Busy
Occupied, being in use, full of activity, foolishly or intrusively active, full of distracting detail.
I am going to start off by changing the word “lifestyle” in the title to “disease” as it is more appropriate in the context of this article.
Disease
A particular quality or disposition regarded as adversely affecting a person or group of people.
I have realized in the past 6 months that I need to really slow down and just be still and understand that God is asking me to just listen and not do for a while. He has encouraged this in me with little illnesses that require me to actually be still. God knows that I won’t be still on my own, so he kindly reinforces this often to make his request known and followed. I grumbled and complained, but that didn’t help. I knew that my world of crazy over doing, running, people pleasing, just saying yes to say yes, and not thinking it through was about to take its toll on my health. I got to the point that every time my phone rang or a text would come in I would cringe as I knew someone wanted something from me. If I ran into someone while I was out, I would avoid them, as I knew for sure they wanted me to do something for them or their cause. There was a time in my life that I could handle all that, but life has changed and I realize the beauty in slowing down. This disease will spiritually bankrupt your health and well being if you let it. We are no longer fully present in anything we do because we are so preoccupied with what our calendar looks like and how we can accomplish it all in one day.
Eliminating disease
- smart phone, tablet diet
- listen to hear, not reply
- it’s OK to say no
- be still and listen for the voice of God
- dinner at home, at the table
- let your kids get bored, muddy, messy
- don’t rush to fill every quiet moment
- look someone in the eyes and have a conversation
I meet weekly with a group of women and we just do breakfast. We sit, eat and let the words of our lives flow. We listen to hear and not reply, but truly take in what our hearts are saying to each other, which is how God wants us to do life. To the person who would see us out in our habitat, they stop and gaze at the different women who gather at the table, we range in age from 30-54 and our life experiences are what get us through this thing called life. We need to get back to a world where we can sit with people and have slow conversations about the state of our heart and soul, conversations that slowly unfold into meaningful things that we can carry with us.
Silence is pure and holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking.
Nicholas Sparks
Making of a Minimalist 