I’d like you to picture this with me.
Imagine picking up this copy of the Nashville Christian Family only to discover that there are no margins within it.
From top to bottom, left to right, every square centimeter of each page has print on it.
If you are anything like me, your eyes would be lost. They wouldn’t know where to start, nor finish. Everything would blend together.
It would be an overwhelming mess.
You see, the white space on this page, and throughout this magazine, matters.
White space and margins bring clarity, focus and comfort to your eyes. It helps you focus on the content and consume it in a meaningful way.
Unfortunately, many of us live our lives without whitespace and margins. Our pages are filled with ‘stuff’ from top to bottom and left to right.
Career. Family. Chores. Hobbies. Sports. Holidays. Volunteer Work. The list could be endless.
As a society, we have become busier than ever.
Culture seems to reinforce that honor is found in busyness; that every ounce of white space in our life should be filled with something to do. It’s of no surprise that we find ourselves overwhelmed, restless and tired.
Yet, rest is one of the very things we are created for.
After creating, God rested. To the Israelites, God commanded rest. Throughout the Gospels, we see glimpses of Jesus finding opportunities to rest.
While we all have responsibilities to fulfill, rest is also one of the very things we were created for as well.
As we navigate another busy Holiday season, I challenge you to be intentional about creating white space in your life for rest. I challenge you to begin to create margins in your life that will help restore clarity and focus that has been lost through the pursuit of businesses.
Don’t fill your pages with stuff just for the sake of stuff, rather create margins that help you enjoy and experience this Christmas season and coming new year in a meaningful way.
Don’t allow the nobility of ‘busyness’ to rob you of the beauty of rest and the clarity of a purposeful life filled with healthy margins.
I leave you with this paraphrase of Jesus’ invitation found in the Gospel of Matthew,
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” John 11:28-30 MSG
Grace and Peace.
Kyle Froman, Company Chaplain – Lee Company – leecompany.com
