There is no beginning or end, but there is a journey. For now, my journey is to rake out of my life the busy. As I have mulled over busy, priorities come to mind. We all know how the totem pole stands – – God, spouse, kids and work. (It probably makes more sense to replace “work” with “everything else” but I am not quite there yet.) The totem pole of righteousness stands next to the old, mythical man called Father Time. I imagine the old man laughing as he stands next to the totem pole of righteousness. He is not vindictive, but knows rather well that in the pool of time, we human beings really don’t stand a chance in our own wisdom.

There are 24 hours in a day. My grandpa was known for saying, “8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of work and 8 hours of fun.” Although he was one of the most fun grandpas known to the planet, he finished that phrase with, “Where are my 8 hours of fun?” That’s a good question. We have to take some time out for the commute. What about breathing and clearing your mind? What about running late, getting mad, gossiping and wasting time? What about self interest and web shopping? What about time for tears, disappointment and stopping to be a friend? What about late night talks with your kids, being silly, chalk board love notes? – – all taking place past bed time.

There are 24 hours in a day. The word accountability comes to mind. It has come up too often lately to ignore. First, my friend’s husband pressed in (twice) how important it was for me as I tread through tough stuff in my marriage. I saw the lack of it from a distance in our pastor’s recent fall. The word has been a buzz in my ear and heart among co-workers, teachers of the Word and among friends. I have been thinking it over with the Lord to see what He has for me in this area. The Lord put someone on my heart to ask if we can serve one another in this way. I will let you know how that goes.

Practically speaking, how do you rake out the busy in your life? I received good counsel for answering this question this past week. Take the totem pole of righteousness, look Father Time in the eye (ie, there are 24 hours in a day) and map your schedule. Take that schedule and give it to 1) your spouse, 2) a good friend and 3) your kids to judge. Your calendar will probably get skinny as different people rake through your schedule. Everyone likes to be skinny (right?), but no one really likes the process of it. I hesitate even now thinking about someone else making me get skinny. It sounds really hard since it is far more comfortable to be your own master. But, isn’t that why we all need accountability? Aren’t we all pretty right in our own eyes?

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than He? 1 Corinthians 10:21

Consider reading The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
Practical tips from Pastor Reuben Ramsaram teachings of April 21-25, 2014