I have a serious issue with overcommitting – I pretty much think that I can do anything at anytime. I also think that I can squeeze in one more thing on any given day; I mean: Who doesn’t have time for one more meeting?

I am a self-confessed F.O.M.O. (Fear of Missing Out), and I will do anything I can to include others in whatever I’m doing. Sounds cool right? Well, it is, and I do it pretty well, but eventually the grind becomes too much to bear. Eventually, no matter how hard I try, the pace of the race will catch up to me.

Usually, this turns into a monumental collapse that forces me to apologize for upsetting those around me. This year, heading into the busiest season, I decided to do something different: I decided to do nothing.

I spent a whole week with no real plans. I relaxed. I spent extra time in prayer. I slept. I watched old movies. It was glorious!

The crazy part about all of this was the fact it took a conscious effort to get to this place of doing nothing. I literally had to schedule it. Heck, I even debated with my therapist what qualified as “nothing.”

I am not wired to do nothing, I am way to busy for that, but in this season, in this moment, it was exactly what I needed. This very conscious time gave me a gift of renewed health and spirit. I was reminded that in order to be in healthy relationships we first must be healthy ourselves. I was reminded that in order to be my goofy self that I need to have the energy to be goofy.

I wonder how many of us spend so much time doing “stuff” we lose our joy?

I wonder how many of us over-schedule to the point that a relationship becomes a mere check on the “to do” list?

I wonder how our families feel when we blow through an event looking like a zombie because we haven’t rested in weeks?

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” I was reminded that being still is a choice, and when we make that choice we give God the opportunity to refill our lives.

How can you be intentional about doing nothing?