Productive or Just Busy?

I want to be productive, not just busy...there's a big difference! The other day I was vacuuming my couch with the hose attachment, and then proceeded immediately to vacuum my rug. All of the sudden I realized that I was holding the hose in one hand, while pushing the vacuum with the other. That was pretty pointless. The main vacuum doesn't suck anything up unless the hose is attached to it. Basically, I was busy accomplishing nothing! Or you could say, busy wasting time. Why? In that moment I was distracted. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. My mind wasn't clear.

I don't want to live my life like that. Not for myself, my husband, children, friends...whoever God brings into my life! I want to be productive in the life that God has for me. I want to be intentional and focused.

I am the mother to five children (one not out of the womb yet...but I feel his presence :) For me, sometimes the most productive thing I could be doing is sitting with one of my kids, looking them in the eyes, and listening to their thoughts. Other times it's to scrub the kitchen floor and fold lots of laundry. Maybe it's to be still, rest, or pray. It could be to drop what I'm doing to visit a friend, write a letter, or deliver a cup of coffee. There's no specific "list of productivity". To me, it really comes down to knowing the Lord, and walking in accordance with His Spirit.

Productivity can't always be measured, or seen with our eyes. If I fold a bunch of laundry and put it away, I will notice how clean my laundry room is and how full the drawers are. On the other hand, if I sit down and read to my kids for 30 minutes, no one will actually see that I've done anything. However I will have just invested in my children's hearts and minds.

When I looked up synonyms for productive, the words fertile, fruitful, and effective were listed. I want my heart to be fertile ground to the seeds that God plants, and my actions to bear good fruit. I desire to be effective in His kingdom today. I want to be aware of all the opportunities He has for me, whether seemingly insignificant, or bigger than I could imagine! I want to be productive in things seen, but more importantly, things invisible.

"...what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" -2 Cor. 4:18 NIV