Hope :: Prioritizing

Kota performing his top priority

Hello, all! I may be a handful of hours late on getting this blog post out to all you wonderful readers, but it’s here!

I digress.

Life has been crazy as of late. I have classes, I started working in retail, I’m about to start working as a WordPress editor for a campus journal, and I’ve begun working as an intern for a literary agency. So, needless to say, it’s been a little busy on my end of things.

On top of all of that, I also have a habit of struggling with insomnia, which means I sometimes get far too little sleep. That adds its own extras.

I think we all get into these seasons where life becomes crowded and overbooked. When we get into these seasons, we have to start prioritizing.

I don’t know what’s most important in your life, but the most important thing in my life is my faith. However, I haven’t prioritized it that way. Yes, I write these blog posts and I post my videos, but I haven’t given God the top place in my life because life was ‘too busy’.

With everything I was doing, it felt like I was constantly trying to pour from an empty cup. I literally felt like I was attempting to breathe hope to everyone else without receiving hope in return.

Don’t get me wrong, I was reading my Bible and praying, but I felt like that wasn’t enough, I wanted to be in a church and surrounded by other believers. However, I didn’t even know where to start with finding a new church.

Then a fellow classmate approached me and said, “I don’t know if you’re already attending a church somewhere or if you’re looking, but I know of a place near your apartment.” That Sunday, a few weeks ago, I attended for the first time. It turns out, it’s almost directly across the street from my apartment and I never knew it was there.

It’s funny, because that first Sunday, the pastor talked about the practice of resting. At that particular time, my only involvement was school. I would have my internship interview and orientation for the retail job the following week, but I wasn’t quite in NEED of rest yet.

Anyway, fast-forward to this past weekend. I closed at work Saturday night and then struggled with insomnia until 4am. When my alarm went off for church, I considered shutting it off and going back to sleep.

Then I realized: if it was work or school, I’d force myself to get out of bed and go, no matter how bad my head hurt. Do you know how many times I let my 3rd graders play recorders when I had a migraine because I had promised them just days before that it’s what we would do during their next class?

I like to say that faith is my top priority, but when I truly look at my decisions, it isn’t always reflected like that.

So, I got up and I attended church. And I was very glad I went! I tried to nap afterwards so I’d get a little rest before I had to be at work, where I closed again. I got home around 11:30 and had to be back at work this morning at 8. By the time I got home, I was exhausted. I knew I needed to write this post, but by then, I was running on fumes, my head wasn’t in a very good place, and I had no idea where to even start.

Know what I did? I took a nap.

See, our mental and spiritual health are extremely important. When we’re struggling in those two areas, it can cause adverse effects for our physical health.

I hear people use this example a lot, so I’m sure you’re familiar with it. But do you know how on airplanes, they say that if the oxygen masks drop down, you’re to put on your own before helping others?

That’s how a lot of things in life are. You can’t pour from an empty cup. You also can’t say, with conviction, that something is a priority in your life if you’re not actually making it a priority.

Today’s message may be a little late, yes, but I think it’s better for the fact that I made sure my head was on straight before I sat down to finish it for you.

So, my advice for you today: figure out what’s most important to you, make time for it, then let the rest fall into place.

I’m not saying it’s super easy. It isn’t. Other things will constantly fight for dominance. However, if we actually put in the effort, if we truly prioritize the things in our lives, I think we’ll all find a bit more joy, peace, and happiness in everyday living.

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