Forgetting the Urgent to do the Important

It doesn’t matter who you are, I think at some point in everyone’s life you go through periods where you just feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Too much to do and not enough time to do it in.

I know I’ve only mentioned it, like, 1200 times but we’re in a season like that in our lives right now. We’re busy, and we’re dealing with a lot of transitions right now – new baby on the way, major changes with Dave’s job, a new role in ministry at our church.

Good stuff. But time consuming.

In times like these my organized Type A personality kicks into overdrive and I’m constantly making lists and prioritizing and multi-tasking, never wanting to relax until every t is dotted and every i is crossed and I think I just messed up that metaphor, but just work with me here :)

The problem is…”it” is never finished.

There are always clothes that need folded and dishes that need washed and diapers that need changed and bills that need paid and about a gazillion other different projects that are just screaming for a piece of my time and attention.

Things that just scream, “Urgent! Do this! Right now!”

And the thing is, those things are urgent. They do need to be done. I should be spending portions of my day taking care of those responsibilities.

But sometimes I forget that there are things that aren’t urgent that are just as important…if not more so.

Things like…

Reading my Bible.

Praying.

Spending quality time with my husband, just the two of us…like actually talking and not just zoned out on the couch with a book or a TV show because we’ve spent all our mental energy elsewhere during the day.

Just sitting and playing make believe with my daughter instead of trying to keep her occupied while I check something else off my list.

Resting.

Especially in busy seasons, I find myself so easily shoving these things off into some distant corner “until I have more time”. Except there’s never more time. There’s always something else to do.

It’s times like these when I can practically hear the Lord whispering, “Martha, Martha…”

That story has always spoken to me, because in a lot of ways it is me.

“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made…”

Distracted by all the preparations. Putting off the important because of the “urgent”.

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I would venture to say that it’s probably always going to be a struggle because of my personality, for me to “choose what is better”. I’m probably always going to have to remind myself {and be reminded by others} to shut the door on the laundry, hide the To Do list, leave the dishes in the sink and just sit down.

It’s not going to come naturally to me but I need to do it.

Leaving the “urgent” to do the important.