Pulled in many directions? Let God shape each moment.

“This summer I’m going to figure out how to stop wearing so many ‘hats,’ ” I promised myself as I traveled to a summer camp for Christian Scientists. “I’m going to learn how to wear just one hat at a time!” On the surface, nothing appeared to be really wrong with my life. My days at home were filled with all the normal activities one would expect from a working husband, dad, and community member. But at the end of every day, I couldn’t help feeling exhausted, pulled in different directions, and ashamed of myself for not being more “together.” Something in my perspective was off.

A week into this summer camp experience, while walking back to my cabin after an exhilarating late-night outdoor game, I suddenly realized I wasn’t tired at all. I mean, I was definitely ready to go to bed! But I wasn’t mentally tired or worn out. Why not? I wondered. My time at camp was actually more filled with activities than my time at home. Why wasn’t I feeling pulled in many different directions? Ah. I realized it was because every single activity here, from dishwashing to Bible Lesson study (the weekly Bible Lesson found in the Christian Science Quarterly), from a game of capture the flag to each individual quietly being alert to how he or she could help another, was rooted in something bigger than one person—bigger than just the immediate task at hand.

I stopped and drank in the moonlight pouring over the mountains. Suddenly, I was filled with joy! Not because of the beautiful vista (although it was stunning), but because I realized this was the change of perspective I’d been looking for. The point wasn’t how many activities I was doing each day. The point was how willing I was to let it be about something greater than just checking off tasks or trying to make myself or others happy.