Why does everything always seem to happen at once? I can have nothing scheduled on my calendar, and then all of a sudden I find myself competing in a relay race with the clock. Like a sports car, I’ve gone from zero to sixty in no time. Do I have a tendency to over-commit? In my human desire to feel needed and appreciated for what I can offer this world, do I say, “yes” too many times?

I had my week all planned out. My laundry had been piling up. My kitchen counters were beckoning me to remove the stacks of mail that had been laid to rest on them from the previous hectic week. And my kitchen floor needed some quality time with the mop. I had the perfect week to take care of all of these things. I only had one commitment on my calendar. Other than that, I had the entire week to tend to my house and fine-tune a few thoughts for an upcoming speaking engagement. With a laundry basket in one arm and my mop in the other, I was ready to tackle my household chores. Once I had a load of laundry started, and my floor was dry, I could begin the process of going through the mail. I even had visions of making a homemade apple pie with the bag of apples we had purchased from the apple orchard that past weekend. I knew getting my house in order, and smelling the aroma of a freshly baked apple pie would create the perfect atmosphere for putting those final touches on my presentation.

And then my cell phone buzzed to let me know I had an incoming text message. My college aged daughter, who attends school thirty miles away, wanted me to spend the night with her at her apartment that night and help her study for her midterms. She had five tests scheduled for that week and was feeling overwhelmed. “Of course,” I said, “I’ll be there in a few hours.” After all, this was my baby, and she needed me. The mail and house could wait another twenty-four hours.

I arrived back home the following day, and then my cell phone rang. The women’s clothing store I work part time at wanted to know if I could come in because the gal scheduled to work that day was home with the flu. What was I suppose to say? “No, I can’t. I have a previous engagement with my laundry room and the kitchen floor.” The mail and laundry have waited this long; I reasoned. What’s one more day?

And then, that night I received a call from a friend who needed help with an event she was hosting in two days. How could I say, “No?” Proverbs 18:24 does say that a true friend sticks closer than a brother.

All of these ‘and then’ moments I kept experiencing were beginning to feel like a true friend who was sticking closer than a brother to me!

Why does everyone seem to need me all at once? If all of these and then moments could have been spread out over the course of a few weeks, my life would have been so much easier. But then they wouldn’t have been and then moments at all.

My lack of time became the very thing that kept me where I really needed to be the most–on my knees. I prayed that God would increase the hours in my day, give me one more day in my week, and replace any physical exhaustion I was feeling with energy. I needed His strength. Had I said no, instead of yes to all of those requests, I’m sure I could have spared myself a lot of stress. But I wouldn’t have felt the need to rely on God as much as I did.

I may not ever know for sure if I had over-committed that week, but I do know for sure what I learned. It’s amazing how many household chores and speaking preparations you can accomplish on your knees!

That week is behind me now. Everything got done, and I was prepared for speaking. I believe God honored my heart’s desire to be helpful to those who are important in my life, and yet, still manage to carry out my own commitments. I was able to accomplish all things through Christ, who gave me strength. What a valuable lesson I would have missed out on if I had just said, “No.”

P.S. In the future, however, I may just consider hiding my cell phone!