The clock is my dictator
I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down
only when exhausted.
It leads me to deep depression.
It hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy
for activity’s sake.
Even though I run
frantically from task to task,
I will never get it all done.
For my “ideal” is with me.
Deadlines and my need for approval,
they drive me.
They demand performance from me
beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines.
My in-basket overflows.
Surely fatigue and time pressure
shall follow me all the day of my life.
– In Discipleship Journal
by Marcia Hornok
I haven’t seen that before, but it definitely hits home! Thanks
Wow. I needed that. Thanks for sharing it, Bob. I hope all is well with you and yours.
Thanks for reprinting my piece, originally published in 1990. I have given permission numerous times for others to publish it; unfortunately it speaks to a universal struggle we Americans have.
Marcia Hornok, mng ed of CHERA Fellowship, a Christian magazine for widows and widowers.
Marcia – I remember when I first read your piece in Discipleship Journal. I was one year past 10 years of campus ministry, married with 2 small children, and struggling in a new preaching ministry. Your writing described my life and helped me to begin to change. Now, 20 years later, I am a Spiritual Formation minister working mostly with young fathers who are where I was. I have always had your piece nearby. Thanks. Bob