Last week I had the pleasure of downhill skiing twice. The first time was with my daughter who had a few days off school (after her exams were done) and we went to the local hill in Kitchener. It was very cold and windy, so we only lasted 3 hours, but it was still fun and I was able to spend some time with my daughter. Later that week, I was a guest at a private ski club near Collingwood and it was a fantastic day. The weather was great, no lines for the ski lifts, and the food wasn’t bad either.
I think what I enjoy most about skiing is that it gets me out of the house in the middle of winter, and allows me (forces me?) to go outside and have some fun in the coldest season of the year. For most of the winter, the only time I’m outside for an extended period is shovelling snow which is not even close to being a fun activity, and I can quickly start to long for a day on the beach after shovelling for three days in a row.
Recently, while having some coffee with some coworkers, we chatted about the weather (like typical Canadians) and wondered how life would be different if we lived in a place where the climate was relatively constant, like many tourist destinations around the equator. Most of us agreed we would miss the changing seasons and it reminded me of a conversation I had with a missionary who was working in the Dominican Republic.
This missionary had grown up in the northern US, so he was familiar with cold winters and changing seasons. He noted that after a few years spent in a warm climate, his perception of time had changed. He had switched to “island time”. If you’ve never heard this term before, then you probably haven’t visited the Caribbean. “Island time” is a general term used to describe the very laid back approach to life that seems to be commonplace on the warm island nations. It’s the “no worries”, “no problem” attitude where tomorrow is another day and if we don’t get something done today, no big deal. Events never start at their scheduled time and people don’t get too offended if you don’t show up at all. This took some getting used to for the missionary – people wandering into a worship service in time to sing the last song, or not showing up at all even if they agreed to share their testimony that morning.
As we chatted about this cultural difference, we speculated on what makes the island people so laid back compared to us northern people. The missionary thought it might have to do with our changing seasons. Our heritage has been one based in agriculture, and with limited growing seasons. There is a relatively narrow timeframe to get crops planted, and another to get them harvested. For the earliest settlers, this was a literal “do or die” scenario. If they didn’t get their act together and plant their crops early enough, they could starve trying to make it through the winter. In the warmer climates, many crops can grow year-round so there is no real urgency to make sure the planting takes place before it is too late – there’s always tomorrow. Even though most of us aren’t active farmers, the changing seasons still force us to meet deadlines – raking leaves before it snows, fertilizing the lawn in the spring, pulling out our short-sleeved shirts for summer. And of course, our lifestyle is impacted by deadlines – filing tax returns, being on time for doctor appointments, getting to work on time (or else).
Our life of meeting deadlines can become stressful, especially if we fill our calendars with too many activities. So I think there is something we can learn from our island friends regarding their attitude of “no worries”. Consider the words of Jesus in Luke 12:25
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”
Maybe we just need to take a big picture look at our lives and see how much of what we do each day really matters. Maybe some of the stress we go through is brought upon ourselves by trying to cram too many things into a busy schedule.
At the same time, we shouldn’t put off important things that need to be done. Many times when I’ve asked people to volunteer their time to serve on committees or leadership positions, they’ve told me they are just too busy. Too busy with their careers, too busy driving kids to after school activities, too busy with life. Often, they promise to reconsider when life slows down a bit for them, when they’ve settled in their new job, when the kids get older... And too many times, they never do find the time. Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 9:36-38
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
There are things God expects us to do today. They can’t wait for next week, next month, next year, when your kids are older, when you retire, when you’re not so busy. The farmer who postpones his harvesting too long eventually ends up with nothing.
Think about what is stopping you from doing works of service – is it really that important? Reflect on missed opportunities when you’ve turned down a direct request to contribute to the Great Commission, or didn’t respond to an open invitation to be part of something really important. If you are too busy with life to do the important things in life, maybe you’re actually missing out on what life’s all about.
Comments?
Jac Vanderbaan
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