Does Busyness Equal Significance?

One of the most common answers when someone is asked how they are doing is, "I'm really busy." I find myself saying that too. Why are we all so busy? With all of the modern technology, our lives should be easier, right? Wrong! Our lives have become more stressed and complicated across the board. Most of us have households needing two incomes, and combining that with evenings filled with household chores, meetings, and running the kids to sports, we are booked tight every day, all day.

I am currently in a season where I can choose how busy I want to be. Being an empty nester and semi-retired, I have the freedom to plan my schedule as I please. It's rather awesome, I must say. However, there are certainly times when I fall back into the familiar, with an over-committed schedule.

I have purposed in my heart to walk through doors that the Lord opens for me, which in turn brings me seasons of being very busy. Although those seasons are way less than in my younger days. However, I still have to work hard at managing opportunities and commitments to live a balanced life.

Let's ponder this reality of busyness. 

Do you feel guilty when you say no to something or someone? 

Do you think that you have to be all things to all people?

As Christ followers, at times, we substitute margins and self-care with the need to rescue and save. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about those things. But what I'm not about is overextending ourselves to the point where we are of no value to anyone. 

Is God really requiring of us to say yes to an over-committed schedule, another board meeting, and more time away from our families? Or are we saying yes to those things because it somehow gives us significance, increases our influence, and strokes our egos? 

Are we pleasing people or pleasing God? Is it in Him that we are finding our worth?

I feel that it is necessary to process the difference between an opportunity and a calling.

"In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow.
In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.
And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still."  by Pico Iyer

Let's create space... step into His pace... his rhythm.

Matt 11:28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” The Message

Our trip to Nova Scotia September 2025

My husband and I had the privilege of vacationing in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island this summer. It was a vacation we had been hoping to do for about 10 years, and we finally got to experience it. From ferry rides, majestic scenery, towering lighthouses, quaint fishing towns, historical fortresses, amazing seafood, to the highlands of PEI, we thoroughly enjoyed it all! 

 

The Beauty of Silence

I have learned to enjoy the beauty of silence. It is an area where I have grown in the last few years. I normally enjoy music playing in the background whenever possible; at home, in the car, and when I exercise. But recently, I have felt convicted to lean into silence. I am embracing the posture of silence to foster relaxation, inner peace, and to give space for the whispers of the Holy Spirit.

In our society, we have constant distractions around us. From notifications on our phones or smartwatches to pop-up windows on our computers. We are constantly bombarded with noise everywhere we go. Most restaurants and stores play music, which can make conversation challenging at times. We listen to podcasts or music while we exercise, and we have the news playing in the background while we work around the house. 

Constant noise keeps us from listening to our own thoughts. That may be why we allow it, because we don’t want to think about areas that bring us pain or unrest. But then we lie down to sleep at night and we can’t settle our minds. If we haven't had process time during the day, our subconscious mind needs to work during the night and interrupt our sleep with dreams or sleeplessness.

Jesus invited His disciples to share times of solitude (group solitude) with Him. “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” Mark 6:31-32

Psalm 62:1-2, "I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken."

Following in the ways of Jesus is always best. His example of pursuing quiet and rest is something that really speaks into our fast-paced culture, of performance and frenzy. If Jesus himself needed this, how much more do we need it?

Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God."

Have you ever tried to press into silence? It could totally transform your life! It did mine!