And it all starts again


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June 2016

Always Striving for Balance

Rev. Father Timothy Robinson, Associate Priest Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church – Sacramento, CA One of my goals in recent years is living a more balanced life. I want to make time for the important things and not feel like my life is out of control. Pastoral emergencies, family needs, and Greek festivals unbalance it, and that is okay, but I want balance to be the rule. It is June. Some of the Church programs take their annual hiatus. Summer is, hopefully, a chance to slow down a little and reflect on what we do. It is a chance to re-assess. How do I control the pace of my life? How do I manage all the demands? Where is balance found? Is balance an achievable state? To start with, I am presently convinced that control is an illusion. We can control our reactions to things and people, but we can’t control everything that happens around us or what other people do. We can trust God who tells us He cares for us and controls what goes on in our lives. He tells us that he has “every hair of our head numbered” (Matthew 10:30). The Apostle Paul assures us that God works everything for good for those who love Him, to those he calls for His purpose (Romans 8:28). God oversees and governs our lives, even to the point that what others intend as evil for us God can turn to good. So Someone is in control, but it is not us. On the other hand, even if we are not really in control, I am also convinced that God wants us to manage our lives wisely. We are responsible for how we think and react and how and why we do things. Here, for your consideration during these slower months, are a few simple strategies for putting our fast-paced lives into more of a God-pleasing and sanity-producing balance: 1. Learn contentment. In Philippians 4:12 Paul says: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” Our society cultivates discontent. Discontent breeds restless activity. Contentment leads to peace. This doesn’t mean that I am satisfied with everything in my life. It does mean that I am not constantly looking for something new to make me happy. 2. Obey the fourth commandment. Take a day off every week. If I cannot take time off, I am too busy, period. We all need downtime. We must rest. This is the way to a balanced

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life. I have learned that even if we truly love what we do, we need to get away from it from time to time to keep our perspective. Put God first in your activities. We need to pray every day, preferably at the beginning of the day. Prayer centers us. It connects us with God who is the source of peace and calm. And we can pray throughout the day and before we commit ourselves to things. Ask God for creative wisdom. Establish priorities. Our world is full of distractions and trivial pursuits, and we often get distracted from the needful things. From time to time, it is very helpful to evaluate how we spend our time. Turn off your phone and the television. People are more important than things, more important than tasks. At the same time, do not try to make everyone happy. It doesn’t work. You will drive yourself crazy. Someone will always be disappointed with you no matter what you do. Please God first. If God is happy with you, then you are all right. Learn to say ‘No!’ There is nothing wrong with saying ‘No!’ If you can’t say ‘No’ to some things, you will not be able to say ‘Yes’ to the right things! We cannot keep adding endlessly to our activity lists. Here are two questions to ask: “Is this activity or commitment worth my time?” Life is time. Time is all you have, and it is limited. Second: “What am I willing to give up in order to add this new commitment to my life?” A related question these days is: “Am I depending on drugs to help me over-achieve?” Caffeine consumption is at an all-time high. A little is okay for most of us. A lot is just drug-dependency. Starbucks can’t replace sleep. Learn to focus on one thing or one person at a time. Focus on the present. Live each day. Give each person your complete and full attention. Isn’t that what we want from others? “Multitasking” doesn’t really work at all. We can’t do everything, and we can’t do more than one thing at a time. Trust God’s timing. Be patient! Life is a marathon, not a sprint. The urgent is usually not essential, and the essential is usually not urgent. When we ask God for something, He is either going to say ‘No,’ ‘Yes,’ or ‘Not yet.’ God knows what is best for us. Patience, like contentment, will lead us to balance.

There you have it. A few thoughts from a busy Priest. I will humbly confess that I am still working on getting this right! I pray that you work on getting it right, too. May you be happy being busy and busy being happy. Kαλό Καλοκαίρι! Happy Summer!