Agh!

Ecc 1:8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.
Ecc 2:11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless--like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
Pro 19: 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

My grandmother used to say "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get."  I feel that rather poignantly lately.  There's so much to do and so little time in which to accomplish it.  Admittedly, some of my current busy-ness is self-induced with it being the peak of hunting season, yet an afternoon spent quietly sitting in the woods often seems to be the only respite I get.  My 10 year old nephew told me over the Christmas holidays that Christmas is the only season in which one can be totally self-centered and not be criticized for it.  Perhaps the stress and dissatisfaction that I currently feel is because I bought into that belief and have departed the holidays feeling exhausted, a little empty, and intimidated by all the current demands I face. 
It seems useful when feeling overwhelmed to remember that our accomplishments are only temporary and really don't bring long-lasting contentment.  Instead of seeking joy and peace in what I can do for myself, I need to focus on what God has already done for me and how He is calling me to join Him in His work.  After all, His work has eternal value which feeds and satisfies the deepest desires of our hearts.  Perhaps if I focus on loving God and His people rather than what the season holds for me, I will "rest content."
So in this busy season, perhaps I need to not focus on what I can get off my plate, but what God is calling me to add to it.  It seems backwards, but perhaps the stress and dissatisfaction isn't because I'm doing too much, its that I'm doing too much that has no eternal value.  Instead of praying that God will ease my schedule, perhaps I need to pray that He will add to it and as I follow in obedience I will reap the reward of contentment.