**Originally posted through St. Mary’s here**
“How are you?” We tend to hear this question often from friends, family, and even complete strangers. How are you? As we rush about our lives, we tend to form almost automatic responses to this question: “good” or “okay” seem common. One word to convey our feelings – our current experience. Personally, the word that seems to slip out most often is “busy”.
Busy. We rush through our lives being busy, always doing something. Because perhaps being “busy” makes us feel like we’re accomplishing something – that we’re successful. I think the root of this lies in our fear of not being enough. We’ve heard this sermon many times: “you are enough because you are saved by the Living Christ”. And while these words ring true, they don’t necessarily calm that fear that we’re somehow inadequate – that we’re not doing enough or being enough.
This morning’s readings from Romans, I think, directly confronts this notion of inadequacy that we so often struggle with. Paul writes that the “Lord is able to make them stand”. God’s welcome transcends the daily quarrels that we have with one another. God is sufficient.
As I’m writing this, the song currently playing in the background reminds that “Your love is extravagant / Your friendship is intimate”. Not only is God sufficient, but his relationship with us is intimate. Extravagant, even. When we enter into a relationship with the Living God, our inadequacy becomes intimacy, and our self-loathing becomes extravagant love.
It is through this relationship that we can shake off our chains to anxiety. As Mother Anne discussed in the sermon – instead of just more time to spread ourselves thinner and thinner until we become nothing, we receive complete forgiveness from a loving God. A God who desires an intimate, extravagant relationship with us.
This, my friends, is so much better than “busy”.
**Originally posted through St. Mary’s at this page. Occasionally, I reprint pieces of mine that have been posted in a variety of places on the internet, and I’m so thrilled to share this one with you.**
Farmgirl Writes 
Love this! So encouraging! Busy is so glorified in our culture but it says something about our hearts when we stop and realize that God is sufficient!
God is sufficient! I’m so thankful for all He has done, and my answer to that question, “How are you?” is because even with everything that goes on that isn’t good, because I know it is well with my soul my answer is always “Good.”