Walnuts or Rice?

My mom always did a great job at visually helping us remember something, and I remember one very specific reminder as I get overwhelmed with life. She has a jar sitting on her desk.....the reminder:

Take a jar, a handful of rice (enough to fill the jar) and a handful of walnuts. If you put the rice in first and then the walnuts, you will find that there is not enough room in the jar for both. You can push as hard as you want -- they won't fit. On the other hand, if you put the walnuts in the jar first and then the rice, the rice will fill around the nuts and they both will fit fine.

What's the message? The walnuts are our priorities. In life they may represent faith, family, and friends. At work, they may represent the truly important, difference-making tasks that must be done. The rice is the everyday stuff, the things that really don't contribute to our personal or professional success. They are the easy things that we take on but that prevent us from getting to the difficult yet significant tasks that we know we must do. The rice represents the urgent things that keep us from ever getting to the important. Dance class, dusting, Facebook, blogging, and many other "necessary" things.

Think about it and what it means for how we prioritize our actions. The rice is everywhere. It prevents us from spending quality time with our family. It stops us from transforming our workplace. And you know what? It will ALWAYS be there. We often think that if we can just clear out the rice, we can make space for the walnuts. The rice keeps coming!  And something else that I never thought about until JUST now...rice expands, and we have always heard that whatever you invest your time and energy in will grow.....you want to REALLY mess up your life.  Water the rice....put all of your time and energy into those "urgent" things and you will soon find that you have NO ROOM for anything that is really important.

I can certainly appreciate this message. It tells me to FOCUS ON THE WALNUTS! Put first things first -- at home, at work, in my personal / professional / physical / spiritual life. Be disciplined about taking on those things -- first -- that truly matter, that will make a difference, that can change the debate, that can change the world!  Are all of the everyday, unimportant tasks keeping you from making time for GOD and your spouse? 

My mom always reminded me that the walnuts in the jar needed to represent the time we spend with God. The rice represents the time we spend doing other things. If we spend time doing other things first, we will never find time to spend with God. But if we spend time with God first, there will always be time for everything else.

Jesus was quite clear on the subject of walnuts and jars. He said, “Set your mind on God’s kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Heavenly Father, I have become an expert in doing “other things” first, and giving to you whatever time and energy is left over. Too often I have not even inquired about what you want from me. How foolish I am! Forgive me for being so self-centered. The object lesson of the walnut and the rice has reminded me about how important my priorities are … to you. Thank you for this reminder. Help me to set my mind on your kingdom’s business first, having faith that there will be enough time left to take care of my business. Remind me that you stand ready to help, if only I will ask.  So, I am asking. Lord, give me your heart. Help me to seek your kingdom first, and ask what you would have me to do today. I want to make YOU happy, and I want to dream YOUR dreams.  Please help me to prioritize the impotant things. In Jesus’ name. Amen

The rice will always be there. Get after the walnuts!

Josh and Serena