Balanced Existence
One thing that a large fundraising banquet produces is paperwork. And turning all of that paperwork into usable digital data is an incredible chore. Reminds of my intern days at PFI, where I spent many a long hour turning anti-gambling petitions into a database of incredible size. Perhaps the most vivid memory is the tendonitis it caused in my forearms, which at some points was so bad that I took to typing with my forearms rested on ziploc bags of ice to numb them a bit. I’m grateful that the tendonitis hasn’t returned during this foray into the world of data-entry, but it has given me some time to think, and now you get to read a few ramblings based on that thinking.
Over the last couple of months, I have lived life wildly out of balance. That may sound like a big admission, but I’m afraid it really isn’t–I knew my life was out of balance, and I would imagine anyone that talked to me over that span also knew it.
But looking back–and looking ahead to crazy times to come–I would have a hard time saying that these periods of imbalance are wrong, or even bad. There is something to be said about having a cause that is worth giving everything to.
But that begs the question, I guess–what is a balanced life? I can think of a million–more or less–things that need to be balanced. For instance, one must balance diet, exercise, and rest in order to be healthy. One must balance work, study, and recreation in order to avoid burnout. One must balance the things of this earth, necessary to survival, with the things of eternity.
Going a little deeper, then, let’s classify all these different types of balance into two broad categories: “inner” balance and “outer” balance.
I’ve found that inner balance, quite simply, requires a life grounded in God’s truth and God’s spirit. There are a million other things that go on in the inner man–thoughts, plans, knowledge-seeking, emotions, who knows what else–and they all compete with each other, and the only thing that brings sanity into the mess is the truth of God’s Word.
And when the inner is balanced, the outer makes much less difference. When pursuing things of God, His strength can bring a balance where there otherwise would be none. That being said, getting adequate rest and exercise can contribute to the balance of inner turmoil.
So as I begin to dare to think about *gasp!* life after law school, here are a few initial observations:
First, balance is not a matter of allocating equal amounts of time. While one hour a day of exercise may bring that facet into balance, one hour a day of sleep would not. And all time is not equal; an hour in half-asleep reverie late at night is not the same as an hour of coffee-inspired diligence (to use a horrible example).
Second, balance is a matter of priority. There is simply too much “good” out there that needs to be done to fit it all in one lifetime. And God’s calling includes different things at different seasons of life. Sometimes, for instance, we simply must throw ourselves wholeheartedly into preparation. Law school finals come to mind: very little practical benefit in and of themselves, but a necessary preparation to future service.
Third, a balanced existence is ready to handle stress and challenges. When the imabalance comes, when sleep is hard to come by, when food is eaten quickly or not at all, being grounded in God’s Spirit makes it worth it, and makes it doable.
May my life be ever so grounded.