I recently heard a person on TV ask the following question of a friend: "Are you eggs or ham?" I didn't get it at first, but have come to realize that underneath this simple query is a much deeper issue.
Now, you may be way ahead of me, but the facts are this: to get an egg, it is necessary for a chicken to be involved; to get some ham, it is necessary for a pig to give its life. Obviously, the latter requires much more than the former.
Everyday we are asked to give of ourselves to causes, organizations, and needs by surrendering at least portions of our time, talents or resources. And if we're not careful, we can easily confuse which ones should be given how much.
Frankly, I see all around people who have gotten this out of whack - and occasionally, I am one of those people! Some things just need us to be involved - giving of ourselves as we can (not going to venture into which ones for you). Other things require that we be totally committed - you know, changing our schedules, rearranging our priorities and such.
The challenge is figuring out which ones are which - highly motivated by understanding what's at stake if we confuse the two. For me, I love playing sports, and there are numerous benefits at my being involved...but they're at the "eggs" level in my life. But I also love people, and the ripple effects of being involved in relationships with people far transcends that of playing sports. Thus, they're at the "ham" level in my life.
I don't have the answer to your balancing act, but I do know who does - Jesus Christ. And I invite you to seek His wisdom regarding your "eggs" and "ham." Quite possibly, there needs to be a little rearranging to be sure we're not treating "ham" things like "eggs" and vice versa.
Regardless of how we choose, the reverberations will be felt for years, so as the infamous Yoda stated, "Choose wisely, young Skywalker." Better yet, as God's Word says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you" (James 1:5).
