I Miss Stuff When I'm Efficient

Currently reading Al Hsu's book, The Suburban Christian. Ran across a great thought that really challenged my life. He was talking about efficiency being something of a modern day invention. I'm all about being efficient...multi-tasking and the like. However, I'm not sure it's always a healthy thing to do, or even something positive to strive for, because in the striving for efficiency you miss out.

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When you think about being efficient, you think about what has to be done. It's not only the thought process of thinking how one thing has to be done, but then how the next thing must be completed after that. It's a cycle. So you accomplish one task only to lead you to another, and another, and so on. What this instills is a rat in the wheel type mentality...that we're all running to accomplish the next thing.

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I don't know how many times I see this in relationships and conversations. In our culture ending a conversation is a weird experience. I see and experience this especially on Sundays in our church setting. It's like you bounce around like a ping pong ball talking to a whole lot of different people without really talking to them. And then somehow, the conversation just ends and you get interrupted or move onto the next person. The thought, or expectation rather, is to talk to as many people as you can. You feel obligated to do so, and you feel like you've failed if you missed some folks.

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If we look to the example of Jesus, we see someone who was very efficient, but very present at the same time. Jesus was intentional in his conversations with people, but he never seemed to be in a hurry. What I believe we miss when we move on from one thing to the next or let our schedule determine our lives is the opportunity for spontaneous relationships, interaction, and conversation. In Muslim culture, you may have an appointment with someone, but then a friend comes over and the appointment is missed completely. However, for them, the most honorable thing to do is not keep the appointment, but to be with the friend.

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All of our lives are busy, but I do believe there is an opportunity for us to enjoy life even in the midst of busyness. I think part of it is being able to live in each moment with joy, seeing and enjoying where God is revealing Himself to us. So sit a little longer before moving on. Don't rush to the next conversation. Slow down a bit today. Experience life in a more inefficient way and see what happens.