Weekly Virtue: Balance

I feel we live in a world that can be extremely exhausting. We are constantly making sure everyone around us is happy and has what they need, but at the end of the day, where does that leave us? I think this is a hard balance. It brings me happiness and joy to provide for my children and husband, to be what they need and to make them happy, but sometimes I am left empty. And so often, too often, I give God what I have left of myself at the end of the day. And more often than not, there isn't much left to give Him.

Life is hard. Anyone who tells you differently must live in a different world. Hard is not a negative word. Hard does not mean bad. Hard means real. It takes hard work to provide for your family. It is hard to juggle the agenda of the day. It can be hard to try to be a step ahead. Usually I am running just a few steps behind. Having uniforms ironed, lunches backed, library books found, snacks made, laundry done, meals planned, groceries bought, check book balanced, beds made, diapers changed, errands ran, thank you notes written, oil changed, animals fed, etc..... what can I possibly be forgetting? Where was my time for the Lord?

As I enter the new year, I am going to try hard to find more balance. If the laundry doesn't get done (and lets be real, with a household of kids, is the laundry ever done?), but I have spent more time with God am I really a step behind? Usually I find after spending some much needed time giving God my attention, I am more apt to find patience amongst the chaos. And if my children catch me spending time in prayer, will that not be more beneficial to them then finding me mopping the floor?

I was talking to a close friend about how I feel like I never have enough to give to God, and she told me a way she tries to balance both. She says she finds jobs around the house that she does daily and chooses a prayer to say during the job. She told me whenever she unloads the dishwasher she prays for her husband. She said it may sound silly but it is a way for her to pray for her husband daily.

As we enter the new year, I hope we all can find balance in this ever changing world. It is hard to know how much is enough and how much is too much. It is hard to want to give your children roots but also give them wings. It is hard to want to give your children the world, but not wanting to spoil them. It is hard to find that perfect balance. But I do know that time with God will always tip the scales in your favor!