Season of Breathing

Those of you who heard me on Sunday Morning at NMC or NLF, or if you listened online (shameless plug), you heard me rail into the danger of getting distracted in busyness.
One reality I've learned to accept is that life will have seasons called busy. It's inescapable.
I'm at the end of one of those seasons in my life. Between May 28 and today(60 days), I have been...
...in the Dominican Republic, Ohio, and Michigan for extended amounts of time.
...in my bed at home for 39 nights, in some other bed for 21 nights.
... taken over 200 students somewhere for something.
... on the platform on Sunday Morning three times.
... Planned out the Wednesday Nights for 3 age groups for an entire Semester.
... in the office 13 days, but working 45 days.
... getting adjusted to a new role.

Yes, I have been busy. I'm not proud of it. It's just reality.
Here's what I've learned.
God has a rhythm about Him.
That's right, rhythm. When he created the Earth, he did it with a rhythm. He was crazy busy for 6 days. Then he took one day and rested. HE took a day and rested. He took time to breathe.
It's a rhythm he passed on to us. He told us to do the same. Take Sabbath. Yes, I think it's important to have this on a weekly basis. But I also believe it's important to remember in seasons of busyness.
Seasons of busyness, when ordained of God, will be followed by Seasons of Breathing. There will be opportunity to find rest. I have a season like this over the next 3 weeks.
The trick is that we've got to find those seasons and seize them. We've got to be intentional.

This means saying NO.
From May 28-June 15, Janelle and I simply put a "no more appointments" rule into our lives. We turned down friends, family, the church to all kinds of requests to "go out" or get together. We decided we needed to put a hold on what was going on in an effort to have rest going into the busy season.
I had to say no to a few things over the next 3 weeks, in order to make sure we kept this time as a season of Breathing.

This means slowing down.
I don't think life is about going till you can't go anymore, it's more about learning to decelerate, and eventually turn the engine off for a little while.

Busyness is not meant to be a badge we wear.

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. He told his disciples that they needed to get away and find some rest (Mark 6:30).

Whatever the season your in, make sure it's ordained from God, and then be intentional.

Thanks for enduring tonight's ramblings.