I have a long list of things I need to do. It includes job descriptions, role mandates, business plans, and detailed analysis. There is a view that says everything on my list should have been completed yesterday. In certain cases, yesterday is actually months ago!
I am not the only one in this predicament. Most of the team I work with face variations of the same channel. We hold great opportunities in our hands. We have not had the people in place to respond. The combination means our backlog grows by the day. It is well beyond an avalanche at this point. It is a overwhelming tsunami of work, demands, and pressures.
Balancing the demands with a sense of timing and readiness is key to one’s response. As urgent as each project may seem, acting before the right time does not help anyone. A governor’s reaction to an urgent legal case is the model to follow. A historian noted his response and action. “‘I’ll take up your case when your accusers show up.’ He ordered him locked up for the meantime in King Herod’s official quarters.” (Acts 23.35)
Stepping back, pausing to see the context is another key. In the urgency of the moment, anything can seem critical. While not doubting the view, there is an important question to ask. How does this fit in the greater scheme of things? Is this part of my ideal outcome?
I often feel an urge to skip protocols and process and go to the conclusion. With gray hairs, I find myself looking at life’s urgencies differently. There is a time and place for everything. What is always important is how I respond. The process is the heart of living. What am I doing in this moment? Will I try to make a difference? Will I continue to embrace compassion and community?
Life rarely gives me black and white choices. I know there are always more than two, but which one I should choose is often less than obvious. My timing, perspective, and approach will demonstrate how I use freedom.
