A recent incident confirmed that a hectic ministry pace can serve as a big, constant distraction in life. On the other hand, maybe I experienced the effects of my ever-increasing age. Right now, though, let's blame busyness for the near-frequent times that I fail to notice important things.

For example, today I walked to my car after several hours of planning meetings, personnel conversations, and phone calls/emails in abundance. My mind continued to race—okay, slosh—as I fumbled in my pocket for my keys, and for the first time I noticed rust forming around the rear tire well. Great, I thought, that's one more thing to take care of before it becomes a larger problem. Then I saw the small crack in the windshield, and nearly shed a tear as I imagined the repair bill. While inserting my key in the lock I wondered why I let myself get so busy that I didn't notice that the car I drive every day was falling apart. When the key wouldn't unlock the door, I panicked at the thought of ...