First, the Big Rocks

A business professor told her class that she was going to give a quiz on the subject of time management. She pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on a table. Then she carefully placed about a dozen golfball-sized rocks into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, she asked, “Is this jar full?” 

 Everyone responded, “Yes.” 

 The professor replied, “Really?” as she reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. She dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then she smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” 

 By this time the class was onto her. “Probably not,” one of them answered. 

 “Good!” she replied as she reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. She started dumping in the sand which slowly sifted into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Then, the question came, “Is this jar full?” 

 “No!” the class shouted. 

 Once again she replied, “Good!” She then grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. 

Finally, she looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” 

 One student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!” 

 “No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.

So true. 

The story raises the following questions: What are the big rocks in your life? Where does the development of the soul and life of faith fit in for you?  

When we get those answers straight, everything else has a way of falling into place.

Let us pray: God of grace, our days are often busy and filled with a furry of activity. Sometimes it feels as though we are just moving mindlessly through life, and as though we are not living deeply. Help us to set meaningful priorities and to put you heart and center. I pray today, especially for those who feel as though they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Meet each of us this day at the deepest point of our need, and grant us your peace. Amen.