The Dis-Ease of Busy-ness

This last April, I moved into my home in Frisco. Because I’ve been traveling so much, I haven’t been able to get really integrated into this amazing 55+ community of Del Webb’s Frisco Lakes. Until last week, I hadn’t even been able to attend the newcomers’ Frisco Lakes 101 that gives a great overview of everything that this community offers. Besides over 85 clubs and groups (Bible Studies, Game-Playing Groups, State Groups (people from your home state), various seminars, travel groups, bowling, bocce, pickleball, horseshoes and dance groups, there is the fitness center and fitness programs that provide every way possible to stay fit. No excuses! This month of August has afforded me the opportunity to “Dance the Pounds Away”, “Line Dance the Pounds Away”, “Cardio Sculpt”, “Outdoor & Indoor Swimming Aerobics”. Whew!! And, while that’s all awesome to keep a gal out of trouble and in to shape, one could sure get carried away with so much busy-ness. It reminds me of the cruises my husband and I would take. The schedule of activities was so full, and we didn’t want to miss a thing. We would need a vacation from our vacation.

I know I’ve blessed in this season of my life – to enjoy the company of other mature people and to celebrate that “we’re still here so we’re not done”. But, as with any age, busy-ness can be a huge distraction from the most important things. I remember, as a young child, how slow-paced our lives were. In fact, Mom and Dad made sure they’d go sit with the people we loved so much and have slow and meaningful conversations about the state of our heart and soul -- conversations that slowly unfolded, conversations with gentle pauses and silences that we were in no rush to fill.

How did we create a world where we have more and more to do, with less time for reflection, less time for community, less time to just… be? I remember Zig Ziglar quoting “We are human BE-ings – NOT, human DO-ings!”

How are we supposed to live, to reflect, to ponder – TO BE -- when we are so busy? This dis-ease of being “busy” (Let’s call it what it is -- the dis-ease of being busy is when we are never at ease) can really be damaging to our health and well-being. It saps our ability to be fully present with those we love the most and keeps us from quality one-on-one communications that we all so desperately crave.

Since the 1950s (my beginnings), we have had so many new technological innovations that we thought (or were promised) would make our lives easier, faster, simpler. Yet, we have no more “free” or leisurely time today than we did decades ago. And, instead of real communication with each other, we are on our devices. All. The. Time. Cell phones and laptops mean that there is no separation between the office and home.

I saw my daughter’s email inbox a couple of days ago – over 8500 emails awaiting her attention. Whew! Isn’t it time we re-evaluate this time, this place and this space? Isn’t it time to ask the meaningful questions of those we love? When we ask, “How are you?” shouldn’t that be what we really want to know. How often do we ask someone how they’re doing and the standard reply is “I’m so busy!” We don’t need to know how many items are on their to-do list, or their email inbox.

Personally, for me, I want to know how your heart is doing, at this very moment. Tell me. Go ahead and tell me your heart is filled with joy or tell me your heart is aching. Tell me you remember you are still a human being, not just a human doing. Tell me you’re more interested in me than the next item on your to-do list. Look me in the eye. Disengage from your electronics. Ask me how I feel and give me the time to explain “Great” or “Fine” or “In pain”. Put your hand on my arm, look me in the eye, and connect with me for one second.

Philippians 2:1-5 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

Isn’t it time we insist on connections when one of us responds with saying, “I am just so busy,” we can follow up by saying, “I know, Love. We all are. But I want to really know how you are doing -- how you AND your heart is doing.”

Full Moon in the Morning

Day 37 of Photo Inspirations -- Full Moon in the Morning
This was the feast that greeted me this morning as I looked out of my living room window at 7 am.  A Full Moon going down in the Western Sky.  The Moon was a treat for my eyes. Seeing her was a much welcome start to my day, and I wanted to share the image with you.  Maybe you happened to catch her presence last night when she was full in the Eastern sky.  And, maybe you're like me and managed to say goodbye to her this morning.   I quickly Googled "moon in the morning" and this is what I found:  "At full moon, the moon is exactly opposite the sun. This means that the moon rises just as the sun is setting, and sets just as the sun is rising. Two things contribute to the moon being visible in daylight. First, it is bright enough that its light penetrates the scattered blue light of the sky. Secondly, the moon must be high enough in the sky to be visibleI

I am loving this daily "photo inspiration" quest that I absolutely know that God assigned to me for this year.  I am noticing the beautiful world around me.  What was I thinking before now?   I know that "life" happens with all its busy-ness, all its appointments and schedules and itineraries and much more "to do's" than there are hours in the day,  I heard Sister Barbara Austin speak at a luncheon yesterday and she said this, "Soon you'll reach the season of life when you're able to slow down and sincerely find inner peace -- it's that place where you de-stress.  You are God's women and if we're God's women we listen to hear Him say, 'I love you. I love you. From the beginning of creation, I've been loving you."

And that resonated with me -- "from the beginning of creation"  when He was creating the skies and the sun and the moon and all of creation.....He was thinking about you and me.  What do we do with that?  We go the gratitude route -- thanking Him for all He has created.  Inner peace is finding Him in the midst of the busy-ness.....being consistently aware of this beautiful gift of life.   We can find that peace sooner than later if we purposefully make a point of looking for Him -- and finding Him -- in our day.  Perhaps it will be in the morning full moon, or seeing Him in our little children, or the precious loved one in a nursing home.  He's all around us.....and He awaits our noticing Him.

"When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you established—"   Psalm 8:3
#PhotoInspiration #MoonInTheMorning #GodCalling