Too Busy

Widowed for over 14 years, children grown, siblings dead, relocated from her small town church friends. Knowing Jean was lonely, I stopped by one afternoon. Her snug cottage shared land with her son, Junior’s, house.

While we were visiting, Jean jumped up from her chair hearing tires on the driveway. She stood in the doorway looking towards the other house saying, “Look, he’s home! Junior must be so tired; he left early this morning.”

The white, fluffy head on the 89 year old body stepped out the door to her porch. Right hand held in a wave with a smile on her face to the man getting out of his pickup, but Junior never turned toward her. Papers in hand, he closed the car door and walked quickly into his house.

Disappointment showing in her face, Jean walked back into her house saying, “Bless his heart, he must have a lot on his mind. I wouldn’t keep him long. I just wanted to ask how how his day went, and to tell him that I love him. Oh well, maybe tomorrow he will have time to visit a minute…”

Once again she sat down in her chair and took the TV remote changing the channel. Looking at me, Jean smiled saying, “Let’s see what the weather is going to be.”

As I watched her rounded face look at the screen, I thought harshly of her son who was too busy to have a conversation with the person who delivered him, took care of him , adored him, and who still watched for any opportunity to help him. I realized that if I was in Jean’s place, the rejection would have really hurt my feelings. How could Junior be so self-centered?

Many years have passed since that afternoon in Jean’s living room, but the expression on her face still lives in my mind. It seems humans often ignore or take for granted the one person whom they are confident will always love them.

In our daily world, pressure from the job, house work, necessary duties and errands go first on our “to do” list. Building and maintaining relationships by spending time in conversation is judged to be unproductive.

Holy Father God,

This verse in your Book made me think that I often treat You like Junior treated Jean all those years ago:

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not call on my name,

I said, ‘Here am I , here am I’ all day long I have held out my hands to obstinate people who walk in ways not good pursuing their own imaginations.” Isaiah 65:12

Like the children of Israel, do I ignore spending time with my Heavenly Father choosing instead to start my list of duties, planning, or worrying about the future?

I realize that You are Almighty God and not a mere human being. You are completely self-sufficient. You don’t need me, but I am positive that I need You.

So I wonder, since you created me in your image with free will and emotions, shouldn’t I be using my free will to choose to spend time with the One who loved me first and loves me still with all my faults?

Have I often hurt your feelings, Lord, when I don’t take time to get still and speak to you, but I can talk with a complete stranger at checkout when I am “so busy?”

Forgive me God!

Please help me prioritize every day to get still, read your Word, and talk face-to-face in prayer with You about those duties, plans, and worries. You are the One who is in control, knows all, and is always near me.

Help me to be sensitive to your presence in my life. That I might reflect and reciprocate your abundant love for me back towards You. I want to show my love not by doing things for You, but by choosing to spend time with You.

Convict me Spirit of Truth when my confidence in the fact that Almighty God loves me enough to ransom and adopt me by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ drifts into taking God’s presence and blessings for granted. I want to stop that.

Amen

“For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye–” Zech. 2:8 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life,” John 3:16 ESV

“Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister , and Lazarus.” John 11:5