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This summer has me doing the balancing act. If you’re a mom, I bet you know what I mean.
Summer, for our family, usually means a little less structure in our schedule, a lot of outdoor fun, and more traveling than usual. We have loved tackling some extra projects, visiting out-of-town family, and even have fond memories of the long, hot baseball season (and thanks to the concession stand, the four year old does too!). We have built backyard forts together, roasted marshmallows over the campfire, and have shared homemade ice-cream with friends. Fun memories to be sure.
But if I’m being completely honest, all of this summer running has slowly caught up with us. The top two indicators? A very neglected home (causing much uneasiness for this usually semi-organized momma), and one exhausted four year old. I tucked my sweet girl in her bed last Sunday night (after a late-night return from our third road-trip in two weeks), and with sleepy, slurred words, she mumbled, “Can we please just stay home and play babies tomorrow?” I knew enough to recognize in her words that she had had enough. “You betcha, we’ll play babies tomorrow.”
And then the battle began, once again.
I was so looking forward to our free day at home to catch up on some much needed housework. Enter the mental struggle of needing to accomplish so much, yet children who also need me in very justifiable and individual ways. Always choices. Things calling out for my attention all at once, stretching me in all sorts of directions. And always with some sort of a cost involved in the end. How can I possibly do it all?!
Here’s a newsflash: I can’t.
How timely, then, when on Monday morning, I opened my Bible to these life-giving words:
“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
Proverbs 31:27
Oh, how the Lord knew I needed these verses this week! You see, here lies the balancing act. While there are tasks to be done so that I “do not eat the bread of idleness”, there are also “affairs of my household” – even those less tangible needs specific to the individuals in my very own household – that I need to be in tune with and available to minister to. God, forbid that I busy myself so much (even on “good” things!) that I miss the very “affair” I should have been watching over all along.
Sound a bit daunting to try to balance the two? I’m with you, sister.
But, be encouraged, that while humanly speaking we’ll never be able to do it all (oh, please free yourself from that crazy thought if you haven’t already!), God can give much strength and guidance as we seek His wisdom for attaining balance in our lives. Sometimes I just wish this stubborn girl wouldn’t wait so long to ask…
After some serious time in prayer and by God’s grace, Tess and I did household chores all Monday morning together with her baby dolls in tow. The babies were a bit fussy at times, so we took breaks often to pat their bottoms, swaddle them in blankets and give them their bottles. We ran out of diapers once, so in between loads of laundry, we had to make a quick trip to the “store” in the next room. I even have to admit that at one point I was scrubbing a toilet with one hand while balancing a Cabbage Patch Kid on my shoulder with the other (a skill that Tess will no doubt one day need to master with a real, live baby anyway, right?). And by the time I laid Tess down for her afternoon nap, the house was showing nice signs of improvement, and my girl reported that her babies “…had a really fun day.”
“But He gives more grace…” James 4:6
Whew. Thanks, God.
P.S. And because God knows exactly what we need… He sent two sweet neighbor girls (pictured above!) over this afternoon to play babies with my girlie while I finished up a few things around the house. The three giggled upstairs for over an hour while I ran around like a crazy lady methodically worked. Heh. Is He awesome or what? 
Challenge: Is there an area of your life that needs balanced by God? What changes, by God’s grace, can you start making today?
At His feet,
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What a sweet testimony! This morning I meditated on my study notes for v. 27. The excellent wife is a skilled manager of her home. I love how God gave you and your daughter the grace to spend time together and get some chores done! Also, I thought it was interesting that bread of idleness literally means “eyes looking everywhere” and that the same root word is used of the lazy man/sluggard in 6:6,9. I think the video talked about this on Monday, but this morning it really clicked for me. An excellent wife can rest, as long as she is prepared and provides for the needs of her family.
I LOVED this post! So frequently I get to the end of the day and think I could have spent so much more time with them and that I should be training them as well but I got busy and just didn’t and now that time is gone. I don’t want to miss these moments! What a beautiful example. Thank you. Praying for balance!
@Christine- “eyes looking everywhere” Yikes. Lord, please reel in our ADD and help us focus on what You’ve called us to do!
What a sweet picture! And oh how I love it when little neighbor girls come over to play. Lovely post.
Praise God that He knows what we need before we even ask Him, even if it means introducing the balance we need into an overpacked schedule! Thanks for the great post & linkup, & God bless!
Laurie
I don’t agree completely with this post. I think it’s great to train your child–I certainly have my 4 year old help with chores. However, these little ones also need some undivided, individual attention. Your house probably won’t go up in flames if you stop for just 30 minutes and play with your child. You can’t get those moments back and it is different from trying to play with them while balancing a doll on your head and cleaning the toilet. I don’t think that’s what “balancing” is supposed to be.
Hi Holly… thanks so much for your comment! I completely agree with little ones needing individual attention. All of my children are different when it comes to how I can best fill their “tanks” with personal mommy time… it’s so fun to figure out what best ministers to them! It happens that Tess adores pretending to be a little mommy alongside me. She loves to help me bake and clean, and is always thrilled to bring her babies along for the ride. Our detailed conversations, mixed with loads of playing and giggling, made for a fun time together while we accomplished a few things along the way. You are so right: these precious moments do pass so very quickly!
Blessings to you, Whitney
I love that you just struck out the text in your last line! How often do I/we run around just like that! Thanks for the perception correction.