#human doing

With all of the things we have going on – everything we have to do, everything we need to do, everything we want to do – it can be hard to fit it all into one day.

So many things, pulling us in so many directions. Making it easy to lose ourselves in all of the busyness. To the point that you and I can easily end up as a human doing.

Instead of human being.

The cure? A little de-thinging never hurt.

If we’re honest, very few things in our lives need 100% of our time every day. Some of it really doesn’t deserve our time at all.

But even more important than getting rid of this and dialing down that? Is the move back.

Back from being a human doing. Back to being a human being.

And it begins with first things. How we start our day. Do we start our day being consumed by the whirlwind of doings? Or do we start quietly, grounding ourselves in God?

If we begin with God, we’ll find ourselves on that road back. God will give us both the strength to do what needs to be done. And the wisdom to know what we can let go.

As St. Francis de Sales said, “Every one of us needs a half hour of prayer a day, except when we are busy – then we need an hour.”

Growing up farming, I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to drive the grain trucks to the elevator.

The trucks were nothing special. Just a couple of two-ton trucks that were old enough to drive themselves. And then some.

When I was learning to drive them, I had a few bumps on the way. Especially learning to shift gears when the trucks were loaded.

The first time I got a loaded truck up to speed on the state road, it happened. I was shifting into high gear. And missed.

I had the gear shift where it needed to be (or so I thought). I let the clutch out. And…nothing.

I was losing speed fast. But the engine was racing. Because I still had my foot on the gas. Eyes wide. Going “what do I do now?”

For a lot of us, the sudden switch to work-at-home/avoid-people/stay-at-home with the coronavirus can feel like that.

We’re used to running hard, going fast. Barely keeping up with all of the things that we have to do.

All of sudden, we’re not. We’re not going anywhere. But the engine’s still racing. Because we’ve still got our foot on the gas.

All of our usual go-go-go, do-do-do? Isn’t happening. And we’re saying to ourselves, “what do I do now?”

Here’s a thought.

Take your foot off the gas.

You’ve been given a reprieve from the usual go-go-go, do-do-do.

Follow the wisdom of today’s readings. Use this season to create a new normal. One that’s grounded in your relationship with God.

One that sets you up to be the person God that made you to be, that sets you up to be happy. How?

Make your new normal one that starts each day with God.

Start simple. With a quiet moment.

For prayer. To read your Bible.

And just to be with God.

It’s the only way to stop being a human doing.

And to start being a human being.

With all of the things we have going on – everything we have to do, everything we need to do, everything we want to do – it can be hard to fit it all into one day.

So many things, pulling us in so many directions. Making it easy to lose ourselves in all of the busyness. To the point that you and I can easily end up as a human doing.

Instead of human being.

The cure? A little de-thinging never hurt.

If we’re honest, very few things in our lives need 100% of our time every day. Some of it really doesn’t deserve our time at all.

But even more important than getting rid of this and dialing down that? Is the move back.

Back from being a human doing. Back to being a human being.

And it begins with first things. How we start our day. Do we start our day being consumed by the whirlwind of doings? Or do we start quietly, grounding ourselves in God?

If we begin with God, we’ll find ourselves on that road back. God will give us both the strength to do what needs to be done. And the wisdom to know what we can let go.

As St. Francis de Sales said, “Every one of us needs a half hour of prayer a day, except when we are busy – then we need an hour.”

y’all my ego has been boosted because of my productivity at work H O W S A D