Life has been a whirlwind of activity this month. Even though it’s been a crazy few weeks, the events have been joyous and the travel for wonderful reasons. It’s been a bit harder to maintain my simple life, but I have learned some valuable lessons.
1. Seasons of busy are not the same as choosing a chaotic lifestyle.
2. If you maintain the priority of prayer and time in the Word, you can keep from being swept away.
3. It is okay to allow some non-essential things to ebb and flow from your to-do list.
When I saw everything that was coming on my calendar after a few months of slow and peaceful living, I truly did start to feel overwhelmed and I wanted to run and hide. I saw all the end of the year events we needed to complete and run with our church job, a week long retreat with my business, a daughter’s Confirmation, piano and dance recitals, another daughter’s high school graduation, a son’s college graduation, and travel across the country to bring a son home from school.
Are you as tired just reading that as I was thinking about it and doing it?
But, I realized that all of these things are milestones.
They are things that mark the end of seasons and the beginning of new journeys.
They are moments in time to be treasured and not feared.
They are fleeting and if I allow stress to dominate, then I will loose the joy that should have permeated these events.
They are not permanent responsibilities.
They are things to celebrate.
The difference between a period of busyness and a lifestyle of chaos is quite important. One can be successfully navigated while the later keeps you on a hamster wheel and wears you out. Once I realized this, I was able to embrace this period with peace. That has been a game changer.
What helped me do this? Keeping prayer time sacred. Was I perfect at it? No, not really. But, the intention was there and I did my best to keep the focus on Him. It helped that my husband was also trying. When we are able to pray together and share this walk, life is easier. Our connection is deeper. And since he was also in the midst of his busiest time, we were able to help each other.
Another lesson I learned was that I can allow some things to come and go from my schedule. When I started to simplify, I had cut way back on any commitments. I only did the essentials. I started to think that life needed to stay that way. But, I realized that some things can be brought back in within reason. It was not the commitments in and of themselves that were causing me stress. It was the attitude attached to them. In releasing the “striving” after these things, they became joyful again. And I saw God bless my efforts as well. It was as if He was saying, “Now, you are doing this with the right attitude. You’ve put me first and now I am free to bless you.” And wow, has He! I am blown away. I see first hand, the truth in being Mary, before I become Martha.
So, as we are finishing up this crazy season, I can look back and say that it has been an amazing ride. We have two of the long list left to finish. Dance recital and college graduation. Both this weekend. And I can go into them both, proud of the hard work my kids have put into getting to this point. I can relish the excitement of watching my daughters perform and cry as my little boy finishes his school career and steps fully into adulthood.
And next week, things can become quiet again. At least for a little while. I’m kind of looking forward to that.
XOXO,
Barb
Reflections of a Cute Lil Mom 