Ahhhh…it’s back to reality for us. After a much needed vacation away from cold & dreary Michigan, we are back home from warm & sunny Florida and ready to jump back into our busy schedules. Or, at least that’s what is supposed to happen after vacation. Somehow, instead of feeling rejuvenated and refreshed today, I’m feeling overwhelmed by the reality of our day-to-day life. My ten days off seem to have just left me with the desire to take a few more days off!
Can you relate? I know I’m not in this boat alone. We are a very busy homeschooling family of five. With three busy kids, it seems there’s always a lot going on each week. I’ve become much too good of friends with the calendar feature on Outlook. Our vacation came at the end of an intense four-month season of homeschool basketball for the twins. Between all their practices and games and running to and fro, this overbooked Mom was about at her wits’ end. I literally told my husband that if we postponed the vacation just one more week, I was pretty sure I was going to have a nervous breakdown. He must have taken me seriously since he had to miss his own church basketball league play-offs to make our vacation happen when it did. What’s that saying, “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”? Well, I think my man was taking that one very seriously in our house.
Ever since school began last fall, our schedule has been full of: school, church, Awana, sports, tap dance, laundry, dishes, bill paying, vacuuming, scrubbing toilets, running errands, socializing with friends…and the list goes on and on. Does any of this sound familiar? Ultimately, it all adds up to this Mom being overbooked and overwhelmed and ready for vacation!
Of course, being the good homeschool Mom that I am, I did take time to prepare some vacation homework for our 22-hour car ride and any bored children. Much to the dismay of the teacher side of me, there were no “bored children” and the car ride only produced about twenty minutes of homework being done. But the burned-out Mom side of me really didn’t care a lick about that homework once we pulled out of our driveway on Day 1. At least I can say we left prepared.
Once we got to Florida, the only thing I wanted to have to plan were my trips to the pool. Thankfully, taking a vacation at Grandma’s means that I was actually able to do just that! Grandma had the meals planned, the groceries bought, and the housework done. I just had to show up. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
But honestly, you want to know what I realized was the best part of the vacation? I was able to be still enough that I could actually hear from God. See, apparently, God had a few things He wanted to bring to my attention. I’ve just been too focused on getting through my daily schedule to really take time to listen. I mean, I certainly take time in my normally busy life to pray and try to discern God’s voice. If I didn’t, there’s no way our homeschooling or parenting or any other aspect of our lives would come close to succeeding. But sometimes, my ability to just shut up and listen needs a little help.
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to listen when things are quiet? That’s when you can actually hear the birds sing and the wind blow through the trees. When you can distinguish the sound of sidewalk chalk being used to create a masterpiece in the driveway. Or the quiet hum of your little girl playing with her baby dolls in the other room.
Quietness is a gift.
And it’s a rarity in my house.
So as I was working on my tan or swimming a few laps in the pool or taking an evening jog…I was praying. When I stole a few extra minutes in bed each morning just because I could, I was listening for God’s voice. In the long stretches of highway or the seemingly endless Atlanta traffic, I could ponder God’s directions for my life.
As we were on our final leg of the trip home, God reminded me of just how much I need to take time to hear Him. He had a lot He wanted to talk to me about when I gave Him the chance! Everything from my parenting to our finances to following my dreams. He wants me to pray more specifically for my friends, and continue working on being a self-disciplined woman. He wants me to dream big! And not be afraid to take a leap of faith.
What about you? When was the last time you slowed down enough to really listen to God? What things might He be trying to get your attention about?
I know one thing for sure: the next time I’m starting to get sucked into the craziness of my overbooked schedule (like in two weeks when Little League begins), I’m going to make sure I find time to just be still. It’s probably going to mean that I have to get up in the morning long before anyone else is awake. I’m going to have to make a few self-sacrifices so that God can speak to me in the stillness.
In my house, as probably in yours, stillness doesn’t just happen. We have to create it. Because only then, can the gift of God’s presence truly find its way to our hearts.
Can you relate? I know I’m not in this boat alone. We are a very busy homeschooling family of five. With three busy kids, it seems there’s always a lot going on each week. I’ve become much too good of friends with the calendar feature on Outlook. Our vacation came at the end of an intense four-month season of homeschool basketball for the twins. Between all their practices and games and running to and fro, this overbooked Mom was about at her wits’ end. I literally told my husband that if we postponed the vacation just one more week, I was pretty sure I was going to have a nervous breakdown. He must have taken me seriously since he had to miss his own church basketball league play-offs to make our vacation happen when it did. What’s that saying, “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”? Well, I think my man was taking that one very seriously in our house.
Ever since school began last fall, our schedule has been full of: school, church, Awana, sports, tap dance, laundry, dishes, bill paying, vacuuming, scrubbing toilets, running errands, socializing with friends…and the list goes on and on. Does any of this sound familiar? Ultimately, it all adds up to this Mom being overbooked and overwhelmed and ready for vacation!
Of course, being the good homeschool Mom that I am, I did take time to prepare some vacation homework for our 22-hour car ride and any bored children. Much to the dismay of the teacher side of me, there were no “bored children” and the car ride only produced about twenty minutes of homework being done. But the burned-out Mom side of me really didn’t care a lick about that homework once we pulled out of our driveway on Day 1. At least I can say we left prepared.
Once we got to Florida, the only thing I wanted to have to plan were my trips to the pool. Thankfully, taking a vacation at Grandma’s means that I was actually able to do just that! Grandma had the meals planned, the groceries bought, and the housework done. I just had to show up. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
But honestly, you want to know what I realized was the best part of the vacation? I was able to be still enough that I could actually hear from God. See, apparently, God had a few things He wanted to bring to my attention. I’ve just been too focused on getting through my daily schedule to really take time to listen. I mean, I certainly take time in my normally busy life to pray and try to discern God’s voice. If I didn’t, there’s no way our homeschooling or parenting or any other aspect of our lives would come close to succeeding. But sometimes, my ability to just shut up and listen needs a little help.
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to listen when things are quiet? That’s when you can actually hear the birds sing and the wind blow through the trees. When you can distinguish the sound of sidewalk chalk being used to create a masterpiece in the driveway. Or the quiet hum of your little girl playing with her baby dolls in the other room.
Quietness is a gift.
And it’s a rarity in my house.
So as I was working on my tan or swimming a few laps in the pool or taking an evening jog…I was praying. When I stole a few extra minutes in bed each morning just because I could, I was listening for God’s voice. In the long stretches of highway or the seemingly endless Atlanta traffic, I could ponder God’s directions for my life.
As we were on our final leg of the trip home, God reminded me of just how much I need to take time to hear Him. He had a lot He wanted to talk to me about when I gave Him the chance! Everything from my parenting to our finances to following my dreams. He wants me to pray more specifically for my friends, and continue working on being a self-disciplined woman. He wants me to dream big! And not be afraid to take a leap of faith.
What about you? When was the last time you slowed down enough to really listen to God? What things might He be trying to get your attention about?
I know one thing for sure: the next time I’m starting to get sucked into the craziness of my overbooked schedule (like in two weeks when Little League begins), I’m going to make sure I find time to just be still. It’s probably going to mean that I have to get up in the morning long before anyone else is awake. I’m going to have to make a few self-sacrifices so that God can speak to me in the stillness.
In my house, as probably in yours, stillness doesn’t just happen. We have to create it. Because only then, can the gift of God’s presence truly find its way to our hearts.
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