PINBALL
You don’t see them much anymore, and now they’re mostly electronic video games, but when I was a little girl, (insert shaky granny voice, “back in my day…”) we had “pinball” machines… big boxes with a small but heavy metal ball that you would spring-launch into play onto the tilted table, and try to keep it from being swallowed by a hole at the bottom of the box by whacking it back into play by two paddles that were JUST far enough apart to allow the ball to speed past if it came straight down.
Sounds pretty boring if you don’t know about the plethora of randomly placed items with bumpers on them that would spring the pinball all over the table… making a TON of noise while doing so! Some of these bumpers would give you points, and that’s what it was all about… racking up points before the ball was swallowed into the hole.
Well, sometimes I feel like that heavy little ball… banging against the bumpers in my day, bouncing from one thing on my to do list to another, feeling like I’m not really accomplishing anything, not really marking anything off my list, and definitely not racking up any points!
And just when I think I’m about to be swallowed into the hole and be able to take a break, I’m whacked back into play by one of the paddles - typically some “emergency” that NEEDS to be addressed RIGHT AWAY!!!
Are ya with me??
The other day I was feeling like this.
All.
Day.
Long.
Finally, I cried out to the Lord.
I mean, I literally cried out, “Dear, God!!!”
And He answered me.
“Go for a walk.”
“What??? Are you KIDDING me?!! I have SOOO much to do! I don’t have time to…”
“Go for a walk!” He repeated.
I had to admit, that sounded amazing right then.
So… I took a deep breath, stood up, and walked out the door.
As I walked down the street I could feel my heart start to calm. I took several deep breaths and started to look around at the trees, and the sky, and the birds, and the flowers.
When I got to the park I took my shoes off and walked barefoot on the grass, all the way around the park.
As I walked, I began pouring out my heart to the Lord.
“Lord, I have so much on my plate right now! Please help me. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and give me Your wisdom and discernment. I can’t do this on my own!”
“That’s right,” He answered. “You’re trying to do everything in your own strength. In your own way. You’re not involving me at all… so you’re scattered.”
“What would you have me do, Lord.” I asked.
“Breathe. And walk.” He answered.
As I walked around the park, letting the cool grass caress my feet and the gentle breeze soothe my spirit, the Lord gave me clarity on what I needed to finish first when I got back to my desk.
And after that, I checked in with Him and He told me the next right thing.
And then the next.
And then the next.
And then the next.
Sometimes THE hardest thing to do, the thing we think we CAN’T do, but is THE most important thing we absolutely MUST do is…
STOP.
And seek HIM.
When we seek Him first, everything else falls into place.
That sounds familiar…
Oh yeah, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
Abba, please help us seek You first. You know how this world is just non-stop… go, go, go…. constantly demanding of us. Please give us the strength to STOP. To get away for a few moments. To get quiet. And to get with You. Thank you for always being there. And for always loving us through our pinball days.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.