My Thick Skull

Have you ever felt like a sermon was directed just to you? Like somehow the preacher knew exactly what you needed to hear and wrote it just for you? Today was one of those days…but first some background:

As many of my readers may know, I’ve been quite busy during the last month because I’ve taken on a summer school teaching position. I’ve loved doing it…but it’s left me feeling a bit out of sorts. The house is often messy….as Nathan put it last Thursday, our meals have been in a “mild state of dysfunction”…..I haven’t gone over the finances in weeks….and I am forgetful. I have so much on my mind that I can’t remember little things. This week alone I’ve racked up $5.25 in library fines because I forgot the books I checked out to use in my summer school classroom were due. This morning we arrived at church late. We walked in during the first reading, and I suddenly realized that I was scheduled to read today! Luckily I was scheduled for the second reading, but I feel bad for the stress I probably caused our verger. I had read through the reading a few times when I first received it, but usually I like to read it aloud to myself many times on the morning of…well that didn’t happen! Luckily it went ok.

This week is going to be even worse. I’ve been working four days a week. And the days are 5-6 hours each. This week I’ll be working six days…three of which are full days, and the other three will be 5-6 hours. One of the days I’ll be leading eighty fifth and sixth graders and a field trip/service learning project where their writing will be offered to the public in the form of a story time. I’ve got report card comments to write. Post tests to grade and analyze…the list could go on…and that’s just at work. What about being a mom and a wife and just me? It’s going to be a busy week.

Now back to the sermon….

This morning the sermon was about time. About how we all always feel that there is not enough of it. And about how it is counter-cultural for us to actually take time for ourselves. To rest. To listen for God. To take care of ourselves. “God did not make a mistake when he created time,” the preacher said. “There is plenty of time. It is up to us to choose how to spend it.” Even Jesus took time away from his healing and his good works of service to pray and to rest. We should follow his example. Being busy does not necessarily mean that important works are being done.

And do you know what I said to myself as I was listening to this? It more or less went like this: “Oh she is right on. It is right and good to take time for rest. I should do that more often. I’m going to take more time to rest and listen to God and pray…starting next week.”

Her wise and pointed words could not pierce my thick skull. I realized her words were right, but I could not apply them to my life at a time when I needed them most. After the sermon ended, there was a period of silence. Nathan leaned over to me and whispered, “Tough sermon for you this week, huh.”

And that’s when it finally hit me. This week more than any other I need to take her words to heart. This week more than any other I need to take time for rest and for God. It cannot wait. It should never wait.