Hectic! That word can describe most of our lives, most of the time, but now that we also have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years coming at us, hectic may turn into chaotic.
In light of all our busyness I thought that this would be a good time to take a minute and share an amusing article by Lynne McGee that should bring a smile to all our faces.
It all began when the dental hygienist, who was scraping tartar off my teeth, asked, “Do you spend about four minutes each time you brush your teeth?” With a gurgling tube hanging from my lip, I responded, “A liddle lessth than that.”
“You really should,” she said, “or you will lose your teeth.” I vowed to myself that I would floss, pick, brush and rinse as instructed.
At my annual physical examination the doctor asked, “How often do you exercise?” “Do you limit your salt intake?” and “Does your diet contain much cholesterol?” I thus began an intensive fitness program, which I checked off on the daily “Personal Maintenance Schedule” on the refrigerator door. “
I then made an appointment for a beauty makeover. “When is the last time you had a facial?” the cosmetologist asked. “Never” didn’t seem like the right answer so I hedged with, “It’s been a while.”
“You should have a facial more often. You’ve already got some wrinkles around your eyes,” she warned. Mentally I added “Get facial!” to my personal maintenance schedule.
I soon learned personal maintenance was not all that I had to worry about. At the appliance-repair shop, the clerk examining my coffee maker asked, “Do you run white vinegar through it each month?” This began my “Home Maintenance Schedule,” which took its place next to my personal maintenance schedule.
Several other appliances, too, began demanding my attention. … I was sleeping four hours a night, had lost touch with my husband and children, and had no social life, not to mention no room left on the refrigerator door.
It all came crashing down one night when I was reading an article entitled: “Are You Endangering the Lives of Your Loved Ones by Failing to Dust Your Smoke Alarms Regularly?”
I ran to the refrigerator and tore the schedules to shreds. In their place I have established a policy in which I respond to all questions about my behavior by taking the Fifth Amendment.
Being busy can be good. (God designed us to do work.) It is easy, though, to feel overwhelmed by the tasks that loom ahead. Even when our bodies have enough rest, keeping up with our “To Do” list can be exhausting. Do you know why?
God made us to depend on Him for everything we need in this life. That is why acting like we don’t need God will never work. It even breeds frustration. Think about it. We see this truth because God has given us constant reminders of how much we need Him. He could have made us like the angels. Instead, we always need God’s provision of food, water, sleep, and even air.
Life is often hard, but it is possible to live without being frustrated. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).
The first step toward a peaceful heart begins when we humble ourselves before God. We must admit that our sin needs to be forgiven, and that we don’t want to live independently of the God who made us. That is why Solomon said, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep” (Psalm 127:1–2).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
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