Spring

This was the week of the year that I stepped over an invisible line that is unseen to the human eye but very real to me.  I crossed over it with both joy and a bit of anxiety.  The line is spring.  I do not mean spring like the official day, flowerbeds and warmer nights.  I mean spring like the time of year when my family gets busy. 

We began baseball, softball, and track officially this week.  I soon will use colored highlighters to keep my calendar accurate.  My husband calls daily to ask where he needs to be, when, and with who.  The lazy fireside evenings of homework and “The Voice” are over until next winter. 

We say goodbye to bedtime at 8:00 and pray for 10:00.  Don’t get me wrong…I love spring! I love the sun!  I am quite happy in a ball cap and a t-shirt every day, but it takes some time getting used to.  I have to condition myself for it.  This week I was not in “shape” yet for it and was tired. 

I relied on two Godly bits of wisdom to jumpstart myself into high gear.  Years ago I heard James Dobson say that every home needed one person in the evening to keep things going.  He said that one person had to still have enough energy and enthusiasm to get through dinner, homework, and preparation for the next day. He went on to say that one person would have to do whatever it took to still be “okay” at night. 

I decided years ago, that with the help of the Lord, that person would be me!  I began having an afternoon cup of coffee.  I began going for a run after work to get my energy back up and my brain chemicals back working.  I began taking a ten minute nap throughout the week often so I would have a  “reserve” tank of strength stored up for when I needed it.  I learned to leave the dishes in the sink and sit for a few minutes on my morning break because when the kids come home at night, they do not care about the dishes, but sure do care about the mood of our home. 

When I heard James Dobson’s words, I vowed that I would be the one in the evening who still had something to give.  The Lord has blessed this desire of my heart.

The other advice I heard was actually just last week.  I turned the television on James Robinson and Christine Caine said just what I was thinking…never underestimate the power of a nap.  I usually do not respond with an AMEN when I am in my home alone, but I did!  I gave her a big AMEN, laid the chair back, and set the alarm on my phone for THIRTY minutes! 

She went on to say that when you have done all you can do with a situation in life that has kept you in a tizzy and you are worn out, you should pray, trust Jesus to take care of it, and go to sleep!  She said that when you are willing to just rest, you are in a way saying you are done with the issue and trusting the ONE in charge. 

We all have seasons of life that require more of us, physically and emotionally.  The world would tell us to do more, press on, drink another energy drink, but I believe the Lord would tell us to do less and rest in Him.  Psalm 46:10 is such a goodie!  It says “Be still and know that I am God.”  The world around me may be going really fast and my schedule may require me to do more, but I am going to make time to be still and search for a calm that can only come with Jesus, even in the midst of the chaos.  Join me!