Busyness

THE BARRENNESS OF A BUSY LIFE

 

“And He [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a

deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming

and going, and they did not even have time to eat.”

(Mark 6:31, NKJV)

 

Motivational speaker Danny Cox tells an interesting story in his

book, Seize the Day. Danny and his wife took a hot air balloon trip

early one morning in Africa. As the balloon rose gracefully, they saw

a herd of wildebeest running frantically across the vast expanse

below. The herd stopped suddenly and began looking around as if

they were confused. Danny asked their pilot why the herd had

stopped so suddenly and what they were looking for.

 

He told them that the wildebeest, which migrate by the millions

across grassy African plains, are not good learners. An entire herd

will take flight at the slightest indication of danger. They will run

wildly for a short time and then stop, forgetting why they began

running in the first place.

 

Meanwhile, lions, who are good learners, simply follow the

stampeding wildebeest herd at a leisurely pace and wait for them

to stop. When the wildebeest forget why they are running, it’s

dinner time for the lions. Their guide said that wildebeest are so

memory-challenged that they will even walk up to a sleeping lion

and sniff at it. The lion wakes up and has breakfast in bed.1

 

A lot of people are like that, running, running, running… busy,

busy, busy… and they have long forgotten why they are running

and what they are running from. And all the while, they are

running from facing their inner emptiness and pain. And inner pain,

the result of damaged  emotions, is like emotional cancer -- and if

you don’t get the “cancer” the “cancer” will get you.

 

For we, workaholics or busyaholics, need to stop running; remember…

and ask God to show us what we are running from… to give us

the courage we need to face whatever it is… and to lead us to the help

we need to resolve and overcome it. And to hear the Word of the Lord,

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

 

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please keep facing me with my reality

and give me the courage to face anything in my life that I might be

avoiding and running from. And lead me to the help I need to

overcome whatever it is. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”