unhappy business
"...yet there is no end to his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, 'for whom am i toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?' this also is vanity and unhappy business." {Ecclesiastes 4.8}
often my thoughts are spurred by my husband's insights into the Scriptures and life itself. or from the very active not-so-little-anymore people in my home. i give ben the credit here and reflect back to a sermon thought...
God didn't intend busy to be normal.
but we make it so and wear it as a badge of honor.
"hey, how are you?"
"oh, i'm so busy."
"yah, me too."
thinking to yourself, "ha. my busy is more busy that your busy."
what is your unhappy business?
what is it that occupies all your mind space?
it wakes us up in the morning and what we're thinking about right now while trying to read this.
it fills our calendars and causes us to sigh.
it's what drives us to want that massage so bad.
this unhappy business is the very thing we use to make ourselves look important and the very thing that gives us ulcers.
this unhappy business has no place in our lives.
it has no eternal value and is often task-driven, not relationally driven.
we take the role of chief executive officer and look around and realize there's no one under us for it's a one person show.
because it doesn't put food on the table, we can walk away from it.
because it puts a strain on our marriage and home life, we can say no to it.
this unhappy business is all the extra we put on ourselves.
this chasing after the wind that leads us nowhere
but to more stuff,
more addictions,
more ulcers,
more busy badges.
so let's try this conversation starter instead...
so i ask you, how are things slowing?
"i took time to read a book to my son when i got home from work."
"{emphasis needed} that's so slow! my husband and i carved out 30 minutes of time together
with phones down and tv off last night."
"wow. that is slow."
and simulataneously you both think to yourselves, "well, good for her!"
slow is the new busy.
a way we slow down. life is full with three kids almost four with a church planting husband in an urban setting. i get it. but it's in how we build margin into our lives amidst routine, activities, school and fun that allows us to slow down.
check out our family playbook and use any and all that you want. it's strictly homemade, but proven to work: