Multi-tasking Mayhem
“But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, ‘You are my God!’ My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.” Psalm 31:14-15 (NLT)
“Mom, quick…look at that lady!” My fourteen-year-old son shouted as we were headed down the interstate on an errand-running Thursday afternoon. “She should not be doing that,” he added for emphasis.
I glanced over at the car next to us, expecting to see someone without her hands at the ten and two o’clock positions like my by-the-rulebook-boy does when training behind the wheel. Instead, I nearly ran off the road while gawking at what my Driver’s Ed patrolman had spotted.
Next to us was a woman cradling her cell phone on her right shoulder; holding an open fast-food salad container in her left hand; ripping open a salad dressing packet with her teeth and her right hand…all while steering her car with her knees!
What in the world!? My boys and I thought surely, if she kept up this multi-tasking method of driving, she was going to cause a crash.
“I would NEVER attempt to do all of that when I drive,” I smugly thought to myself. “Entirely too dangerous and probably against the law.” Yep, when it comes to being a safe-driving expert, the apple doesn’t fall far from the “Honey-you-didn’t-use-your-blinker-back-there” maternal tree.
It wasn’t until later that night it hit me. Yes, I may not dangerously multi-task when driving, thereby risking collision. But in my day-to-day life? In my schedule? In my “sure-I-can-take-on-one-more-responsibility-so-everyone-will-like-me” way? I sometimes dangerously multi-task to the point I am headed for a crash.
Taking on too many responsibilities, no matter how “good” they may be, can often render us ineffective for service to God. Yet, He knows our limits. He understands are capacities. He is willing, if we will ask Him, to help us navigate the busyness and activity that often trips us up.
On one of my so-busy-I-couldn’t-breathe days, I read today’s key verse. While I’m sure the author David was talking about actual physical enemies — men who could chase, catch and ultimately hurt you — I realized that day my enemy was busyness. Too many activities and responsibilities outside my four walls were about to do me in. They chased me, cornered me and worst of all, were about to go in for the kill.
Thankfully, God can rescue us from the barren life of busyness. He invites us to hold our too-full plates up to Him, allowing Him to scrape off all the activities and responsibilities. Then, place back on our plates only the items HE longs for us to possess.
When this happens, we can create space in our calendar to retreat, places of sweet respite in our days where we connect with God. Times when we slow down and sit still to listen and learn from the Creator of time itself.
So, how about it friend? Let’s both start scraping before we crash and burn!
Dear Lord, forgive me for allowing busyness to overtake my life, crowding out others and worst of all You. Help me as I purpose to place only those items on my plate that You long for me to have. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
i love this post along with the devotional for today! i especially like the “don’t do more than you can pray for” statement. i am going to start using that.
in addition, i plan to pay more attention when the kids are talking to me. i have to quit multitasking for their benefit. thanks so muich for your insight!
I need all the organizing help I can get! It’s just not one of my strong points! I also really appreciated your posts on wieghtloss Wednesday! I have verse on temptation in my pantry. I am just starting on this journey and it’s so encouraging to read of others success!
Thanks again!
It is very interesting that I should stumble across this devotion today. I am concentrating and eliminating all that does not fit. I am spending this Saturday morning trying to clean up my email, make it more manageable. Planing my week, month, & year ahead and ensuring I put more focus on God’s will in my activities. My biggest problem is I have the greatest intentions and they last for the time I set aside and then I get back on the hamster wheel. I so need organization so I don’t so easily get distracted. Great devotional, God is so on time.
Two days ago my 5 year old and I went for a long walk in the woods. As we were heading out he got very exited and exclaimed “Mommy, we’re having alone time!” This was a strange comment to me because you see he and I are home “alone” together nearly every day. Apparently we are in the house together but with all of my multitasking, we are not “alone” together. OUCH!
I am definitely IN.
As a wife, mother of 2, full-time kindergarten teacher and a stage 4 cancer survivor I am definitely in! It is not in my nature to live in chaos. The young, full of energy mom I was 5 years ago is now replaced by a forced-to-be-in-menopause 36 year old! I’m thankful for each day God has given me, however, I know that there has to be an easier way…and I believe that is not in His plan for me to be so overwhelmed.
It is so true that we feel the need to stay busy all the time. My daughter said something pretty profound to me last summer that really made me think. “Mom, we don’t know how to relax and be still.” Wow! I’ve tried to remember that and realize that I don’t need to have something to do every single minute of my day. Blessings to you for your Proverbs 31 ministry and this blog.
