Choosing Space for a Purpose

I just landed from a trip to outer space. It was a short trip but packed with excitement. We counted down to blast off with our lunches in tow. We communicated with our command center often, and even though we forgot to install a steering wheel in one of the shuttles, all three ships made it to Mars and back.

And we never left our living room.

With three cardboard boxes and a set of washable markers, my children and I imagined our way to outer space and back. At ten, seven, and five, what they want most is for me to take time to play with them.

Too often I busy myself with tasks instead of people. I get caught up in laundry, cleaning, cooking, and even in my work. I forget the little eyes that are watching me. I focus on how what’s around me is looking rather than who is looking.

As women, our work is important. Most of us maintain the house, the calendar, and the meals that keep our families on track. We coordinate family get-togethers, help with homework, and pick up milk more times than we can count. But how often do we stop to play? How many times do we pause to deliver on that promise of coffee with a friend? When do we make time for our husbands?

Electing to focus on people over tasks can feel like a burden to the to-do list. We feel swamped, yet we attempt to make time for others because we believe it’s “the right thing to do.” We shuffle around our workloads to squeeze in time, turning our relationships to tasks. But when we choose people over work, we are making space for God.

When Martha invited Jesus into her home, the Bible tells us, she became distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She became more concerned with the dinner than about the opportunity to spend time with her Savior. Her sister, Mary, made time to be with Christ, and he commended her for discovering the one thing that should take priority—relationship.

To live as Christ is not to have clean windows and an organized playroom but to live in community with love. To be Christlike does not consist of perfect decorations but in opening our homes to people no matter how things look; not in accomplishing the tasks on the to-do list but in relationships.

Relationships must be built from the ground up. If we take the time to construct them properly, they provide the foundation on which we frame a life. To create and maintain a relationship requires us to give up our time. As much as people try, money and gifts can’t buy friendship. We must choose to spend our time building so we can encourage one another the way God intended.

Who is calling for your time today? The endless pile of papers on your counter? The unmade beds? The stack of dishes in your sink? Maybe it’s time to put down your to-do list and seek the heart of those around you.

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Take time for your relationships today. Build them strong. Travel to space, have conversation over your coffee, or make a call across the miles. You’ll be blessed.

Stacy Dickman loves all things creative. Living in Southwest Ohio with her husband and three children provides plenty of inspiration! Using her love of story, Stacy turns everyday ordinary into an encouraging adventure. With coffee and Jesus, she hopes to shine light into life by finding beauty in the everyday. You can find her at stacydickman.com.

Photograph © SpaceX, used with permission