppose it depends on which ball we drop, doesn’t it? There are consequences to dropping any ball. Maybe we just need to pick and choose which consequences we’re willing to live with. There’s a Bible text that helps here . . . “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matt 6:33
Hello Sherry!
Yes busy is right most people are busy these days.
My mum says it’s always the business people who manage to fit more things into life.
For example to some people they are busy if they walk the dog in the morning and feed him in the evening and there for could not possible make an arrangement that might affect their norm… or the dog’s!
Whereas the next person might have 10 appointments in a day, walk the do and feed the dog but still be able to squeeze in lunch or supper with a friend!
Good point, Sadie! “Busy” is relative, isn’t it! Since we’re all unique, each person has their own tolerance level of “busy,” and therefore solutions cannot be a “one-size-fits-all” kind of thing. But I still believe the key is in priorities, and being proactive on the nitty-gritty of how we spend our time. Thanks for sharing your insight!
Hi Sherry,
One of the reasons I left the UK was precisely because of the hurried life that seems almost impossible to escape! Sailing was my answer but as soon as I settled in to work – chaos took over and I didn’t have time for my friends or family, let alone myself.
I live on a small holding nowadays. The country folk here in Portugal always have time to just be. Families still get together for Sunday lunch, they meet in the mornings for coffee and nobody likes to rush anything! Quality of life still seems to matter most and my friends are never too busy to listen or help, and neither am I.
I could be ridiculously busy if I choose to be… there is always something to do but I will never fall in to that trap again. Most nights my partner and I just sit and talk – the TV is rarely on – good for the soul.
I feel for the children that are brought up into busy, high stress lifestyles… I hope they have something like God to believe in.
All the best,
Emma
Emma recently posted..Google+ vs Facebook
Hi Emma,
Sounds like you made some deliberate life changes that have worked out wonderfully for you. I applaud your taking action when you saw the problem, and can only imagine what it cost you — these changes are never without stress. And you have continued to look at your priorities and make sure they get first attention, by NOT being “ridiculously busy” again. You have my admiration!
I love your description of your life now! Time to “just be” is a wonderful way to live. You know, one highly detrimental aspect to all this busy-ness is that we don’t have (translate that, “we don’t take“) time to “be” with God AND we project our own busy-ness onto Him. How can God speak to us when our minds are not on His frequency?
Thanks for sharing and letting the rest of us know that living this way CAN be done!
Hi Pastor Sherry, one of my pet “bugs” is when people say they are too busy for something. I feel like reminding them that everyone has the same number of minutes in the day, it’s what we choose to do with them, that is different.
If someone says they’re too busy, I think they’re just making excuses and really mean they would rather (or think they should ) do something else.
I wish I had thought about this when my children were growing up, and I had spent more time “just being”!
Thanks for your post Pastor Sherry, I really enjoyed it. regards from Julieanne
Julieanne van Zyl recently posted..How do you create your lead capture pages which way is Easier for you?
Hi Julieanne,
I can sympathize with you. Many times I do feel that people just use busy-ness as an excuse. As Sadie commented earlier, some people feel that taking care of their dog twice a day is being “busy.” Having said that, I think we all realize that the days for most people are crowded with far too many “things-to-do.” Sometimes I’ve used “busy-ness” because I simply felt too overwhelmed to even consider one more thing.
You may not have thought about this when your children were small, but you are thinking about it now. They are still there for relationship-building!
Great post, Pastor Sherry! You are so right about how our “conveniences” often end up trapping us. This is why I refuse to this day to buy any sort of smart phone. It’s pretty amazing that people think of a cell phone as being “unavailable,” but I couldn’t agree with you more about the question of whether or not these machines are supposed to serve us or if we are serving them.
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Amen and amen! These “time-saving devices” have now become our masters, haven’t they? It wasn’t even that long ago when no one had a cell phone — or computer in their home. Amazingly, we all survived (and probably better)!
WOW! So very inspiring! Now that you mentioned it, I do think its kind of ironic how little time we have for the meaningful things in life, in a world filled with technology designed to make things happen faster! I agree that God is never to busy for us. All we need to do is speak, he’s listening.
Thanks for the beautiful post…
Hi Roshanda,
Ironic — yes! When things break down or don’t work right my mother says that “we” have improved things to the point that they don’t work anymore. It seems to be that way with our time, too. It has gotten “improved” with time-saving devices. Only problem is, it’s backfired on us.
I’m so glad that God is not too busy for us — He didn’t need to improve!