Wow–Thanks! This is so timely and needed for me. I’m a new mom and really struggling to find balance for us. Staying connected with others but also recognizing my need to stay sane. I really, really appreciate someone getting where I’m coming from!
I think that your devotional was a gift from God this morning. Right now we are in the process of getting our house on the market so we can move to a whole new state. My husband is preparing to enter seminary so that we can start a whole new life. And I feel like I am being nudged to both – get organized, because I can never find my keys, or anything else for that matter, and learn to slow down – because I am used to living life at a break necked pace. I too have been physically hurt from too much stress and I am trying to change my ways – one day at a time. Thanks for sharing the importance of putting time with God in the number one spot on the to do list. :) Blesings to you!
Yes, I am in as well. A friend just offered me a ministry position last night, to which I was too timid to say “no,” not wanting to hurt her feelings or our relationship. Reading your blog entry causes me to seriously consider the responsibility and pray God will help me say “no,” if it’s too much for me and my family. Thank you for allowing God to speak, through you, the importance of a simple, yet full life to women.
Thanks so much for this post. God has been working on me in this area for years it seems. We travel as a family w/husband’s job so we are home a while and on the road a while. Once we are home we are right back into the hectic pace of commitments with our church that we just love, hooking up with friends, getting the house in order and then when we are on the road life is so much simpler. Gone is the being pulled in many directions and being expected to be in so many places at once. When we are traveling, the focus is on the basics:food, laundry, schooling and trying to remember what we left home and what we thought we had in the camper. I still haven’t learned to say no and limit my commitments when we are home, I feel as if I have to make up for lost time, and usually by the 8 week mark I am ready to hit the road again. The kids are definitely more resilient than I but I am so grateful for the life lesson God is giving me first hand at how much closer I draw to Him when we are traveling. You see on the road, He is all I have, no friends or the barrenness of busyness to hide in, and our time is so much more precious. All I need is truly found in Him and I am so awed by Him.
Thanks so much for the gentle reminders of busyness and the priority of prayer.
I love reading your blog and devotionals and I love that I access it from anywhere in the country!
I’m in! #3 really hit home – If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.
When I look over my planner and see how busy I am – or how busy my kids are. I’m just amazed. I need to pray over our schedules. See what the Lord wants for us.
Ohh hahaha! I see they both posted! The words are so tiny on my phone I didn’t notice! Ha! just disregard one of those! Ha! Thanks! (I’m a dork) ;-)
I’m definitely in! This is something I feel I have always struggled with. The statement that stood out to me the most was statement 3 ” if satan can’t get me bad he will get me busy” man….. That feels so true in my life. I actually just wrote out a more detailed message with some history of why my life has been a battle of business, I’m trying to do this on my phone while breast feeding my amazing two month old blessing! (good or bad multitasking?? Ha!) In the midst somehow deleted my previous comment… I have to run off to work shortly but got a lot out of this! So thank you, thank you! I will pray for all of us multitaskers today!
<3
Hi Karen! I love your writing – the plate scraping is a great analogy! I know personally I need to say NO more at church. I’m the Christian Ed Director and mom of two (ages 6 and 2). I take on so much that I’m multi-tasking and the kids lose out. Thank you for your blog and your insight. God bless!
Things are so disorganized at home now that I have two babies. The way I used to keep house (before children) no longer works. I am constantly running from one thing to another and nothing is really getting done. I used to be a great multi tasker…at least I think I was.
I’m in! Business has been a battle for me pretty much as far back as I remember! I actually remember first realizing this when I was in high school juggling two jobs, leading worship for the youth group and church I attended, spending time with my boyfriend at that time (ha!) and one day school was closed for some reason I remember I unintentionally slept all day, I woke up with a few minutes to get ready for church that evening. I cried. I could NOT believe I waisted my only day off. Ha! I moved to Florida to pursue my Rockstar career with a band I was in at the time ;-) five years later I am a working wife and mother to an amazing two month old little girl! (funny how God works sometimes!) I am actually guilty for breast feeding while reading this blog on my phone… (is that “good” or “bad” multitasking?! ;-)
I’m in. For the last few years, I have been working on keeping my busyness at a managable level so that my husband and kids don’t pay a price. Recently, I have also been paying a lot of attention to diet and exercise, so I feel good when I’m not in bed. :)
I recently have said no to a few things and I feel so free. It really is overwhelming to have every minute of every day filled so full you can’t even see the end of the day.
