Yes, that is how long I've given myself to do a post. We've all heard that old saying, "There are 24 useful hours in a day," and ain't it just about the most bittersweet thing you've ever heard? The fact that there are indeed 24 whole hours for you to have your way with, and yet knowing that only a fraction of that time gets used in worthwhile ways?
In any case, here is my super-quick update.
Fall is in full swing in Beijing, and it is without a doubt the loveliest time of the year. I love the fall. With fall has come a ridiculous onslaught of work, work, work, and opportunities for service. At my other job, it's bazaar season which means lots and lots of selling, scheduling, and hair-pulling. Oh, and (hopefully not feigned) Christmas cheer. At my 'real' job (that I am quite eager to leave), it's midterms and grasping at straws for good lesson plans. Today, my students learned "Killing Me Softly" to the tune of a poorly played ukulele, compliments of yours truly. Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel.
As my schedule fills up and the number of daylight hours quickly dwindles, I find myself craving those fifteen minutes, just for myself. I-- like many other women-- am a great multi-tasker, but I often find that I try to squeeze in a few relaxing/fun moments while working. I open up multiple tabs on my browser, so I can answer emails, read the headlines, and download a trailer from Apple Trailers all at the same time. The result? A few emails inevitably get left unanswered, I still don't fully understand what crazy debacle happened during the Occupy Oakland protests, and all I know of new releases is that it's just a bunch more of the same old crap, crap, crap that Hollywood loves to churn out.
And of course, the first thing to go directly to the backburner is my quiet time. I think many Christians can understand this plight. Life happens, and spending time with God gets lost somewhere in the mix of work, family obligation, and errands. After a while, though, it becomes easy to forget just what I'm working, spending time with family, and running errands for. Furthermore, quiet time is a two-way interaction, and it is so easy to forget that God has a feeling about being left on the backburner, too. It hurts Him, and He misses us. Isn't that nuts?
I know old habits die hard, but one thing I'm trying to be intentional about is doing one thing at a time, and giving my full focus on Him for some portion of the day-- be it on the subway or in my non-existent prayer closet-- so that I can give full focus to my entire being.
Just for kicks, also, here's a photo of a lesson plan that is a surefire success. Your perfect 24-hour day. You'll notice that the majority of my time is spend eating. And see that giant slot left open for shopping? It's not for clothes. It's for food.
END TIME: 1:47 PM. Dang!
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