We need to drop the hustle.
I recently listened to an interview of an AAU basketball coach, Coach Charles Gazzaway. He talked about his experiences learning basketball and playing throughout high school and college before taking the Hotshots, a team of short, middle-class, junior high, white kids, to the state finals in California. When asked what it was like playing college ball, Coach Gazzaway replied that the more advanced the game gets, the faster and faster the game is. But the key, which he taught his team, is that you can slow it down and play the game at your speed. Life can be busy, but we can slow it down and play at our own speed. President Uchtdorf has counseled that, “we would do well to slow down a little, [and] proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances.”
Have you ever had a hard deadline and suddenly, with a flurry of activity right before, you’re amazed at how much you’ve gotten done? For me, this usually presents when I have an appointment that I have to get kids to in the morning and I magically can get the dishes done, counters clean, laundry sorted and started… all before I have to head out the door. This usually leaves me feeling energized and empowered with a little hit of dopamine. Many times, however, things don’t go this smoothly and I am left feeling frazzled and frustrated instead.
President Uchtdorf noted that it’s “easy to be busy.” He said, “We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. . . . Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives” (emphasis added).
I believe the story of Martha and Mary illustrates this perfectly. In Luke we read:
38 ¶ Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
In the past, I have struggled with this story. Somebody had to get things cleaned up and set for dinner. Somebody had to cook. Wouldn’t it be better if Mary had helped Martha with the preparations and then they could both enjoy the teachings of the Savior?
After some careful reflection and pondering, I noticed some of the adjectives used in this scripture. Luke describes Martha as being “cumbered about much serving.” Cumbered means hindered and burdened. The Savior, himself, noted that Martha was “careful and troubled about many things.” Was Martha so harried that she couldn’t feel the love, peace, and joy that the Savior had to offer? When I am bustling about with an endless list, can I feel the love, peace and joy that he has for me?
I had my own amazing ‘ah-ha’ moment when I heard President Uchtdorf say:
Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.
Is it?
I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.
I can’t see it.
Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time.
If I am supposed to be like the Savior, and I am, should I be hurrying and scurrying about trying to complete an impossibly long list of to-dos, or living purposefully, ministering to others giving them the gift of my time?
What is one thing you can do to slow down and experience joy?
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