There's Just No Time for God
Our lives are so busy, so full. There's just no time for God.No time to attend liturgy, no time to stand and pray. No time for confession.We all learned long ago the order of priorities in our life: God and family first.But somehow, when it comes time to take care of the rocks in our life, we've already filled the day with sand and pebbles.I'm not going to tell you to put the rocks first. If the metaphor hasn't rung true to you before, I doubt it will miraculously do so today.Instead, I will tell you something I read on twitter. Yep. A random tweet--that changed everything for me.The tweet said:The relationship you have with God right now is the relationship you want to have.I'm going to have you re-read that:The relationship you have with God right now is the relationship you want to have.Ouch.Double ouch.The first time I read this I was immediately defensive and annoyed. No way is this true--I want to have a stronger relationship with God. This statement is completely invalid. Whatchu talkin bout, Willis? The relationship I have with God right now is nowhere near what I want to have. So buzz. Wrong. You're out.Then I read it again, and I thought...What is standing in the way of me having the relationship with God that I want RIGHT NOW?Who is in charge of my life? Who gets to decide how I spend my day?If I am a student, outside of classes, I make my schedule. Inside of classes, no one controls my mind but me.If I am an employee, outside of work hours, I make my schedule. While at work, my thoughts are my own.If I am a stay at home mom... well... The kids control everything and there's no such thing as free time. But my thoughts are STILL my own.You see, a relationship with God isn't just the morning prayer and quiet time. It is choosing to be aware and appreciative of His constant presence.Let me give you an example.Praying Divine Liturgy is hard--nay impossible--with an active toddler. But what if the act of chasing him down was in itself a form of worship. What if my mind, while keeping tabs on the little one, was preoccupied not with "What are other people thinking of me right now?" but "Dear God, I lay my dignity down in worship of You."A different example.The boss is making my life constantly difficult, putting ever more demands on my time and energy. But what if at the start of each oppressive project, I cried out to the Lord to let me glorify Him through my efforts on it.Instead of no time for God, what if all the time was for God. What if all the time was consecrated to Him first?Isn't that what putting God first really means?It means I greet Him first in the morning. It means I take Him with me during the day. It means I glorify Him with my actions. And thank Him, repentant for my shortcomings, each night.And all the pebbles and the sand--all the small tasks of life--become a means to practice being present with Him and present in Him.Because all the time is God's.
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