By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
Springtime is a busy time of year. Last week, there were taxes to file. The end of the school year is in sight, but there’s still lots to get done before we get there. The leaves and flowers have suddenly appeared, but that means there’s also weeding, planting, and mowing to do. Then there are the many, many events and performances that pop up like daffodils every spring weekend in our little town. It’s a lot.
I recently read the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark with the Young Adults doctrinal class. The Lord does a lot in that first chapter! After He taught in the synagogue, cast out an unclean spirit, visited with Simon’s family and healed his mother-in-law, it says this: “At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons….” (Mark 1:32-34). The Lord was working and doing things all day and even into the night.
What do we do when things get busy? Well, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed, exhausted, reactive, and mean. What did the Lord do? “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35). He got some time by Himself to pray. Will you take some time to pray this week? Or are you too busy? 😉 It’s easy to feel like we don’t have time to pray.
The Lord came away from His time in prayer with clarity about what He was going to do next. He said, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth” (Mark 1:38). It was a clear, intentional choice about what He was going to do and what He was not going to do — He was not going to stay in that place any longer, even though there was likely still plenty to do there and plenty of people who would be disappointed to see Him go.
In the busy weeks ahead, I wish you time for prayer, clarity of purpose, and abundant patience and affection for the busy people next to you, also muddling their way through the overwhelming beauty of spring.