Learning to Walk and Chew Gum
Multiple studies have shown: Multitasking is a myth.
Those of us who think we can split our attention between multiple tasks at once are actually accomplishing less — with more stress — than those who single-task.
But what if multitasking is the only option?
Let me explain. I recently saw an ad for a program offering support services for women in drug or alcohol recovery while pregnant or raising a child… Right. Two all-consuming tasks lived out simultaneously: sobriety and child-rearing. These mothers cannot afford to focus on one task at the expense of the other. They are forced to multitask. I don’t mean to make light of it, but they are the quintessential definition of walking and chewing gum (an idiom for multitasking).
I don’t know what walking and chewing gum looks like for you, but you may draw strength and wisdom from the Biblical character Nehemiah. He was leading a rebuilding campaign of the walls around Jerusalem when his enemies launched a grave threat to his efforts. The opposition only intensified as the rebuilding efforts continued. Despite the struggle, Nehemiah demonstrated a unique blend of faith and action in accomplishing his God-ordained assignment.
Here’s Nehemiah’s encouragement to us:
Pray. Nehemiah’s assignment was massive and discouraging, but he continuously looked to God for the spiritual and natural resources to finish the task (Nehemiah 4:9). Prayer and watchfulness emphasize both the divine side and the human side of the assignment. It’s vital not to discount the importance of either.
Watch. Nehemiah’s next action was to station guards at the most vulnerable points of the wall (Nehemiah 4:13). Nehemiah’s building project was a time of increased vigilance and effort for a relatively short period of time (52 days). Even during the very busy, very hard-working seasons of life, watch for opportunities to pause, reflect, and refresh.
Keep Building. My favorite verse of the story is Nehemiah 4:17, “The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.” You may be between a rock and a hard place. You may be tasked with multiple seemingly impossible endeavors. But keep rebuilding. Stay the course of recovery. Keep fighting. If God called you to it, He will also grace you through it.
No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)