To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

“Wax on, wax off”
– Mr. Miyagi

The struggle is eternal it seems. Work and family. Exercise and rest. Involvement and disengagement. Balance is the goal that is ever out of reach.

For me the greatest challenge to balance are days off. If I am not going into work, I don’t know what to do with myself. Weekends when we don’t have an activity scheduled at the Center, I rely on Patty to create something, because I am clueless. I usually try to write from the couch, with the news on the TV, and I end up getting little to nothing done (This post is being written at 9:30 on Sunday night.)

I like to be busy, but I know that rest is important. Patty and I are planning a getaway around my 50th birthday this fall. Only by leaving the vicinity of work do I quit thinking about it. Of course, about the time I get unwound, the vacation is over.

If your life is disjointed, hazy, lacking motivation, remember this: Discipline is the only route to true freedom. Order your life. You have a lot more time than you think. We spend our time on the things that matter most to us. If we find ourselves yearning for down time it betrays that we are probably believing a lie that we must do more to be accepted. Jesus’ call to you is to rest in Him. Let Him take up the other end of your yoke and carry the weight for you.

As Jerry Falwell used to say, we have to learn the difference between the things that are important, and the things that are merely urgent.

We keep ourselves overwhelmed thinking that shows everyone that we matter, we are valuable. We spend too much of our lives worried about how we appear than how we are.

Strike a balance. Not a pose.