In the whitespace

I’m a relatively busy individual. My job, friends, wife and cats all conspire to keep my schedule full. And I know I’m not alone in this.

A couple of weeks ago, Paul Hill, pastor of Wheatland Mission, was leading a discussion around the idea of margins and he made a pretty shocking suggestion: living a busy life is sinful.

At first, I was taken aback. I wasn’t necessarily offended, but I was certainly surprised. Then I began chewing on the idea and arrived at the following conclusion:

Being busy is not sinful harmful. Living a busy life is sinful harmful. (Note: Edited because I wanted to.)

Everybody is going to experience a season of busyness in his or her life. I can feel confident that God understands that. But I know some people who manage to constantly fill their life with activities and obligations. For them, busyness isn’t a result of circumstances. It’s a result of choice.

My former employers had a great saying about needing to be “restfully available.” That idea has resonated with me since I first heard it. And though I haven’t always achieved it, I’ve tried to be aware of times when I’m not restfully available.

When driving, am I in such a hurry that I’m unable to stop and help a stranded motorist? Am I so strapped for time that I don’t have a moment to spare for a hurting coworker? Are my finances so stretched to the limit that I’m unable to pitch in to help with a need?

Margins are critical in our lives. They allow us to be open to what God is doing around us and to be able to join Him in it.

I don’t know what your life looks like, but I encourage you to carve out some whitespace. I know I’m going to try.