Labor Day Sunday

Good morning!  The children and youth in our school district started school last week.  This got me to thinking of all the groups and committees which will start meeting again now that the summer is over.  Life is about to get a lot busier for many of us, students and adults alike!  Let me show you what I mean.  We’ll use me as an example.

Imagine that this plate is my life.  I have a lot of interests, activities and obligations which I try to balance on my plate, or fit into my life.  (Go through list, adding representative items to the plate one at a time.  For example, a spiral notebook and a pen could represent your work, a spatula cooking, a framed picture of your family, etc.)  Keep the plate balanced until the last item is placed on the plate, if you can, then let the whole thing fall to the ground.)

OH, NO!  What happened?  I put too much on my plate, didn’t I!  The same thing happens when we try to fit too much into our lives without taking time to pause.  To rest.  To regroup and refresh with God.  If we keep going, going, going without an occasional break, everything we want to do suffers.  We don’t do as well in school as we could.  We don’t have the energy and focus to excel in sports, or music, or dance, or whatever we like to do.  We can neglect our friends and family members. 

God tells us that we all need rest.  God rested.  After creating the heavens and the earth, God took a break.  Jesus, too, walked away from the crowds and spent time alone with his thoughts and with God every now and then. 

I encourage you to follow this example.  Take time out of your day and your week to unplug, unwind and spend quality time with God.  If you do this, the rest of your life will be in better balance and everything else will benefit.