Priorities

One of the biggest lessons I've had to learn in my adult life is that the things that matter most to you, you have to make time for.

I think it's really easy in the midst of being busy and of having a lot of things on our daily plates to use busyness as an excuse as to why we don't have time for certain things. I know I am extremely guilty of this myself. I have definitely told people how busy my life is, almost as the reason why I can't make time for them. It's like telling someone, you aren't important enough for me to squeeze you into my schedule.

And while sometimes my life is legitimately that busy to where I can't find time for anything extra...most of the time? I have an hour or two somewhere in two weeks' time that I can fit in a coffee date.

I've been very convicted lately to not glamorize being busy and to not use it as my excuse as to why I don't do certain things or spend time with certain people. If someone or something is important to me, I need to make those things feel important.

I know we all go through seasons in life where being around people is hard. I went through a time just a few months ago where I could not be in large groups. I was dealing with something very heavy and the thought of more than one person coming up to me and asking me about it put me over the edge. I didn't even want to go to church, but I did...I would just get there right as the service was starting and would leave as soon as it was over. Thankfully, that season only lasted a few weeks. I know people that have struggled with some kind of depression that have pushed people away as well. It's sometimes hard to be around other people when your heart and your mind is heavy. And I totally understand that.

So I'm not really talking about those situations or seasons in our lives. I'm talking about our normal day-to-day when we choose to make time for some things or some people, but don't for other things or other people.

I am guilty of this with friends, with reading my Bible, with prioritizing my life in general. Some days? I would much rather spend a day off reading or watching my favorite TV shows and sleeping in. And while it is good and necessary to take time to rest, I have to remind myself that life isn't all about me. I need to be reaching out to other people and listening to their hearts and what's going on in their lives. I have to put my selfishness and my personal desires aside and I have to look to the interests of others.

And when it comes to reading my Bible and spending time with God? That should be far more important to me than watching TV.

I know that friendships have their seasons and I know that I am naturally drawn to some people more than others. But unless there is a legitimate reason as to why I need to stop spending time with someone, I should make all of my friends a priority in my life. I may see some more than others because of different life events or things I'm a part of, but I don't want anyone to feel left out or like I don't care about them.

There have been a lot of changes this year as far as church goes. Some people have been called other places and new people have come in. Just because I don't see someone a couple times a week anymore at church shouldn't mean that I don't try to connect with them and that I stop caring about them. Some of my dearest friends don't live in the same city, state or even country that I do, and those friendships require work to keep them going. If I only spend time with the people I see at church or other things I'm involved in, I'm not really being a good friend. We have to make time for the things and people that are important to us. Because if we don't? Maybe they really aren't as important to us as we think they are.

It's almost like that whole "you are what you eat" thing. If I claim to be someone's friend or if I claim to love reading my Bible, I better be showing my appreciation and love for those things by the way I live my life.

It's easy to be acquaintances with someone, but it's a whole lot harder to dive in their lives and to share the nitty gritty personal stuff.

So in the midst of this crazy busy season, I'm taking some time to evaluate my priorities.