It’s easy to see all the gaps and fill them up. If it’s a dam, great. That same finger shoving effort may not be quite as helpful if it’s a colander you’re filling the holes in, while you’re trying to strain some cauliflower from the water it was just boiled in - for your dinner!
Context, as ever, matters!
We can treat our diaries, and our time, a little like this – we can fill every second available, and leave no spare capacity (or room for other people, or room for God).
I once chatted with a minister in a church. He was pretty new, and his immaturity was sadly all too easily on display as he talked about how important he was, and why his diary was so very full all the time. The bigger problem here was that he had been given some really solid advice, and had chosen to ignore it – he’d been advised to always leave a little space each day for issues that came up with his congregation. He happily told me why he was ignoring that advice; he told me it was great advice, and he might do that one day.
It wasn’t a surprise to see how much damage that did to the church and the end consequence was people leaving in their droves because they didn’t really get any chance to meet with him: his overly full diary precluded him from meeting the needs of the very people he was filling his diary in order to serve better, a little like the father who works all the hours he can for his family, while neglecting his family in the process – the initial reason for his extra hours.
Buffer zones protect us, sure. But, they also create opportunities - a little like saying no to one person in need, enabling you to have the opportunity to say yes to someone else. Filling our diaries, in one sense, can be simply our arrogance shining through. It is a bit like saying we can read the future and know what will be happening tomorrow or next week. Making plans is great. Not allowing those plans to change is not so good!
Perhaps this sounds a little extreme to you, but it really is rather true – we can block out our ability to hear what God may be saying to us: there’s nothing wrong with being busy. But there is something wrong with being so busy we have no time for other people who may need us.
So, be slow to fill your diaries, and always make sure you leave time for God to have the right to alter the course of your day.
Just a thought…
Andy B
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