This year I was more than a little annoyed to find out my weed eater was not ready to immediately jump into action. Instead I had to go into troubleshooting mode and figure out why it kept dying on me. Why can't things just work like they're supposed to?Well, they generally do - provided that you keep them in proper working order. And that's the part that gets tricky. Regular maintenance is something that is extremely important but not at all urgent. At least not until it's too late and requires a major fix.
Life is a lot like that, too. Take your relationships for example. I think most people would agree that it's important to spend quality time with your spouse, children, other family and friends. But all the hectic busyness of life - rushing from ball games to school plays to emergency trips to Wal-Mart - wears us out and puts that quality time on the back burner.
How about your personal health? We've all heard the experts tell us how important daily exercise is - even just 20 minutes a day. But who's got the time for that? And then there's healthy eating! Of course it's better to cook your own food, but that takes more time as well. And that seems to be the one thing that's in shortest supply.
While these things may seem ideal but impossible, the question we should be asking ourselves is, "Do we have time NOT to do them?" They're easy to bypass in the moment, but over time the results are a lot worse than neglecting to take care of your weed eater. Nobody wants to wake up one day to find a mess of broken relationships or bad health.
I admit it's been more difficult than it should, but I'm trying to take my own advice. First off is getting back in shape. That 45 minute workout of general cardio and running is rarely something I look forward to, but I know it's better than a bad back or being unable to play sports with my kids.
Speaking of the kids, quality time with them is getting harder and harder to find as well. As they get older, their schedules are becoming busier than mine! So a few years ago I took a suggestion from my older brother and began taking a different one of my three kids to Sonic each Friday after school. We get ice cream and talk about what's going on in their world. (In the process I've tried nearly all of Sonic's new shakes, even the peanut butter and bacon!)Spiritually I know I have a tendency to drift if I'm left all alone. That's why I cherish my church and BSU fellowship. They keep me grounded in the God's Word and encourage me when I need it. I definitely don't want to see my life when that is neglected!
Whatever you consider to be those important things in your life, I encourage you to make time for them. I know how easy they are to skip over when more urgent things come along. And I guarantee you that those urgent things are going to come! So make the decision now that these things are even more urgent. Get them on your calendar. Get rid of some of those time wasters in your life. Tell someone else who can help keep you accountable. Do whatever it takes!
Life requires regularly scheduled maintenance. Sometimes it's difficult and inconvenient, but it's worth it. You don't want to discover the consequences when it's neglected.
