The Badge of Busyness

I have been pondering "busyness" lately. It seems that most interactions with others involve the word busy. RVA is notorious for its hectic schedule. Missionaries who serve in the "bush" visit RVA and while we marvel at how they can live without running water, electricity and a local supermarket, they will often look at us at comment, "I could never keep up the pace you do here!"

Life is full, there is no way around it.  We have children to raise, jobs to do, houses to be cleaned, etc. But I have noticed that sometimes we can take it too far. We can wear our busyness like a badge of honor. "Look how busy I am!"

I am guilty of this too. This year has brought a new pace of life that I am not used to. I was caught off guard those first few months of juggling teaching with being a wife and mom. I  felt slightly envious, and a little judgmental of others who didn't carry the same load as I did. I felt the need to tell everyone how much I was doing. "Look how busy I am!"  Yet, aren't we all busy to some extent? Who am I to judge who has the heavier load?  

Yesterday I was granted the gift of a day that did not have a to-do list driving it. Amazing. I left school on Friday, feeling prepared for the next week. I could hardly believe it. Whether I was living in denial or it was truly the case, I reveled in the fact that my weekend looked surprisingly open. It was such a gift to pull out crafts with my children on Saturday morning, go for a run with a friend, hang the laundry on the line, and read a good book without a nagging guilt that something had been left undone. If I had been wearing my busyness badge yesterday, I may have formulated some tasks to quickly accomplish to feel as though my day had been productive, instead of just enjoying a day of rest.

A song that has ministered to me lately talks about how we keep striving so hard to earn grace (or please others), yet God is enough for us.  Here are few of the words:

                                    "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching
As if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

'Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

'Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, yeah I'll love you
I'll never let you go