I often describe life in one word: busy. For some reason it has become an expected state of affairs for the home and the office. Do you ever feel this way? I know I do and when I ask others I simply hear: “That is the way life is.” But could there be a better way? I’m not going to try to fake that I have this all under control. I DON’T. I mess up in this area often and it reminds me that there is this false sense of security in being busy. Especially when there is no clear direction. In fact I think Busy is the hamster in all of us.
Meet Busy the hamster
If life is a spinning wheel then we are the hamster. Our first steps are slow but we quickly pick up the pace to a speed we cannot control. We can’t stop and we won’t stop because the wheel depends on us. We become hypnotized by it. Almost as if the current motion is what keeps it all together. So we continue until we fall flat. We’ve forgotten that we control the speed. We’ve forgotten that unless we are moving somewhere then we are just hamsters on a gerbil wheel.
The impact of this reality
When we run through life aimlessly we miss the beauty of moments as simple as the smile of a friend of the closing of a child’s eyes as they drift off to sleep. I’ve missed moments like this because of a task that could have waited. This message is not a discouragement to working hard or having fun. No, this message is about focusing on priorities. On what truly matters. The reality is that I can’t even remember what tasks I needed to complete but I know exactly the memories I missed.
Hope for the weary
I believe this was one of the reasons why Jesus was so contagious during his time on earth. He always found the time to do what was most important; whether it was to heal the sick or play with children. And just like he challenged the status quo of society then, he would certainly challenged today’s as well. Yes, we all go through seasons where life is busy. But Jesus’ words of hope in Mathew 11:28 break the chains that strap us to a false reality that busy is better.
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
The hamster in me
Over a month ago I started a blog series on my vocational journey, highlighting my work experience and the lessons I learned along the way. I have truly enjoyed it but in the last few weeks a new project at work and my kids swim season got the most of my attention. In the midst of it all it has been hard to not feel guilty for taking a pause on my blog. I think that is part of the curse… we are made to believe that unless you are always on, your message loses meaning; that your audience might shift their attention. This is true, especially for a blog. But the real experience comes when we realize that a pause button is just as important as play. This is true with my blog and with life.
This example reflects the hamster in me. I grew tired and instead of enjoying the beautiful moments I was granted to connect with other employees and my family. As I’m reminded again of my true priorities, for now, my blog posts will remain in a draft stage for a little longer.
David Marques 