I've been thinking a lot about being busy lately. I hear from a lot of people, "man, you are so busy!" I won't bother to list all my activities here now since I have already done so in other posts, but I have been thinking about what it means to be busy. Is it doing a lot of things, or is it doing a lot of things you don't like to do? We all fill our days in one way or another. Whether it's sitting around watching TV or playing video and computer games, taking the kids to every activity imaginable (because we think it's good for them maybe, or because we wished we could have done those things and live through them vicariously?) or going to the gym or even addictions of the not so pleasant kind, being a workaholic and working long hours or even working a second or third job to try to make ends meet. What is "busy?"

I like to think that the things I am involved with bring me into contact with all kinds of people in a lot of different ways. I know the things I do have an impact on them, and I like to think that it's in a positive way. Part of me thinks that I got so used to being busy when I was working and going to school to get my degree(s) and when I finished I needed to fill up the empty space. You get in the habit of not being able to just sit around, and I do feel like I need to be doing something. "Redeeming the time" we used to call it way back in the 80's Calvary Chapel days. I wonder though if all these things are things I am supposed to be doing or if I've allowed myself to get distracted from other things that might also be important. It makes me think of the lyrics to a Newsboy's song I was reminded of over on K's blog this morning: "Lord, I don't know where all this is going, or how it all works out." I find it intruiguing that a lot of what I am busy with lately are things that involve teaching and I am finding that I like it.

I do know for now I don't really have time to think about it more. Time to go to work!