I did it again. I overbooked myself and there’s no way out. Yuck!
Early this Spring, I started signing up for all kinds of projects. Once again, I began saying “yes” to all kinds of exciting projects. “Sure I will,” I’d respond. “That would be so much fun,” I said as I registered. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Our family calendar looks a little like one of those football playbooks. The boxes are crammed with arrows and numbers. Arrows are written to indicate rescheduled events. Post-it notes surround the crowded little boxes like a frame.
Somehow I buried myself in a vacation filled with deadlines. Dr. Phil would probably ask right now, “How’s that working for ya?”
Not so great. It’s vacation and I’m still watching the clock, grabbing the phone on the first ring and carrying a calendar. My desk is strewn with vacation bible school materials, drafts for the weekly newspaper columns, jeans which need to go to the tailor’s, my son’s Six Flag’s Ticket and the manual for the refrigerator that arrived today.
Maybe I need to observe our nine year old for awhile. He’s in his room, watching “Drake and Josh” and eating the rest of the sourcream potato chips from lunch. His dog is curled up beside him, resting comfortably. Not a worry. Not a care. Life is lived in the present. When he’s tired, he sleeps. When he’s hungry, he eats.
Hmmm.
Maybe he’s on to something.
I’m painfully reminded of the story of Martha and Mary. In Luke 10: 38-42, Jesus’ visit is told. Martha is so busy that scripture says “She was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” When she went to Jesus to complain (How often do I do this?), Jesus told her, “Only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.” (NIV)
So, do I just stop running errands and taking care of chores? No, but do I overbook myself and others so that there is no time to enjoy life, rest, reflect and do I dare say, get bored?
What if I just tried to empty my calendar a little bit this week? What if I started carving out unscheduled time? And maybe, just maybe, I could learn to take life one thing at a time.
What about you? How do you balance it all? What do you do when you are overbooked?