Saying no is the start, then using the time wisely is the next step. That is what I am working on now.
Thanks for your blog and your biblical application!
I am guilty of multi tasking! I do try and keep a balance, especially when it comes to the important stuff.
Hello! This was just what I needed! On Thursday, I was so tired that I had started to get irritated – at work, at home, at Bible study. Thanks to GOD, I was able to release that at Bible study praise and worship. This week I have gotten less sleep than I have in a long time, and I was so tired that I got sleepy every time I got in the car (and I have to drive at least 30 min to and from work and school – a long way for me).
I thank GOD that He is my strength! I focused on Isaiah 40 and Galations 6. Actually, the number of things my schedule has been decreased, yet I am still busy a lot. When I get so busy that everyday is straight through – work, after work activities, eat, sleep – I often get discouraged. That is why I understand how busyness can be a bad thing. While I am paid to multi-task at my job, multi-tasking in the personal and social areas in my life hinders my relationship with others and myself.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful information!
When we first started dating,my new husband bought me the most beautiful diamond bracelet for my birthday. I looked down at my arm on this past Monday–NO BRACELET! God had been telling me to remove the bracelet, get it fixed, put it in a safe place. I disregarded those warnings and now I’m besides myself! I haven’t been sleeping (hence this message at 5:37am Saturday morning). But God gave me the most wonderful 2nd husband! He sent 2 dozen red roses on Monday to my job to lift my spirits. He isn’t upset and I realize I need to focus, not on the bracelet, but on our relationship and his love for me. He ‘forgave’ me; why am I punishing myself? I am too blessed to be stressed about that bracelet. I keep repeating that in my head when all the if I coulda woulda shouldas enter my mind. Bless you all.
i think i suffer from a different type of multi-tasking…i start a lot of projects and don’t finish them. i start to clean the closet, i start to paint a picture, i start a specific study in the bible, i start to wash the dishes, i start a letter to my friend, worse than that, i buy cards to send to people and never send them. some of them are in the envelope with an address and a stamp and still sitting on the dresser! i’m not a finisher. it’s a different kind of stress but still stress but it kinda works in reverse. not doing things you need to do tires you out mentally which eventually tires you physically. when you are mentally tired you can’t physically do anything. when you multi-task you tire physically first. besides, not completing tasks that need to be done leads to clutter and we all know we can’t work in clutter. it’s like those weights that so easily beset us. they are all around you and everywhere you walk, something is in your way. God recently showed me that my lack of organization is a weight. i also have to learn to prioritize. i have to begin to lean more on the author and the FINISHER of my faith. BE BLESSED.
hello, everyone..
I’m Zaza. Now I’m still in my second year in university in Japan. Although I know that 99% of the readers here are moms, I encouraged myself to leave my first comment here since the devotion this time was such a blessing for me. I’ve been active ever since I was born, I guess. ( sorry for a bit exaggerating.haha.) Anyway, especially when I came to Japan to further my study, I really want to maximize every potentials in my life. Although this may seem good, sometimes I forget what matters most in life. A friend of mine once said “Are you active or productive?” and I couldn’t answer his answer at that time. I knew that sometimes I just want to do as many activities as I can for myself, not for God.
I know that my busyness probably can’t be compared with moms. but i think It’s a good thing to start committing all of my activities to God as early as my age. I should prioritize what God prioritizes.
Thanks a lot, Karen, for sharing this, may God bless you all.
I’m in. I’m a wife, mom of 3 (10, 6 and 2 months) and small business owner who is just starting to learn how to be still, trying to organize our chaotic home, and most of all trying to be committed to being fully present for these amazing people that God has brought into my life. I realize now that in my quest to have it all, more often than I’d like, I have left God out of the equation, not because I don’t want him there, but simply because the busy-ness of business crowds my dance card and fills the time slots. Your post in Encouragement resonated with me where I am at right now. Thank you for putting it into words.
I’m definitely in! I need to slow down, take a few breaths and then finally get some sleep!! I am a full time student, a mom to a busy two year old and most of all a devoted Christian. I try to keep God first in my life, but sometimes my responsibilities just overload me and keep me so busy!! I need to find a way to balance everything and simplify! Thank you for this post it gave me some much needed encouragement.
Jennifer