Spread Too Thin

Spread Too Thin

Freedom means choosing your burden.—Hephzibah Menuhin

MY HUSBAND, Steve, and I are serial remodelers. We often finish a project (or sometimes an entire house) only to move immediately on to the next room, or even the next place of shelter, to provide a little TLC (tender loving construction). Because our professions rarely afford us even a small glimpse of some tangible result from our daily toil in the office, I think it’s our way of feeling productive and creative. When we remodel, we actually get to see the fruits of our labor.

During one of those makeovers, this time of the master bathroom, I especially enjoyed the rapid progress of the work. Steve, being the visionary as well as the general contractor for these projects, always looks forward to my critique of our craftsmen’s handiwork (not!). One day, I arrived home to find that the painters had applied their magic. But . . . in one tiny area, over in the corner, the paint was spread too thin.

Although the work (paint job included) was spectacular overall, in this one confined space, the work looked sloppy. It lacked the crispness and the detail that surrounded it. It wasn’t as fresh. It actually looked a little worse than before. I thought I could ignore it—but when I went back to the bathroom to take in the sight of the beautiful tile work—all I could focus on was the wall peeking through the Sherwin-Williams, Rope #SW8011.

Like the paint job, I’m often spread too thin, coming across a bit sloppy—in my relationships, in my work, and in caring for myself. I’m not fresh. I’m not creative. I’m not detailed. I’m not present. I’m just a mess.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. . . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13,16, NASB)

Are you overcommitted too? Uh-huh. I thought so.

There’s tangible fallout when we overschedule our lives, and the majority of the time, that fallout occurs in the depth and breadth of our relationships. We cannot fulfill our life purpose if we become like salt that is tasteless and dull.

You have the right and the power to choose between those things that are causing you to be spread too thin. You also have the obligation. Those in your world are looking for your light to shine. What things can you eliminate today that will allow you to glorify your Father?