The Power of "AND"

Have you ever struggled with your need to take care of responsibilities and your desire to do something you really want to do? I mean, as a kid there were a ton of times when I wanted to go outside and play ball, but my parents needed me to do something else, like wash the dishes or take out the trash. The consequences of not taking care of my responsibilties were clear and on a few occasions I chose the consequences and went and played ball.

What I was slow to learn was the power of "AND". I could have taken care of the dishes AND still had time to play ball, but my impatience and my desire to have fun NOW caused me to have to endure the consequences of my ignorance.

Today, I really want to devote more time to the work of the Lord. It would be great to be able to focus on what's happening at church and help Pastor Dan get the building project off the ground. Of course, the responsibilities at work and at home make it impossible to focus solely on church. Don't get me wrong. I'm not upset that I have responsibilities at work and at home. Not at all! You see, I wouldn't want to focus solely on the church either; missing out on the blessings of family and friends at work. It's just that sometimes I still struggle with the "AND" part which brings frustration.

I do believe God wants us to embrace the "AND" and learn about balance. Does that make sense? Anyone else struggle with this too?