Balancing Act

Life, it seems, is a balancing act. It's part of the human condition. I don't think anyone is exempt. Some people are more gifted at keeping things in balance than others, but no matter if you're the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a homeless man trying to get through the day, we all balance.

Add a husband, kids, a house, and a church to the mix, and the balance just got more complicated. Right now, I'd like to give a shout out to all the working moms out there, because your balance is almost impossible to achieve! Yet some of you do it so well! For me, I decided in March of 2009 to quit my job in effort to balance a little more successfully.

Deciding to be at home with the kids did not eliminate all of my challenges, it just changed them. Part of the reason I decided to stay home is Jason is working 2 jobs right now. I wanted to be able to take care of things at home so that I could relieve some of his stress and allow him to focus on his God-given vision. I'm privileged to take on these new challenges, but it's still an adjustment. Right now, here are a few of my wobbles on this tight rope that I walk:

• Taking Jackson to all the cool, enriching preschooler activities (story time, zoo, museums, etc) while considering Selah's need to get her rest and stay in a healthy routine.
• Encouraging Jackson to learn and still letting him have fun. I don't want to push too hard, but at the same time I want to teach him the value of perseverance and overcoming obstacles that seem tough at first glance.
• Not being a burden on my husband (because he has so many other burdens) and still getting to exercise (which usually requires him to take over the kids). I know there are a couple of solutions here, I just haven't found the one that works for me yet
• Standing firm in my discipline and still listening to Jackson's reasoning...There is a balance between "Because I said so" and just letting my kid walk all over me (two opposite extremes where I don't care to live)
• Even making sure we have good outside playtime without too much sun exposure...it's ALL a balance

There are many things to balance in my 24 hours. Keeping the house clean, spending quality instructional time with the kids, spending quality play time with the kids, having my time with God, socializing with my peers (I think facebook counts here!), connecting with my husband, managing the finances, running errands, cooking 3 meals a day, resting. It's funny, because when I read over that list, it doesn't seem that hard. I guess when I was working I had such limited time, that I wasn't really balancing, I was just surviving (and barely doing that). I didn't really have as much choice about how to spend my time. I just had to cover the necessities, and move on. Now that I can decide how I spend each minute in my day, the need for balance is suddenly glaring. I realize that I actually have control over that balance. No longer can I blame any imbalances on my circumstances or my lack of time. The responsibility for my life (and largely for the lives of my kids right now) rests on my shoulders. Maybe I'm just worried I'm not going to succeed - that I'm not going to be any good balancing. I know that I'm going to blink and these preschool years will be over. Will I have kept the right priorities? Stuck the right balance? Only time will tell.

God, please help me find balance. I want to live a life that is pleasing to you, and, above all else, brings you glory. I need your wisdom to guide my decisions. I need your mercy when I fail. I need your love to reassure me when I doubt myself. I need good friends and family to keep me accountable, encourage me, and lift me up in prayer as I do the same for them. In Jesus' name, let it be.