When Life Gets Busy Again

You Can Have a Full Calendar Without a Hurried Heart

There are seasons when life simply gets busy.

September often feels like one of them.

Vacations end. School begins. Ministries and church activities return. Work schedules pick up. Appointments, meetings, family responsibilities, and commitments begin finding their places on our calendars.

Before long, we can go from saying, "What are we doing this weekend?" to asking, "How are we going to fit everything in?"

A full calendar isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Many of the things filling our days are good things—people we love, work God has given us, opportunities to serve, families to care for, and responsibilities that matter.

The problem begins when a full calendar creates a hurried heart.

There is a difference.

A full calendar describes what is happening around us.

A hurried heart describes what is happening within us.

And sometimes we don't recognize the difference until we find ourselves feeling impatient, distracted, overwhelmed, or spiritually dry.

Jesus lived with tremendous demands around Him. People needed healing. Crowds followed Him. His disciples needed teaching. Yet Scripture repeatedly shows us Jesus withdrawing to pray.

Luke 5:16 tells us:

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

I love the word often.

Jesus didn't wait until everything was finished before spending time with His Father.

He made room for Him in the middle of everything.

What would happen if we did the same?

Before You Add, Ask

As your calendar begins filling again, perhaps the first question isn't:

"Where can I fit this?"

Maybe it's:

"Lord, is this mine to carry?"

Not every opportunity is an assignment from God.

Not every invitation requires a yes.

And not everything important has to happen today.

Sometimes peace begins when we give ourselves permission to prayerfully decide what belongs in this season—and what doesn't.

Create an Anchor

Rather than trying to completely reorganize your life, choose one daily practice that brings your heart back to God.

I call it an anchor.

Maybe yours is opening Scripture before opening your email.

Maybe it's sitting quietly with the Lord for ten minutes before everyone else wakes up.

Maybe it's keeping your Bible and journal in a place where you'll see them.

Your anchor doesn't need to be complicated.

It simply needs to remind you:

God is here.

I am not carrying today alone.

I don't have to hurry through the life He has given me.

Check Your Heart, Not Just Your Calendar

This season, occasionally ask yourself:

Am I busy—or am I hurried?

Am I present—or simply moving from one responsibility to another?

Have I asked God what matters most today?

Your calendar may still be full.

Dinner still needs to be made.

People still need you.

Appointments will still appear.

But your heart can remain anchored.

You don't need an empty calendar to experience God's peace.

You need His presence.

So when life gets busy again, don't begin by asking God to help you accomplish everything.

Begin by sitting with Him.

Open His Word.

Listen.

Then allow Him to show you what deserves your yes, what can receive a no, and what can simply wait.

A full life can still have a peaceful heart when Jesus sets the pace.

I'll save you a seat at the table.

With love, grace, and great expectation,

Dr. Deborah

Truth • Scripture • Rest