Spiritual Traffic Jam

I hate getting stuck in traffic.

It's even worse when that traffic is in my heart. So many different priorities in life, and all of them packed on the super-highway of my mind. Often God gets lost in the shuffle.

Most of my traffic is about God, so how can He get lost in the shuffle? He gets lost in the shuffle (or more succinctly, I lose sight of Him) because I'm too darned busy to notice where I am in this life.

I have too many jobs, too many self-inflicted responsibilities, and too many to-do lists. Yes, everything needs to get done, but when everything becomes just the next task to do, I lose focus on the who and why.
It could be ministry work, driving, or crafting- it doesn't matter. God gets left by the wayside and I speed off without even realizing I've left someone important behind.

There's a song called Just Breathe by Jonny Diaz. The first time I heard it I was in shock. God sent me a song! This song resembled my own life so much, I almost cried listening to the lyrics. I pulled the car over and really listened, then I did what the lyrics said. Just Breathe.

Four seconds is all it took for me to be in a better, calmer state of mind. It also allowed me a big enough pause to open my spiritual eyes and see the jam I'd gotten myself into. But it allowed one more, very important moment. It gave me time to let God back in the van!

From that day forward, I'm much more aware when I start getting stuck in spiritual traffic. I take a side road in prayer, turn off the highway and rethink my path, or pull over and breathe, listening to Him instead of the beeping horns. I don't always remember, but when I do, the first thing I do is breathe. It's like a spiritual reset button.

Even when what I do is for God or about God, I get lost in the details. But when I focus on the who (God) and the why (to glorify Him), the traffic snags smooth out and the day runs so much better!

I've cut a few extra cars out of my jams. Tasks and deadlines were postponed or cancelled altogether, schedules lightened, and to-do lists shortened because I just couldn't function as a human being anymore- the load was too great! It wasn't easy (and still isn't!) but God will get me through what I have to do and give me the wisdom to know when to pull off of the highway.

Breathe in God, and breathe deeper than you've ever done before!