I started off today rushing to class, stressed thinking of
all I have to do, and strategically planning how I will get as much
accomplished as possible before Sabbath hits quite early tomorrow afternoon. I
found myself rather agitated throughout the morning, and realized that I was
definitely not the only one rushing.
Everyone seemed to be running somewhere, and alas this is our culture.
This is American culture, we’re supposed to be achievers, strivers, accomplishers….but
of what?
If we could choose the type of life we wanted to live is
this what we would choose? Would we cram our schedules full, would we pour our
time and energy into papers and assignments and extra curricular activities?
Is this really how we want to live? Is this how Jesus calls
us to live?
What if we woke up in the morning and just took time to sit,
think, read, and drink a cup of tea? What if we walked to class or to work,
stopping to chat to friends and acquaintances along the way? What if we cooked
dinner with family and friends every night taking the time to be thankful for
our blessings, our food, and taking time to develop relationships? What if we
made people the priority?
Because Jesus made
people a priority.
I seriously
struggle with these questions some days. And well, today is one of them. Midterms are next week meaning that I
have 3 tests and 2 papers. I know
I’ll make it through, get all the studying in, have my papers turned in on
time, but will I have spent time on the things that I care about most? Will I
sit down with Alexandra Paulsen and seek to understand her heart on a deeper
and more beautiful level? Will I snuggle up in a music room late into the
evening pouring my heart out onto the black and white keys of a piano? Will I
sip tea in the morning and watch the sun rise and leisurely have a wonderful
chat with Jesus? Will I attempt to put my dreams and thoughts into words and
lyrics and then sing to someone's hurting heart? Will I let my creative side get the best of me and cook an experimental
dinner and deliver cookies to friends? Will I do yoga out on my balcony as the sun is gradually setting? Will I write letters to my kids in Pohnpei and remind them how much I love them?
Nope.
You echo the jumble of my mind's content these last few days, Courtney! We are so individualistic, focused on being unique, on "doing something" with our lives, and your questions challenging this idea--challenge me. I just got back my first review of the twenty pages I wrote this month for writing school. The professor literally told me that I suffer from needing to do something creative--suffer from too much content, suffer with those anxieties in my writing...and it was crazy how his feedback actually spoke to my life, not my writing. Sigh. Basically, I want to say that I am thinking along side you. I think it's worth thinking about. Hope everything for school comes together! Love your thoughts! Em
ReplyDeleteHmmm, yes i know what you mean! Sometimes I feel like I have so many thoughts and ideas in my mind and heart that it is overwhelming and I just don't know how to get them all out, particularly in any organized or condensed fashion. Yet if we don't express our heart's desires through creative thought and action then we aren't being the women Christ created and called us to be. Keep being an inspiring and beautiful light every day girl as you write, laugh, and love! Xox.
ReplyDeleteWell said CB. Keep on searching for the love of life, the Love of life that brings beautiful colors to our blank canvas. Good thoughts.
ReplyDelete