Journey to Surrender

My how time flies when life gets crazy! I have only been home five days in the last three weeks and it has put me way behind on posting. I am determined to do better, because I have quite a backlog of topics to cover. So let’s get to it!

You’ve probably heard the expression “an inch deep and a mile wide.” It refers to our human propensity to skim the surface of things, of many different things, rather than exploring a few things in greater depth. As the pace of life get’s faster, the temptation (and perhaps even the necessity) to only touch things lightly and move on increases. As our attentions become more divided, our desire for instant and effortless gratification pushes us toward an evermore hectic existence. Life begins to feel like a ride on Disney World’s Space Mountain, as we careen through the darkness, each endeavor popping into view for only a brief instant before the next things steals our attention.

This pretty much describes my life as of late. The same crazy travel schedule that has precluded me from posting has also caused my to-do list to pile up immeasurably, and the pressure to get things accomplished and back under control has, quite frankly, sucked much of the enjoyment out of things that otherwise should be enjoyable. There is a continual undercurrent of thought that causes me question whether I should be focusing on something else instead of whatever I am currently doing.

Last night I was catching up on my vast Google Reader backlog as I was enjoying (not!) being repeatedly put on hold while trying to resolve an internet problem with my service provider with a helpful (not!) woman in India. I came across this quote from a post at the CoupleThings blog.

“A great marriage isn’t about living faster, it’s about living deeper.”

I was reminded by these words how important it is not to let my task-oriented scramble for accomplishment keep me from the deeper things that provide the anchor to my existence: my marriage and my God.

I have to remember not to simply give surface level treatment to these two key areas of my life; to not merely touch them and move on; to not simply add them to my to-do list.

When I fail to be attentive to a deep, intimate connection to both my bride and my Savior, then I become un-tethered from the very things that feed my heart and soul the most.

Living deeper with my wife means giving our relationship the time and especially the attention that is needed for us to stay connected. It means talking about more than just our busy daily schedules and plans, but talking about stuff that really matters. It also means taking time just to be together, to touch, to be quiet, to just exist in the same space.  It means taking time for sexual intimacy, even when we are tired and distracted. It means being willing to let a few things go in order to take care of our relationship.


Living deeper with Jesus means more than throwing up an occasional quickie prayer on the run. It means taking time to soak in His presence, to worship and seek Him. It means taking time to ask for His perspective on the craziness I find myself in the middle of. It’s astounding how gaining a Kingdom perspective can set my soul at peace in the middle of the swirling storm of my daily life.

These things are more than the stuff of obligation or duty. These are the very things of life!


So let this be an encouragement to you, crazy-busy though you may be, to not skip over the two most important relationships in your life.  Instead, go deeper!