Unplug so you can Plug in

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes...including you." Anne Lamott

  All of us can be guilty of our feet moving faster than the rest of our bodies. We are trying to do too much too fast. Recently I tried to make an appointment with a colleague, when she opened her calendar, my jaw dropped. Instead of making an appointment to meet with her, I suggested she make an appointment to unplug.

  The other day, I was guilty of doing too much too fast. My feet had barely hit the floor and I was already doing everything. By mid-morning, I had done a lot of things, but my mind was swimming. I walked right by my prayer chair a dozen times. The chair in the corner that I set up to meet with God each day. Somewhere, back in the annuals of my mind, I remembered setting up that prayer spot so I could give my agenda and calendar to God each day. The intention was heartfelt at the time, but the my practices had fallen way short.  So, without a lot of fanfare, I plopped down in the chair. I unplugged for a moment and invited God into my day. To the outside world, I didn't look very productive in that moment. I was sitting in a comfy chair, with my eyes closed, and taking deep, slow breaths. But, inside, there was a great shift occurring, the Spirit's grace pouring into me, God's peace touching me, and a calm came to my mind. Within those moments, I saw my calendar before me, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, I felt gratitude, as God highlighted "his" priorities on my calendar.  To the outside world, when I got up from that chair, I didn't look much different, but I had grown an inch closer to God. 

   Jesus prayed often. Jesus went away alone to pray, he went off in the wilderness to pray, he got up early and climbed a mountain to pray alone. Read this verse from Luke 11:1 "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” As soon as Jesus was done praying, his colleagues (the disciples) asked him to do something. It's like our phone ringing, or our e-mail dinging, or the toddler tugging on our shirt. What did Jesus do? He taught them the greatest prayer the world has ever known, the Lord's prayer. Jesus unplugged himself for a minute to pray so when he plugged back in he was ready to face the demands of the world.

  All of us can hit the "restart" button. We may only have a minute in an hour, or a quick lunch break, but we can choose to give some of our time to God. Giving some of our time to be with God is an offering that we make, and God blesses and multiplies. 

  Right now, go ahead, pull out your calendar, take a look, find a spot where you can write "unplug"?