The White Space Challenge

One not-so-fine day I woke up to catch my computer deleting all my photos. One by one, gone. My son’s birthday party? Poof! My daughter’s graduation? Goodbye!

My computer had been saying that my disk was full for ages, but I was “too busy” to deal with it. Hitting “OK” to get that pesky message to go away got me back to all the more pressing things on my to-do list. In my panic to restore everything, I pushed all the buttons! I googled “SOS! White screen of death!” I was hoping that some really smart guy at Google would have the answers. Fortunately, this disaster ended well, offering me more than just a restored computer, but my photos miraculously returned safe and sound.

Just as I needed to heed the early warnings to free up disk space, I must also get better at building intentional white space into my day. I’m a doer. I thrive when I’m busy, checking things off my list and doing as much as possible. My soul craves slowing down to simply be. No amount of “doing” will ever satisfy. I need quiet moments with God—that free white space to refocus, reboot, recharge, and rejuvenate my life and my soul.

This is an excerpt from our 365-day A Moment to Breathe Devotional Journal.