A Balancing Act

   Loved the imagery in yesterday's devotion from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. "Let the dew of My Presence refresh your mind and heart...As dew refreshes grass and flowers during the stillness of the night, so My Presence revitalizes you as you sit quietly with Me."  Let's face it, we all need to be revitalized. Life is crazy busy with everyday stuff, then something major comes along in the mix and ,if we let it, everything gets out of control. So how do we sort out what's important and what's not? There's a simple answer...Jesus. (I'm reminded of my years as a youth pastor.  When I asked a question, nine times out of ten, a student would reply "Jesus."  When I asked for an explanation, I would get the reply, "He's the answer to all our questions."  At the time I kind of thought it was a cop-out, but now I'm beginning to see the wisdom of the youth in the group!)
   Also  from the devotion:

So many many things vie for your attention in this complex world of instant communication.  The world has changed enormously since I first gave the command to be still and know that I am God. [Psalm 46:10] However, this timeless truth is essential for the well-being of your soul.

So how do we manage?

   That really doesn't need comment.  It's a constant balancing act. We all know how we spend our time...faith, family, friends, job, Facebook, television, texting, video games, etc.  Is faith something you do only on Sundays? Are you too busy working to spend time in the evenings with family and friends? Are the things at work so worrisome that when you're with family and friends you're really not "with" them?  I'm always sad to go to a restaurant and see a family sitting at a table...mom and dad on a phone talking or texting, kids playing video games, texting, or with earphones listening to music...no one talking to each other. 
    This part really spoke to me: "A refreshed, revitalized mind is able to sort out what is important and what is not.  In its natural condition, your mind easily gets stuck on trivial matters"  My friends know I get distracted easily. [You're going to have to quit laughing so you can finish reading this post.] Yes, I've had to develop a system to clean house because, in the past, it would be a lengthy process because I would leave the room I was cleaning to put something in another room, get distracted by something in that room, stay in that room and do something completely unrelated to cleaning. (Example: Take something to the living room, see a scrapbook out and, instead of putting the scrapbook away, sit down to look at the scrapbook to finish an hour or more later, because I love reliving the memories.)
   More great imagery: "Like the spinning wheels of a car trapped in mud, the cogs of your brain spin impotently when you focus on a trivial thing.  As soon as you start communicating with Me about the matter, your thoughts gain traction and you can move on to more important things."
   I wasn't surprised one of the scripture passages for the devotion was Luke 10:39-41.  That may sound familiar since I used it a few days ago...it's the story of Mary and Martha. I'm still working on my Mary side!
   It's a comfort to know that when I do communicate with God, He will help me be discerning so I can spend more time on the important and less time on the unimportant. "Communicate with Me continually, and I will put My thoughts into your mind."  I'm finding more and more that when I keep an open and honest dialogue going with God, He directs my thoughts; sometimes giving me a better solution or a different approach to a problem. This definitely helps me concentrate more on the important things in life.