Take the Frantic out of Busy
My two oldest boys returned home for the summer. Even though my laundry and grocery bills have increased, my house and heart are full. Since they’ve been away at college, they’ve started thanking me for cooking and for the things I did for them when they were younger. I chuckle and say I’m happy to be their mom, but raising boys was a challenge because, when they were younger, they were hard to keep alive.
I reviewed some old home-recorded VHS tapes to have uploaded into the cloud, and I got a good laugh out of reliving some of the chaos of their younger years. While my oldest and middle son fought over being the star of the camera, my youngest was in the background trying to teach himself how to do back flips off the ottoman.
I was exhausted from just watching the video. Being a mom of young kids can be busy because you have to consider every possible outcome to stay one step ahead of them. And then have attorney-like arguments after they figure out some sort of loophole in your instructions, like jumping off the couch” isn’t the same as jumping on the couch.
Looking back, I’m amused by the boys’ antics, but there were times when I allowed being busy to turn into frantic, and I’m ashamed to say that it was those moments when I let my temper flare. When busy turned into frantic (usually after failed attempts to get my children in the car), I raised my voice, shouted, and threw an adult temper tantrum. Later, I would have to repent and apologize for mommy’s bad behavior.
Jesus was busy but never frantic.
Like us, Jesus also faced time management challenges. He was on his way to heal a dying child, pressing through a crowd, when a woman with a bleeding disease stopped Him by touching His cloak. Jesus was in the middle of someone’s home teaching a lesson when a man was dropped through the roof, interrupting His talk. Even little kids distracted Jesus’ teachings, but He said, “bring the children unto me,” and worked them into a message on entering God’s Kingdom.
Being busy isn’t always the problem. We were meant to work. In the Garden of Eden, Adam had the task of naming the animals. God is the creator, and if we’re made in His image, then it’s reasonable to believe we were made with a desire to work and create things, with the intent that they are to be constructed for God’s glory.
Where sin raises its ugly head is when busy turns to frantic. Frantic brings its friends: disorder, frustration, and chaos, and typically, anger tags along, rabblerousing. The first part of 2 Timothy 4:5 says, “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation.” I’m still a work in progress in this area, but some things I’m implementing to keep myself in check are to identity and ask God to forgive me for the things I did to add to a hurried situation, like scrolling on social media instead of getting ready earlier or taking an extra ten minutes being indecisive on what to wear. Also, trust God in the situations that are out of our control, like a child’s diaper blow-out right as you were heading out the door.
Lastly, start your day prayed up. Jesus got away from the noise and went to quiet places to spend time with the Father. Spending time inviting God into your day and your schedule not only instills a sense of peace but also realigns our priorities with His and helps us to focus on our purpose.