Joy in Busyness

I begin every Monday morning with the same routine: I sit down at my desk and take out a half-sheet of paper. Across the top I write "Nick's To-Do List." On the right side of the page I write down all of the worksheets, tests, quizzes, and other assignments I need to make that week. On the left side I jot down everything I need to grade. Finally, at the bottom of this half-sheet I write "Other." The poor items relegated to this section are the ones I think of doing right before bed and inevitably get pushed off to another day---the casualties of more pressing demands.

In the last three months I've wrestled with the realization that the work is never done, that the items in the "Other" category are always there. During these times of busyness I find it helpful to reflect on why we're here and make sure the joyful moments don't get forgotten amidst the busy ones. Here are some thoughts that come to mind:

Finding joy in the classroom as students ask questions about Christ: Why did Jesus die? Why does He give people hope? Can I be a follower of Jesus but not a Christian? and Why don't Christians name their kids Jesus?

Leading a group of young men through a discussion on Jesus' parables each Monday after school.

Being hoisted on the shoulders of my varsity soccer team and carried off the field after a last minute goal gave us another victory in one of the best seasons we've had in years.

Realizing how much I love being around my students. Students that I struggled to say I even liked after my first year I have surely come to love.

Taking the lessons Angel and I learned in our Marriage Builders small group in Illinois and sharing them them with a group of newlyweds here in Jerusalem.

Seeing my wife find time to paint regularly for the first time since college.

Exchanging smiles with Angel as we watch Moira try to lift objects as big as she is or "wear" anything she finds with a hole large enough to fit over her head. In the photo she's sporting our school's soccer uniform.