Busy Signals
June 12 , 2005
Luke 12:13-21
James 1:9-11
The alarm went off at 4:30. She lay there struggling to be awake and get out of bed. By 4:45 she was gathering up laundry and putting it into the washer. She clicked on the coffeepot and began paying a few bills that needed to be in the mail. After she had the wash in the dryer, the bills in the mailbox, one cup of coffee inside it was time to let the dog out, shower, iron and dress. Then wake the kids, get everybody fed, and off to school. By 8:00 everyone was in the car and on their way to work or school. Only to remember a forgotten piece of homework and the dog that hadn’t gotten fed or let back in. By 8:20 they were back on the road now racing to get across town to the first school which began at 8:30. At stoplights she was writing the tardy excuse. As they pulled up to the school she had barely come to a stop when the child flew out of the car, racing into the building. Of course, without the note. Oh well, she thought deflated, they’ll call if they need to. Racing now to the center of town to drop off the second child in time she answers a call from her boss informing her a meeting that was to happen at 11 will be moved up an hour. Now she’s racing as she was counting on two hours of prep-time before that meeting. The second school looms and she weaves the car through saying good-bye as the second child is delivered. Arriving at work she sees the forgotten lunch on the seat. The one she made while everyone else was seated and eating breakfast. Another school IOU. She races into the office while answering another call from the after-school driver whose car just went into the shop. With many apologies she hangs up. But, that will have to wait as project panic has entered the room. She prepares in half the time with half the wanted results the “it’s done enough” project, at 10:05 her boss communicating through eye contact his unhappiness with her tardiness to the presentation. It goes well enough and the client is happy with her work. She spends her lunch hour rearranging after-school pickup. Notifying the school, which also informs her of the tardy slip not received, lunch not had and their policy not to be student secretaries. Luckily, she has desk time during the afternoon which allows her to eat the forgotten lunch herself while doing research and computer work making changes to the work done this morning after the meeting with the client. The boss wants it on his desk by the end of the day. Her cell rings and it’s another parent from her carpool seeking an after-school pickup. She directs him to the parent she found. She no more than hangs up and her cell rings again, it’s the oldest who is going to change after-school plans to include dinner with friends before violin lessons. They renegotiate pickup. She places phone calls to two people who babysit, hoping to reach someone who can be at the house when the youngest arrives. When she hasn’t heard back, she packs everything up to be home. Her boss calls to check on her progress, she informs him it will be on his desk by first thing in the morning. Make sure it is, he says. She races home to find the carpool waiting in the driveway for an adult to show. Many apologies as they race off. She makes dinner and eats with her youngest before they get into the car for music lessons. They pick up the oldest and proceed to the music school. As she gets the instruments out of the car she realizes she has remembered their things but not her own. She spends the hour frustrated her work awaits her at home. But, does have time to work on finishing homework with the one who isn’t in a lesson. They all stop for ice cream on their way home. They arrive at 8:30. Finish homework by 9 and lights out by 9:30. She pulls out her laptop and finishes her proposal. She wakes her oldest to tell her she’s going to the office to drop off papers for work and that she has to listen for her younger sister. Her oldest groans fine. By midnight she’s leaving the office, project on his desk and slumber calling. By quarter to one she’s shutting off the light thinking in four and a half hours I will do it again.
Busy Signals
He has been in three positions this year alone. He’s working in Human Resources and climbing the business ladder quickly. He began the year working for a group in a brewing company. He left to take a position as a group leader for a tool company. And now finds himself over three groups for a retail company. His spouse works in IT and has also had as many jobs in as many companies. They work 80 hours a week or more. He drives an Audi, she drives an SUV. They just bought their third home in an up and coming neighborhood. They’ve been to Hawaii, Colorado, DC, Florida and to each of their family’s homes on vacation this year. They don’t have kids and never plan to. They are planning on retiring at 55.
Busy Signals
They worked their whole lives. He sold insurance, she raised the kids. She was involved in PTA, he never missed a game. They played bridge every Friday. They went dancing on Saturday nights at the club. And they were spending retirement doing all of the things they put off because they were too busy earning when they were younger.
Busy Signals
I actually called someone this week and got a busy signal. I was shocked. It took me a minute to grasp it. I heard the repetitive beeping: beep beep beep beep…Wow, I thought, it’s busy. I hung up the land line phone and picked up my cellphone. I’ll call their cell I thought. And, sure enough, on the cell they answered. And, even if they hadn’t the voicemail would have, instant gratification, no waiting. In my time, in my way, on my schedule I was able to complete my tasks.
Today’s message is about the end game. When your life is over and you are reviewing it. What will you have to show? What will your riches be? As people of faith we are called to put God first in our lives, to have loved unconditionally and loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are asked to stand with the persecuted and to walk our talk. The beauty of the parable today from Luke’s gospel isn’t in the characters as much as in the lack of characters. One man is speaking about his future. And he sees his future as only his own. When he plans to put up those barns to hoard more goods it’s solely for his own purpose of having more. He is the only one talking in this parable. He speaks not to his spouse, his child, his neighbor, his God. He thinks only of himself. Jesus reminds, indeed he is a very poor man for his heart has withered away. He makes himself busy for reaping the rewards of himself. This is a dangerous journey. For when you come to the end of your life and God calls you home what will you take with you? How sad it will be to only be able to take yourself…not love, compassion, faith, hope, joy…only greed.
When we are filling up our lives with busy we must remember what it is we are working for. None of the scenarios I mentioned earlier are bad. I have been involved in all of them at one time of my life or another. The truth for today is that our purpose for being busy is for enjoying and preparing ourselves on this life journey. And, if we are required to go home tomorrow what tools will we have to take with us across the great divide? Will we carry faith hope and joy? Will we know how to love and love deeply? What are the lessons we will have learned about the great things in the world of the living? We wither when we fill our lives with busy. We must remember to fill our lives with things that nourish, nurture, and support our living and learning about the one who calls us out. We must remember to include and support our busy with a God who knew when to rest and who created a Sabbath day that lasted as long as any day of creating. When we see our sisters and brothers struggling with busy, we could learn about sharing grace and peace by helping to lighten their load: cooking a meal, running some errands, watching the kids, providing a weekend away. In the fellowship of sharing we deepen the experience of slowing down the journey. And, instead of withering from busy signals we build and strengthen relationships with ourselves, our God, our neighbors, our sisters and brothers of faith.
In spite of the immediacy of email, cell phones and all sorts of technology…this week, let’s focus on the morality of prioritizing God first. And envisioning busy signals between us and God each time we participate in a withering activity. Then, creating time in our schedule to nurture the God within, the Spirit’s presence strengthening that God voice speaking and calling to us all. Let’s prioritize this week by being present in our lives, by making time to pray, to reach out to help someone else who is struggling, reading our Bible (maybe the book of James), coming to prayer group, and being present in worship. Let’s switch the wind this week by making our faith a priority and the recognition of this powerful gift called life by making living centered in our creative, calling God whose still speaking voice is at work in each one of us.
This is the day that we celebrate our living for being right here in the present, filling up, pruning, nurturing, challenging, growing that this life will not pass us by. We are the people of hope, let’s make sure we’re not too busy and when the end comes we only have busy signals to share. Let us pray.