I'm so challenged by this time issue and how it affects my relationships. It's definitely a place of struggle for me, but these are some things that I'm considering as I try to live life intentionally:

Our Calendar
First, we need to start each day by asking God to set our agenda. Instead of coming to God with our full calendars for His blessing, we need to come with a blank calendar and ask Him to fill it. You see, we can trust God to give us the strength and ability to do each task that He’s called us to accomplish. He is our portion, and we will have everything we need if we don’t try to outwork the provision of His portion. Jeremiah wisely said it like this, “I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’” (Lamentations 3:24 NIV)

Our Commitments
We also need to experience the freedom to say “no”. I had a pastor say something which has really helped me in this area. He said, “When you say ‘yes’ to something which is not God’s assignment for you, you block the person who is truly called to that assignment.” I had never thought of “no” as a positive word before! When I prayerfully say “no” to someone’s request, I have done the very good thing of leaving that assignment open for the one who is called. Remember that the next time you need to say “no”, and you will be able to release the weight of responsibility and walk away free.

Our Priorities
Finally, we need to be flexible and be prepared to have our agenda interrupted. Jesus is the perfect model for this idea. Some of His most powerful and memorable interactions with people happened on the way to do something else. The woman at the well (John 4:1-26) and the woman with an issue of blood (Luke 8:40-48) are just two examples.

God’s agenda for me on any given day may include a child with a heart broken from teasing, a friend who has just received a grave diagnosis, a co-worker who is struggling with her marriage, or a husband who needs encouragement. We have to be intentional about recognizing these interruptions and stopping to meet the need in order to build strong relationships. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I was so busy that I didn't notice,” rings hollow and leaves people with a sad realization of where they fall on our list of priorities. “Of course I have time for you,” is a phrase that fills the most discouraged heart with joy.

I believe our time issues largely become non-issues when we let God set our agenda, we learn to say no and we make time for divine interruptions. Even though it sometimes requires sacrifice, when our time priorities matching our relationship values there becomes space and air for those relationships to grow and thrive.

Thank you so much to everyone who left a comment on friendship. Ya'll have given me a lot of food for thought. I used Random.org to generate a random number (6), and Christie Aug. 27 at 5:13 pm is the winner! Christie, email me your mailing address, and I'll have Rachel's book sent to you from our office.