This is not something I am proud to share. But my daily existence has a to-do list that never ends, and my time is often double- and triple-booked.  Rarely do we have a moment that isn’t overscheduled. Yet the last two weekends were ones that had me celebrating the unexpected – the magic of the unscripted.

On Easter afternoon, I called my ninety-one year old grandmother, Mama, for a chat.  She is homebound in Alabama, and I know she doesn’t entertain many visitors.  An aptly timed phone call every week or so, often lifts her spirits.  In our conversation, I shared we had enjoyed our Saturday and the one before it just spending time with some dear friends.

Her voice drifted away as her mind raced back through its years of memories.  We don’t do that anymore, but remember, Shug, we used to do that.  Just enjoy our day.  You know yourself we used to all get together and just enjoy our day.  We’d eat and visit and spend the whole day together. But we don’t do that anymore.

My heart broke at the last line.  She’s right. We don’t do that nearly enough, or in my case, sometimes ever.  I am my own worst enemy when it comes to the busyness of my life.

I say YES when I should say NO. I lead with my plans rather than checking to see if they are God’s. I fill my calendar with requests for my time even when they pull me in directions I didn’t intend to go, and yes, at times that means crazy.

Yet the unexpected time spent with family and friends (who we call family) in recent days have worked like divine spittle removing the scales from my eyes.

Two weekends ago, cousins passing through on a cross-country drive stopped in after spending the night at home of other cousins.  As we sat and visited, the cousins who offered the place to rest pulled up in the driveway.  At first my eyes could not believe it.  What my eyes didn’t believe made my heart burst with excitement. My thoughts swirling around this is going to be the BEST. DAY. EVER! And it was!

Fast forward to this past weekend and my hectic schedule kept me from organizing get-togethers much sooner than I actually did, but traditions are the glue that hold my clan together.  A quick e-mail the day before turned into a day long time dyeing eggs, visiting, and going out to eat.  One big family just enjoying the day and making memories.  I had to hold the tears at bay watching my adopted granddaughter dye eggs, knowing how much Reed would have enjoyed that moment.  He would have loved her.

Our best friends love us despite our busyness, and they have embraced our penchant for eleven minute planning.  You read that correctly, it says 11 minutes not in the eleventh hour.  Our gatherings often begin with a text, phone call, or bumping into each other at the store a few minutes before we plan to do something.  This style was true to form this weekend.  One text created an entire Easter dinner and egg hunt of which we enjoyed every second.  Good food, even better stories, one hand picked family (minus the college students) just enjoying the day.

I often say that God has to slow me down to realize what he is trying to tell me.  More times than not, he has to repeat the message over and over for me to catch on.  Three unexpected times of slowing down with loved ones and a heartfelt, memory-laced, reminder from my Mama were eye-opening experiences which led my heart to focus on the message in our devotion at supper last night.

How much is the sheer busyness of your life preventing you from living the life God is calling you to live?

The convicting answer was way too much.  God got my attention.  How will he get yours?

As for me, I am hoping to fill my calendar with many more “just enjoying our day”.