We worked till 7:30pm or so on a house tonight, and till 9:30pm the night before.
(We keep forgetting to take pictures cause we're so task oriented!)
Frequently these days, I find myself saying "As soon as we finish this house, then I will...
...spend more time with people
...get other projects done
...slow down
...have more fun
...slow dance with abby
...help others with their needs
…give more money
…be more stable
I keep telling myself these long hours and intense focus are only a season, the same way a farmer works a few extra hours during the harvest.
And that is true, it is for a season, but the scary fact is, it is easier for me to work than slow, rest, plan, enjoy...and my fear is that it is a lifestyle I am moving towards, not simply season we are in.
My favorite quote right now is "Busyness is a form of laziness".
To me it means we are often too lazy to figure out how not to be busy, too lazy to say “no” to the unimportant things that make up our busyness.
Also, it is hard work to face the silence of leisure.
To slow down means I have to feel...and my feelings aren't always the easiest things to face. I feel anger, anxiety, depression, lonely, sadness along with joy, peace, and happiness. To stay busy means I don't have to wrestle with any of my internal world. I don't have to do the hard work of making sense of my emotion. So I stay busy.
I love that I was taught to rest on the Sabbath. My dad worked a ton, but always protected Sundays. I love that we even have a God who rested. Abby and I have always been good about avoiding work on Sundays.
And that is what we will do today! Rest.
The season will end. Because we will not be lazy about ending our busyness! And well, we have great people around us (including the Great Counselor) who will let us know if our season has turned into a lifestyle!
I was able to set my paint brush down for 20 minutes yesterday to throw the football with jake, the 10 year old neighbor boy. Next to yanking staples, slopping paint, wielding the vacuum hose, it was the most important thing I did yesterday!
