Goers

A young women's Bible study group meets in our home every other Wednesday evening.  When the women arrive I have candles burning, hot water in the kettle and various teas to choose from, and "munchies" of whatever type the designated person brings along.  There are 8-10 regulars.  And then there are the others who have come and gone.

This last week there was another e-mail announcing a "goer."  She needed to simplify her life, she said, and this was one of those things that she was choosing to drop.  It wasn't anything against us, and she was grateful for the welcome she'd felt in the group.

In the past I've fretted about the "goers" from various groups I've hosted or led.  But I guess I'm growing up.  I recognize those cycles in life and have experienced them myself, several times.  You start--usually when you're feeling a need for companionship or novelty--by adding interesting activities, joining up with each irresistible opportunity that comes along.  One by one they creep into your schedule until you find yourself running from one good cause to another. 

We need down time.  We need time to be with family, and we also need time alone.  We need time to think, to read, to veg out in front of the TV once in a while, to get on the phone and call a faraway friend.  The more good things that we add in to fill our lives, the less time we have to recharge our inner batteries, or our relational ones. 

There comes a tipping point when you've added one or two things too many.  At that point it's time to hit the RESET button.  You start flinging off things left and right, skipping events or activities that formerly seemed important or worthy, and hunkering down in an effort to regain acquaintance with yourself and what's truly important in life.

That's why I'm no longer troubled when "goers" cite the need to simplify. Every now and then it's healthy and wise to hit that RESET button.  The hope is that we recognize it before it's too late.