Richard Swenson - Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives

"With the experience and insight of an astute clinician, Dr. Swenson offers an ahundance of thoughtful, constructive steps to overcome the pressures of contemporary life that impair our efforts to attain balance and find inner peace. Aiugit provides valuable suggestions to every reader interested in physical and emotional health."

-ARMAND Ni( H011, JR., M.D.

"That Dick Swenson has Continued to educate readers on the guiding principles of his life and Christian ministry is both needed and exciting. phis hook remains a great inspiration and practical help to all who read it."

-J,w Ki tit.1 R

"To a world that demands lie all that you can be,' Dr. Richard Swenson brings the sorely needed message that less can be more. Less frenzy, less debt, less obligation-all are ingredients in the abundant life Christ came to give. Loaded with practical suggestions, Margin teaches believers to honor God by accepting the limits that are part of His wise creation. Few books can honestly be said to he life-changing-hut this is such a hook."

-Dot:c. TRoi. i IN

"l)r. Swenson is the most insightful diagnostician I know on the world wide epidemic of overload. More importantly, he knows the cure! His prescriptions in Maigin will rebalance your life, restore your relationships, and renew your joy. I recommend this resource for everyone over age four living in America today."

-D:win L. Sit VINS, M.D.

"Provocative and profound! Dr. Swenson's wisdom and warnings about restoring balance and stewarding time is both sobering and stimulating. This is a keeper."

-JOHN P1 ARSOONJ, president/CEO, Christian Management Association, San Clemente, California

RICHARD A. SWENSON, M.D.

For Linda

It's hard to imagine this book-or lifewithout your presence and love.

PART ONE-The Problem: PAIN

PART Two-The Prescription: MARGIN

PART THREE-The Prognosis: HEALTH

THIS BOOK WAS ten years in the making, which means that a number of deserving people waited it long time for their official acknowledgment.

Bill lomfohr, perhaps more than any other, kept the work alive in the early years. For preliminary ideas about the theme of margin, credit goes to Ralph Suechting. I wish to thank those who read portions of the hook during the formative process for their comments and criticisms: Bill Thedinga, Walter Schultz, Dan Johnson, Hector Cruz, Mike Simpson, and Jim Eggert.

Many contributed in various other ways, including: "Icd and Jae Anderson, Everett and Genevieve Wilson, Ruth Swenson, Caroline Miller, Jerry and Marcie Borgie, Craig and Linda Wilson, Aggie Wagner, Donna Knipfer, Chuck and Becky Folkestad, Dave and Judy Hatch, Hazel Bent, Betty Cruz, Gail Thedinga, Mary Schultz, and Michael Bailey. In addition, I remain grateful to family and friends around the world who have demonstrated their sustained and prayerful interest in this project.

I owe a great debt of gratitude to Don Simpson, whose counsel was always as accurate as it was gracious. As editor, Steve Webb was both an enthusiastic supporter of the author and a faithful advocate for the reader. Knollwood Lodge was initially timely and later essential for allowing special arrangements to write in that beautiful, secluded winter retreat.

My wife, Linda, has been encourager and critic, copy editor and typist, reader and researcher-in short, collaborator throughout the entire decade. This work would have been abandoned long ago without her help. Our two sons, Matt and Adam, (and now daughter-in-law, Maureen) have been more than patient, but are nevertheless pleased at the prospect of having their parents returned to them.

My margin has been devoted to writing for a very long time. It will be an uncommon joy to devote it once again to my family.

THE CONDITIONS OF nuulern-day living devour margin. If you are homeless, we send you to a shelter. If you are penniless, we offer you food stamps. If you are breathless, we connect you to oxygen. But if you are marginless, we give you yet one more thing to do.

Marginless is being thirty minutes late to the doctors office because you were twenty minutes late getting out of the hank because you were ten minutes late dropping the kids off at school because the car ran out of gas two blocks from the gas station-and you forgot your wallet.

Margin, on the other hand, is having breath left at the top of the staircase, money left at the end of the month, and sanity left at the end of adolescence.

Marginless is the baby crying and the phone ringing at the same time; margin is Grandma taking the baby for the afternoon. Marginless is being asked to carry a load five pounds heavier than you can lift; margin is a friend to carry half the burden. Marginless is not having time to finish the book you're reading on stress; margin is having the time to read it twice.

Marginless is fatigue, margin is energy.

Marginless is red ink; margin is black ink.

Marginless is hurry; margin is calm.

Marginless is anxiety; margin is security.

Marginless is culture; margin is counterculture.

Marginless is the disease of the new millennium; margin is its cure.

It was ny lunch hour on a beautiful autumn day, but I didn't mind. A bloody towel clutched over a bloody face revealed the need.

At seventy-six, John was slim, fit, and active. Following retirement and a heart attack, he determined to take care of himself and have fun at the same time. It was Wisconsin in the summer and Florida in the winter, but mostly it was golf every day.

As his wife was otherwise occupied, John challenged Glen to eighteen holes. Approaching the first hole, John drove his ball down the middle of the fairway and then moved to the side. Glen prepared his hall, lifted the club, and swung vigorously. The ball, however, angled hard to the right and struck John in the eye. Blood instantly came gushing out as his eyeball dropped into his hand.

By the time they arrived at the clinic, Glen was still as white as a sheet. The injured John, however, was obviously enjoying himself-even though covered with blood.

"I guess Glen never knew I had an artificial eye," he twinkled. " I popped it out to make sure it wasn't broken. I didn't really mean to scare him like that."