I've been an adult now for a long, long time. I have been in the full-time workforce for 3 decades. As an enneagram three (achiever/performer), I thrive on getting things done. If I'm not being productive, I tend to think I am worthless. It's a sickness, really.
The result? Most of my life has been lived with no margin. You know what I mean? If you've ever tried to read a book with no white space on the page, you know how quickly reading can be overwhelming.
The same is true with our schedules. I plan meetings too close together, pile work on top of work in such a way that I live--when I do it best--on the edge of too much. And when I do it poorly, genuinely overwhelmed.
Margin makes us healthy.
In recent months I've discovered something else about margin. It gives me space to wonder. Specifically, in reading my Bible in the mornings, I've set aside more time than is required. That makes it possible to chase some pretty fascinating rabbits. I have compared translations, watched videos from The Bible Project, imagined the setting, the family dynamics, the personal application for me and my family, and more. Sometimes my reading turns me to pray; other times to make notes in the margin of my journaling Bible.
I wish I had better words to share with you what a difference this has made--not just in my understanding of the scriptures--in my attitude and actions.
In some ways, simply the long term faithfulness of reading every day is doing this. But in many other ways, this margin for wonder has turned information into application.
If you are living with the "pedal to the metal," let me invite you to join me in making a "to don't list" and creating a bit of margin. Or turn of the notifications on your phone. Or turn off the T.V. Or set a limit on your phone for how long you'll explore social media (YouTube, Insta, FB, Twitter, etc.) and explore the Bible for a few minutes. Honestly, just one sitcom (30 minutes) traded in for some time in God's story.
One last thought: wonder often, and quickly, turns into worship. Oh, the possibilities!