Appreciate the Downtime...

Busy. Busy. Go! Go! Go! That’s what we do. That’s what I do. Work. Family. Church. Ministry. Stuff. I inherited it honestly. A few weekends ago, my family was in town for my daughter’s high school graduation. One morning, I came down to the kitchen. My mother in law was sitting at the counter drinking coffee. I immediately turned on the oven and began the process of making bacon for everyone. My mom came upstairs and said, “Why didn’t you tell me you were cooking? What can I do to help?” At that moment, my mother in law made a comment that she subsequently posted on Facebook. “I’m sitting at the counter sipping my coffee watching my daughter in law and her mother scurry around the kitchen.” That was a very telling statement. My mom does not know how to be still. She’s ALWAYS doing something. I remember growing up, my Dad would always say, “Sherdina, sit down and eat.” She would cook dinner for the family but rarely sat down to eat it with us. She was always on to the next. I have inherited this from her. For some reason, I feel if I’m not actively doing something, I’m wasting time. Surely there is something I should be doing right now. So, I just do…value added or non value added. One of my favorite sayings from the old Army commercial is “I do more before 9am than most people do all day.”

Well, now I’m in a season of down time, a time to refocus and redirect my efforts. The first few weeks of this new found down time were cool, but on day 15, I got antsy. I was ready for the next thing, at least in my mind. I don’t know of a season that only lasts 14 days. Do you? On the 15th day, I realized I do not appreciate down time. I’m so used to just doing. I chase every squirrel and do not take the time to be still and focus on the things that matter most. Since it appears the down time will be here for a season, I’m reevaluating everything from soup to nuts (as they say). I have put on hold the things that keep me from focusing and unnecessarily busy. I’m writing and listening to God for direction.

At some point, we all go through a season of down time. It may seem like a time of unproductiveness or a time of confusion about the next step. Things may not be progressing on the timeline you expected. The key is to recognize the season and embrace it. Use the down time to be still and listen to God’s voice for direction. When the due season has arrived, you will be ready for the next.

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