Vantage point

---

The joy of doing one thing

 

I’m an inveterate multitasker. I can’t stand the thought of wasting time. This usually means I can’t enjoy a pastime without adding something “profitable” to it. It seems my wife, Peggy, and I never even watch a television program without doing some work at the same time.

When I run, I carry my cell phone, listen to audiobooks or think about my job or ministry, making careful memory notes that are jotted down as soon as I return home. I’ve actually “written” some things for the Evangel while running.

I don’t read a book without marking it and taking notes. I keep a pad and pen on my nightstand to record thoughts that come to me in the night.

Though multitasking is held in high regard in the 21st century, it is clear to me that much of this is a fault, not a strength.

With a mind that is always churning about getting something done, my life often seems to be about either marking things off my “To Do” list, or adding things to it. It is rare when I seize the pastime of the moment for its pure, singular enjoyment.

I do my best when I am out of doors (and not running). Long ago I stumbled upon the sheer magic of God’s creation. I can get utterly lost in time at the sight of a doe and fawn, an indigo bunting or a rushing mountain stream.

God clearly wants our lives to be profitable, but I think that can sometimes be accomplished better if we say “Enough already” to multitasking and enjoy a singular God moment. This can best be done by eschewing all technology for a time (a technology fast) and concentrating on one thing. It’s remarkable what pleasure there is in that. And it’s also remarkable how it charges one’s batteries, making those inevitable times of multitasking far more profitable than they otherwise would have been.

Ken Horn

E-mail your comments to tpe@ag.org.