Posts Tagged: trying to do too much

“OF NIGHTMARES, PRIORITIES, AND SELF-WORTH”

On July 4, 2017 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

I have had two dreams on successive nights, which seem to have the same theme: me trying to do too much.

On Sunday night, I dreamt that I was working at Bob Evans.  We were pretty busy.  I had three or four booths/tables that I hadn’t even acknowledged.  A fellow-server wanted to go to her apartment to pick something up she needed.  “My apartment is nearby,” she said.  So, I acknowledged my tables and told them I would be with them as soon as possible.

However, the young lady’s apartment seemed to be pretty far away, and I began wondering why on earth I had agreed to go.  What was I thinking!  Customers would get mad and leave.  I would be fired.  WHAT WAS I THINKING!!

Finally, I said to myself, “This is a dream within a dream, and I’m waking up!”

And I did.

Last night, I dreamed that I was at a restaurant (Frisch’s in Bellevue??) having breakfast after our twelve-step meeting.  We had ordered, but I left to take care of something, which of course took longer than I had thought it would take.  When I finally got back, my food was cold, and some of the guys were getting up to leave.

So much for dreams!  It occurred to me today that these dreams might mean something important.

Since I was little, I’ve been trying to pack too much into my available time.  I remember playing, knowing that I had to go to the bathroom.  I would keep on playing until . . . well, let’s just say that I didn’t always make it to the outhouse.  This was not when I was two or even three.  This was when I was five, and maybe older.

I don’t (usually) struggle with putting off going to the necessary room any more.  This is good!  However, I do tend to try to pack too much into life.  Why do I do this?  More importantly, how can I stop doing this?

God, I am asking You these questions.  I figure you are more likely to know the answers than I am.

And here is what I think God might be saying to me:

“Child, you are afraid you are going to miss something.  And, of course, you are!  How could it be otherwise?  Be content to miss some things!

“Also, you are confused about the source of your worth.  You think that the more you do, the more you are.  This is simply not true.  Your source of worth is Me: my creation of you and my redemption of you.

“As to how you stop behaving in this manner, there are two things you can do.  First, you can ask me what my priorities are for you.  Second, you can ask me to keep you on track throughout the day and throughout your days.”

POSTSCRIPT:

I called work to verify that I was scheduled to go in to Bob Evans at 4:30.  However, the manager asked me if I could possibly come in at 2:00?  I said yes.  About fifteen minutes later, it occurred to me that I didn’t ask God first.

This is going to be harder than I thought!

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“Concerning Burnt Oatmeal, Laundry, and Mindfulness”

On May 24, 2017 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I burnt the oatmeal this morning.  Here is how this fiasco unfolded.

I got up this morning, having slept about six-and-a-half hours—with only one pit stop.  Pretty good for me.

I got out of bed, determined to accomplish a lot of stuff today.

Strike 1!

Then, I  thought to myself, “I need to use my time efficiently!”

Strike 2!  Efficiency is one thing.  Effectiveness is another thing entirely.  I know this at the theoretical level.  Living out the truth is another matter.

I stripped my sheets and pillow cases, and took them downstairs to launder them.  “I’ll have some nice nutritious oatmeal,” I said to myself.  So I put on the oatmeal.  Okay!  I haven’t struck out—yet!

However, you have already guessed where this is going, haven’t you?  In order to make efficient use of my time, I decided to put a load of laundry in the washing machine.  “It’ll only take a minute,” I lied to myself.

Strike 3!  You’re OUT!

There were some clothes that needed pretreated.  Oh, yes, I need to check my wife’s hamper to see if she has any things that needed washed.  She did.

By the time I got back in the kitchen, the oatmeal was . . . well, caramelized.  No, to be honest, it was burnt.  The smoke alarm went off shortly after I pulled the sauce pan off the burner.  I scraped out what could be salvaged and ate it.  However, the sauce pan may not be salvageable.  (The salvageable oatmeal was nice and smooth.  I’ll give myself that!)

Shortly after this bit of kitchen drama, a friend called.  He has gotten interested again in mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness?  That sounded pretty good at this particular moment.

Mindfulness can be looked at in many ways.  One term I think of when I hear or read the word is “awareness.”  Mindfulness, for me, is awareness of myself, my surroundings, and of other people—as I/they are, not as I would like myself/them to be.

The two aspects I needed to pay attention to this morning (and did not pay attention to) are awareness of myself and of my surroundings.  Well, to tell the truth, I mainly needed to be aware of myself: of my tendency to start things and not finish them, my tendency to try to pack too many things into a day, my tendency to elevate “efficiency” over effectiveness.  Awareness of myself is always more important than my awareness of oatmeal and laundry.

Of course, this burnt-oatmeal situation is a fairly simple case of  a lack of mindfulness.  But the same basic principle applies in more serious and important situations and relationships.  Am I being mindful in relation to my wife, my friends, and my coworkers?

So, what about you, dear reader?  Any need for mindfulness in your life?  I doubt that I am the only one who is burning the oatmeal.

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