Too Busy

You know I have been working on my book, right? So today I am posting one of the entries because, well, I have so much to do today. Enjoy!

Too Busy!
OK, I know you’re going to understand me in this situation. You’re going to understand me because you’re a mom, and I’m a mom. So you can relate to how busy I am, right? We moms have a lot to do!
Take care of the kids. Keep the house clean. (Yeah, right!) Do the laundry. Feed the family. Get the groceries. Wash the dishes. If you’re married, you have a husband to attend to, as well. Oh, yeah! Don’t forget the in-laws are coming over for dinner tonight. So much to do!

So on a particularly busy morning, I was trying to get out the door to go to the grocery store. I had asked my husband if there was anything in particular he needed me to get for him from the store and he told me he wanted some snack things. “Snack things?” I asked. “Like what?” He so helpfully replied, “Just snack things.” We then proceeded to engage in a conversation about what particular food items would satisfy my husband’s snacking desires – you know, the snacks which include the right amounts of protein and good fat, are easy to grab and go, and don’t cost a small fortune per ounce. I did want to listen to him and get what he wanted, but the whole time we were having this conversation I was keenly aware of the fact I needed to hurry. Brian had tasks to get done that morning, too, and if I was going to be able to go shopping sans kids, I really needed to get going.
Besides the voice I heard in my head, telling me to hurry up, I began hearing other voices while Brian and I were trying to have this conversation. They were the voices of my children - the same children who know they aren’t supposed to interrupt my husband and me when we’re talking. But my children didn’t seem to care about what they already knew. They just wanted to request things from the store, too. They wanted to know if I would read a particular book when I got home. Could we play this or that game? What were we going to have for dinner? When was I going to be home? You get the picture. Finally, in desperation I held the palm of my hand out toward my kids, turned my head away from them and boldly proclaimed, “Not listening!” It got silent quickly and I heard a little voice say, “That isn’t very nice.”
I stood in my own silence and knew that little voice was speaking truth. It wasn’t nice for me to shut them out. I was feeling overwhelmed at the moment. I wanted to get out the door and accomplish my tasks. I had so much to do! But pushing my kids away and telling them I wasn’t listening to them was not a nice thing.
As I stood there in the silence, regretting my unkind behavior, another thought came to my mind. I’m sure glad God is never too busy to listen to me.
Oh, you can be sure God is busy. Right now He is holding the universe together in perfect balance. He’s watching seeds get planted and He’s making them grow. He is causing the sun to rise over one side of the world and hanging stars over the other. He just brought forth a bunch of birds from their eggs and now He’s watching them in their nest.
Countless prayers are being lifted up to heaven and God is listening intently to each one. Somewhere there is a woman crying over a broken marriage, a husband who has lost his job and doesn’t know how he’s going to face his family with the news, a teenage girl who has just found out she’s pregnant, a young man who wants to go to college but can’t come up with the funds, and a little girl whose heart just broke because her best friend moved away yesterday. Each of these people is crying out to God for help, and He is caring for them.
Then there’s me. Here I sit in my little corner of the world, feeling overwhelmed by one household. So I go to God. Lord, I’m tired and I’m feeling overwhelmed right now. I have so much to do. I need Your strength. Will You give me the grace I need to make it through this day? I need wisdom and patience in dealing with my kids. Lord, will You give me wisdom? Please help me make right choices. Father, I can’t do this mothering thing without Your help. I need You, Lord. Please help me!
In my moment of need, while God is holding the universe together, He does not stiffen His arm in my direction, turn His head away and proclaim, Not listening! He is never too busy. God is not overwhelmed by running the world. My barrage of little requests does not stress Him out. He can handle it!
Whatever you encounter today, you can face it with the confidence of knowing God is able to handle it. He is attentive to your every word and He will never stop listening. Nothing is too big or too difficult for Him. And just as wonderful is the fact, nothing is too small or too unimportant either.

Your Turn: Are you feeling overwhelmed because you have “so much to do”? Do you sometimes feel like you just can’t handle it all? Make a list of all the things burdening you today, then read Psalm 118:13-14. Ask the Lord to be your strength and song. Spend time in prayer, telling God your needs and thanking Him in advance for meeting them. Thank Him because He faithfully cares for you. Remember He never gets tired of you and proclaims, Not Listening! While you’re at it, why not write down Psalm 118:13-14 on a small piece of paper to carry in your pocket, so you can refer to it throughout the day?