Saturday, September 5, 2009

The Tyranny of the Urgent

When I was in college, one of the required reading books was The Tyranny of the Urgent.  What a great book.  So true then, so true now.  I have so many things pulling on my time and energy, and some seem important, some not so much (but "need" attention anyway).  Where, then, is the time to be still?  To let my brain be silent?  To just enjoy God and wonder at His creation?  I think I need to get the book out and re-read it (even if it does add one more thing to my to-do list).  Why?  Because I am on vacation and I still have a running list in my head.  Some things dopey, some a little less so.  What's on my mind this long weekend? 

  • The stack of 6 books I brought to read, two of which are due at the library in a few days, so I "must" get them read
  • I "have to" update my daily nutrition and fitness log online
  • Which reminds me, I "need" to go exercise
  • Can't believe I am admitting this, but I "need" to harvest my crop on FarmTown in Facebook (how sad is that one?)
  • I "have got to get around to" finishing my knitting and crochet projects I brought
  • I "really should" do something outside, as it is such a lovely day
  • The sermons I "need" to download and listen to that I have missed this summer
  • I am so far behind in my Bible reading (this one is truly abhorrent, but actually legitimate)
  • My contact is fuzzy and I need to clean it
  • Have I updated my Shelfari list?  I "need" to make sure it is current
  • My email in box has 726 unread messages (no joke).  I "really should" get that cleaned up.
  • There is a video I "have" to watch for work that I "should have" watched weeks ago.
  • Hannah's birthday is in 16 days and I "have to" figure out what to get her, what kind of party she can have, and (oy vey) I "have to" clean the house!
  • I "need" to make my pics for the NFL pick 'em league at work (week one is days away!)
This is just a partial list.  If I sat here long enough I could fill the page.  And, like I said, I am on vacation - so this doesn't even include the truckload of things waiting for me at home.

Ug. 
Be still.  Be quiet.  Wait.  Peace be with you. Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Be still.
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1 comment:

Jenibug7 said...

oh, friend! what your life needs is some MARGIN! we just wrapped up a several-week-long sermon series on this! margin is defined as the space between your limit and where you are currently functioning. pretty sure you are actually functioning BEYOND your limit!! i tried to find a link so that i could just paste the first sermon in the series here- i think if you just heard like the first 15 minutes, you would start weeding out half of the things on your list and free yourself from those "responsibilities". you can go to www.hcbc.com and hear it or you can find it on itunes under podcasts (Hill Country Bible Church- it may also say Northwest as the campus or Tim Hawks as the speaker). add that to your "to do" list. :)

September 5, 2009 at 1:39 PM

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