Juggling

About four years ago I learned to juggle. The challenges of juggling involve concentration, rhythm, pattern, coordination and keeping your eye on the ball (at least on the ball that is currently in the air.) Juggling is not something you do while you are balancing your checkbook.

Juggling is a great metaphor for keeping up with the many different demands of a busy life.

Over the past couple weeks I dropped a ball or two. Someone noticed that I haven't posted any sermons since the end of February. I have fallen behind on some correspondence. I am way behind on my exercise program. I haven't been blogging very much.

So what happened? Several things, no doubt. The missions conference changed my schedule. The cold I had for three weeks slowed me down. The fact that I was behind discouraged me from moving ahead. Small things become bigger, the longer they are put off. Some of the tasks that I had to do (related to taxes, mostly) were unpleasant and required extra-ordinary effort to address. A discouraging word here or there was (surprise) discouraging - so I dragged rather than bounded through the week.

It is all part of life. It is part of spiritual warfare. It is to be expected. It is normal.

When you learn to juggle, you need to get used to picking up the balls you drop and starting again. The missions conference is over, my cold is past - the privilege of serving Jesus Christ is before me. This week is new. The opportunities for God's glory abound.

As always, it is time to put first things first and one foot in front of the other.

Keep the faith.