If You're Too Busy To Serve, You're Too Busy

I am finally coming out of the fog. This spring I felt a shell of a person. I was overworked, over scheduled, over-tired, over-committed, OVER IT ALL.

Though it was hard to nail down the source of all the overwhelm, it was clear I had too much on my plate. My logistics probably look different from yours, but you've been there, maybe? Homeschooling my three littles, working at the church, leading VBS, blogging, managing a household, traveling, planning this and that...

I was doing so much "good," I was no good to anyone. I was too exhausted to interact with my kids the way I wanted. I was spent by the time the day was over with little to give my husband. I remember walking or driving through the neighborhood seeing an elderly neighbor friend, knowing I should stop in or invite her over...but I couldn't. I simply did not have the bandwidth to minister to another person.

And that is when it slowly dawned on me. If you're too busy to serve the ones right in front of you, you are too busy.

I remember hearing in Young Life leadership during college, "Jesus was never in a hurry," That always stuck with me. The Messiah, the Ruler of All - this One could always be interrupted. He wasn't rushing. He walked in step with the Father.

I am going to tell you that I made some tough decisions this summer. I said "no" to a lot of commitments so that I could say "yes" to others - the ones that really matter to me. I stepped off the treadmill of busyness so that I would have margin in my life - to minister to that lonely neighbor, to help my grandma, to listen to my toddler.

IF YOU ARE TOO BUSY TO HELP THOSE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU ARE TOO BUSY.

I pray that the Lord would let us all hear His voice calling us. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Are we picking up burdens he has not asked us to carry? Are we weighed down by loads He wants us to resign?

I've thought a lot about the story of the Good Samaritan. Not about the beaten man, or the good Samaritan, but about the other two. The ones who passed by. I kind of wonder if they were late for something Important, rushed to a prior commitment. 

Who is around you? Who needs you? And maybe the more important question - what do you need to drop so that you can help?

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Blessings,

Jessica Smartt