We had just finished a tasty dinner, cleaned up the kitchen and Amy asked me to start the dishwasher. I knew it wasn’t full enough to run because I had surveyed her loading it. So, as she walked out of the room, I took advantage of the opportunity to rearrange a few things. I moved a few bowls, repositioned a few cups and shifted a few plates. And, bingo – there was lots more room in the dishwasher! Running it as Amy had loaded it would have been a waste of soap and water. It had been stocked rather loosely, somewhat haphazardly and without much organization. But, I fixed it. And I stood there gloating over a job well done until…I felt her presence. I was caught in the act. Gloating over. And, it’s not necessary for you to know what happened next.

I can load dishes in the dishwasher like nobody’s business. I can stuff luggage in the trunk of a car like sardines. I can pack items in a shipping box two sizes smaller than it should be. It’s a gift. Unfortunately, I can pack my schedule just as tight.

I often view my calendar as I do the dishwasher. It’s not ready to run until it’s loaded to max capacity. If there are blank spaces, they need to be filled. Things need to be moved around, repositioned and placed differently to make room for more. There’s no excuse for stocking things loosely, haphazardly or without organization.

Guess what? I’m loading the dishwasher wrong. Gloating over. When my calendar is filled to the brim there’s no margin. You know, margin. Space. Like the room the barista leaves for cream in the coffee cup. Like the blank space a publisher leaves on the periphery of the page for marking notes. The opening for the unexpected that happens in life. The gap that leaves room for rest. The distance between breathing freely and suffocating.

Yes, I’m loading the dishwasher wrong. Gloating over. It’s time to unload some items. It’s time to make sure the most important things make it in and not the most urgent things. It’s time to say no to some things – they can wait till the next cycle. It will come around again. It’s even okay if the dishwasher doesn’t run today. It’s called Sabbath. And it’s a good thing.

Yes, I’m loading the dishwasher wrong? Gloating over. What about you?