Tuesday, November 27

Harried and Hurried



Special thanks to Sarah this week at Motherhood and Beyond for hosting In "other" Words.

“One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.”
~Elisabeth Elliott~

This quote really hit home with me this week. I love Christmas and the holidays. My house is decorated by Thanksgiving and it has become a tradition to turn the outside Christmas lights on Thanksgiving evening. I love the hustle and bustle of shopping, the crispness of the morning air, the decorations and all the activities that take place throughout the month of December.

The hectic schedule has already began to unfold in my life. Unfortunately I don't have a free evening this week! We met at the church last night with a host of volunteers and decorated the church. It looked so lovely when we finished. Friday evening is our annual Christmas social. Throughout this month there will be an open house at our home, a ladies Christmas tea, choir program, children's program and other holiday parties. In the midst of all those activities Christmas shopping must be finished, cookies must be baked, cards addressed and mailed and any additional holiday activities must somehow be squeezed into the already full schedule. Of course we still must juggle the routine household chores, work and church responsibilities into the days. Wow! That makes me tired just talking about all that must be done.

This is a season to be thankful for all of God's blessings and to also be reminded of the gift God gave to each of us. This is a time of year to give and to bless others as God has blessed us. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by all the demands of the holiday. Let's remember why we celebrate Christmas. Stress is certainly a large part of our lives as we struggle to cram everything into a short period of time. I refuse to focus on all that needs to be done each week which will only complicate my life more. My hubby is most likely facing surgery on his back in the next several weeks and I am not sure where that will put me regarding the activities of the church. My focus will be one day at a time. God knows what tomorrow holds for each of us. Worrying about tomorrow only brings more stress to our lives. Stress robs us spiritually and diverts our attention away from the things of God.

Many of us wear numerous hats and multi-task is a normal part of our vocabulary. This is a good month to take a step back, breath deep and seriously take inventory of our lives. Are there things which can be delegated to someone else? Can someone else help with the shopping or the baking or maybe even help clean our home for the holidays? We don't have to do everything and if we ask for help it certainly doesn't indicate we are less of a woman or have relinquished our super-woman title for the month. I certainly will not complain if someone offers to bake cookies for my family or help with other activities in the church.


Focus on today and prioritize your schedule. Make time for daily devotions and prayer. Even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holidays nothing is more important than our relationship with the Lord.

Blessings to you today!

19 comments:

  1. Wow, what a great post!

    I will be praying for you husband's back sugery...

    "Focus on today and prioritize your schedule. Make time for daily devotions and prayer. Even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holidays nothing is more important than our relationship with the Lord."

    How beautiful, how true.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Susan

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  2. Sometimes we are our worst enemies putting so many expectations on ourselves and others. It is good to remember Who called us and what He called us for. It is good to remember that He loves us and He is the one who gives us the strength we need to accomplish all He asks of us. Blessings on you this season....

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  3. One day at a time... that is His way! I pray that your husband's back surgery is a huge success!

    Thanks so much for sharing!

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  5. I'm ready to reliquish the role of superwoman - someone else can take on that role :)

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  6. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom!

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  7. I meme'd you so come on over and copy and paste and I'll look forward to your answers - still praying for you!!

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  8. This is good!! Thanks for sharing! Will be praying for your Husband and his back! Hugs, Grams

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  9. Great post! I will pray for your husband that he is not too uncomfortabe after his back surgery.I have also been meme'd by living beyond so check out my post today. Blessings, Rose

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  10. Nice to meet you!

    I have never read "Tyranny of the Urgent," but my brother has shared many things with me from that book. It is always a balancing act, especially when one has any kind of leadership in the church. I know that the Lord has been showing me how to politely say "I'm unavailable," in an effort to yield to His schedule and not man's.

    Thanks for this,
    KJ
    California

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  11. I understand the change of responsibilities. My hubby took a few weeks off this month, as we worked thru some family issues. He will be back in the pulpit this Sunday, and I can say I am more confident in the role I play. I am first and foremost a child of God. Then a wife. Mom. And so on. The roles I have in church do not define who I am, but how I express my gifts. And that is a freeing place to be.

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  12. "Nothing is more important than our relationship with the Lord." So true and so important to remember especially during the holidays.

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  13. Love the Elizabeth Elliot quote! Great blog. Thanks for a timely word.

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  14. Hi-I'm Lynette & I just found your site through BooMama & as a fellow coffee & chocolate lover I look forward to exploring your blog in the coming days. As a Children's Ministry Director for my Cordova Neighborhood Church I look for blogs that will be encouraging & uplifting to me.

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  15. Letting you know I am still praying... I am so sorry your husband is going through this! I know how bad the pain can be.. there is no way to tell any one unless they have gone through disc's being like his..... love and hugs Grams

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  16. Hi, I'm Nancy I found you thourgh another blogger.
    Love the post, we all need to sit back and prioritize these days and especially now in this busy time. Thanks for the reminders.

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  17. Why borrow trouble from tomorrow when today has enough trouble of it's own.
    I trust he will do will.

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  18. Debbie,

    This terrific post spoke to me with its power. I am exhausted from several things that have happened in the last few days, all of them out of my control - big plumbing problems and such. I am being run ragged. I didn't sleep well last night and am exhausted tonight. I can't do it tomorrow, but Friday I think I will put everything on hold.

    Thank you for reminding me that I must slow down a little and stop to enjoy the chocolate and coffee as well as the roses. ;-)

    Blessings,
    Mary

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Thanks so much for visiting this site. I pray that Chocolate and Coffee will be an encouragement to you today.

Blessings and hugs!