No Room at the Other Inn!

To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
—Mark 12:33

Ever found yourself having to be in three places at once? Have you ever had to call ahead to tell the kids you were running late? Ever missed an appointment because you were too preoccupied with the others of the day?

The clutter in our closets, supply drawers, or stock room pale in comparison to the clutter in our appointment book…you know that PDA (Personal Data Application) that rules your life!

For some reason as you find yourself seeking to be industrious, productive and helpful, only to find that the treadmill always goes faster and you are worn out just thinking of all you have scheduled to do!

Is that the best way to live out your day? Rushing hither and yon? Carl Jung said: "Busyness is not of the devil. It is the devil himself."

Keeping you so focused on what is the NEXT thing to do, that you are not able to consider, what is the IMPORTANT thing you to do. Considering the important thing too often happens too late in the game.


One of my favorite quotes comes from a sociologist by the name of Gordon Dahl. He summed up his view of our indiscriminate busyness this way:

Most middle class Americans worship their work, work at their play and play at their worship. The result is that their lives and relationships fall apart faster that they can be repaired and their lives resemble a cast of Hollywood characters seeking a plot that they can act out their days.

Think about this in your life; your clinic, your department, your home. Undirected busyness can be like rust, eating away from the inside out.

The good news is that you can address this by being intentional and focused in all you do, everywhere you serve; home, school, clinic, unit, department or community. Being intentional means you have your focus correct and priorities in order.

I spoke at a retreat this past weekend and we sang one of my favorite hymns. It speaks about starting the day off right by focusing first on the important. Reflect on the invitation of these words written by Heber in 1826:

"Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;

Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;

Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!"