Hummm….now isn’t that interesting.
As I listened Sunday night to the Super Bowl commercial, my mind wandered beyond the gridiron. The words declared: “Balance isn’t found; it is created.” That is what Alfa Romeo said, and they paid 5 million dollars for 30 seconds to say it.
What do you think?
The subject of balance wedges its way into conversations around conference tables, kitchen tables, and even picnic tables. Somehow we long to get our hands around the phenomena as if decoding the dilemma will relieve stress, destroy dichotomy, and provide a sweet, serene life.
But I ask:
What about the friend suffering through radiation treatments for breast cancer? Can she create balance?
What about the mother nursing a newborn? Can she create balance?
What about the family struggling to make a mortgage payment? Can they create balance?
Sorry Alfa Romeo. I don’t think so.
Forgive me if I sound cynical. I really don’t mean to; I can’t even pretend to be a good cynic. It is just that life’s curves, twists, and turns take us places we never knew we would go, and it takes much more than created balance to hold it in the road.
It takes Jesus.
Wrong Goal: Create Balance
As a mother with three little ones five and under, I thought if I could just create balance, life would be manageable. This misguided goal led to misguided assumptions, and misguided expectations.
God graciously intervened, and brought a beloved book into my life, the content of which set me free from the pursuit of creating balance.
The book, Between Walden and the Whirlwind by Jean Flaming now sits on my mahogany bookshelf among a select group of personal classics. This resource states, “Focusing life, not simplifying it – or even balancing it – is the key to truly Christ-centered living.”
Reality: Ebb and Flow
Creating balance is a myth. Moreover, I have learned that life occurs in an ebb and flow. Like the waves of an ocean, there exists surges of demands to meet, responsibilities to supervise, crises to manage, and even opportunities to harness. None of these gives credence to balance.
In like manner and in due season, the inevitability of a receding tide occurs. Life moves at a slower pace and demands assume a quieter demeanor.
Right Goal: Fixed Focus
A fixed focus of walking with Jesus protects from the disappointing pursuit of seeking balance, and gives way to seeking Him. Herein lies rest and peace, which believe me, is far more stabilizing than balance.
So Alfa Romeo,
Though I disagree with your theory, I will gladly accept your keys. Make it red, please.
