Two full months later, good intentions strewn in my wake, I finally sit down to write again. My two main struggles: lack of time and lack of focus. This year in my life has been SO very transitional, filled with learning how to do nearly everything on the fly, re-tooling the way our home works as I work full-time, and trying to find that sweet spot of balance in the middle of it all.
At the beginning of this school year I intended to start a blog chronicling my first year in full-time teaching, but I didn't (bravo to my lovely friend, Darcy, who is doing that with her first year of home-schooling!). I will definintely revisit some of the highlights and low points in upcoming blogs, because it's been quite a ride, but that's not what this is all about. Nor is it about a new year's resolution. Doing that at the end of February would be silly and not work according to my lovely day planner. I return to the concept of balance.
Now that I'm nearly three quarters through this school year, I am gradually finding that sweet spot. Where it's okay to procrastinate and sit still a bit in the mornings. Where movie night with James and the kids doesn't always involve me ironing or folding laundry as we watch, but actually sitting on the couch. Where I can buy a hot pink yoga mat on clearance at Target (and who doesn't love that) and find time EARLY in the mornings to get back to SOME kind of exercise. Where I can host a house-full of very, very noisy 12 year old girls to celebrate my Grace's 12th birthday and not stress or think I should be grading papers. God is a God of seasons, of rhythm, of order, and He is teaching me so much about rhythm and order in this season in my life. He's teaching me that pausing and being still, listening to my family and my God are more important than having a perfectly clean house (which I don't have anyway). He's teaching me the valuable difference between the urgent and the important. He's teaching me that I don't actually HAVE to do it "all." That I shouldn't even try. In trying to do everything, I accomplish none of what He would have me do. I need to be a good student, and He will give me everything I need to be who He needs me to be.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness by the power of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
Thank you for sharing the wisdom of what you've been learning! Very great reminders for all of us in here my friend!
ReplyDeleteSo very true...But, I would strongly encourage you to put some of your hard earned money towards a housekeeper. When I worked full time, it was the only way I stayed sane. Since we are so much alike, I thought it might help. A dear friend and I decided that the only real way to maintain balance is to run back and forth as fast as you can so that you don't ever really fall off :) There are times, in the middle, when it just feels, "right."
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