Balance

The other day, as I was rushing from work to pick up my kids on time from Daycare, I was complaining to God. I was late, and I still didn’t finish everything I needed to at work.

I asked Him, “Why is it so dang hard to balance all of the things in life; parenting, work, marriage, friends, and church?”

Once one thing settles down in my life, I feel like another thing gets upset, or out of balance. Then I tend to over correct and upset the first thing that had settled down. Then we are back at the beginning.

It is a hard cycle and I was tried of it.

This is what He told me. He said that I was thinking of the word, balance, as a noun. But I should really be looking at it as a verb. (Yes, Balance can be used as both, but in my instance I needed to see it as a verb)

As in, something that is constantly changing and moving. I instantly though of those jugglers at the circus that balance spinning plates. They have to keep moving around to keep the plates spinning. That is what I feel like my life is like sometimes, but I tend to break more plates then I need to.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Mom’s Group at my church. This was the first time that I had been to anything like this at my new church, so I was a little nervous.

The lady who was speaking got up to the front, and said that she was going to talk about the Proverbs 31 Woman. I have never really liked that woman, whoever she was.

She had everything together and was practically perfect in every way, kind of like Mary Poppins. I am not perfect, so I never really liked hearing about her.

When the speaker said she was going to be talking about her, I rolled my eyes. She then said, “I am sure that once you heard I was going to talk about the Proverbs 31 Woman, that you rolled your eyes.”

I then, rolled my eyes again. Ugh, lady, you don’t know me! (said in my head, in a sarcastic tone) But I sat, and listened politely, because, isn’t that what the Proverbs 31 Woman would do?

She went on to say, that no person can be all that Proverbs 31 describes at one point in her life. But, that one person can be all of what Proverbs 31 says – at different points in her life.

I would like to say, that I received that statement and gave myself a break. But that would not be the truth.

To be honest, I just brushed it aside. I am not even sure that I am one part of Proverbs 31, I know that I do not look good in purple, and my arms are definitely not strong.

It wasn’t until later, in the car when I was whining to God, about how I can’t balance it all, that I realized, I don’t have to be it all!

Once I realized that it is okay to not actually have every single thing in my life under control, it was so freeing!

I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and several plates had been removed from the spinning zone.

Christmas can be a stressful time; family pressures, busy schedules and snow. Okay, that last one doesn’t really affect everyone. But it can be stressful.

I want you to know, that you are enough.

You are the perfect person to fill the role of KidMin pastor at your church, even if you make mistakes sometimes.

You are the perfect mother or father to your children, even if you do not have the pinterest perfect house that is clean 24/7.

You are the one person that God picked out of everyone to be you.

You have a unique calling and unique giftings to meet the needs in your family, church, & community.

Do not play the comparison game. It is a game that no one wins.

When God put the chapter of Proverbs 31 in the Bible, He did not put it in there for you to compare yourself to. He put it in there as a goal, as something to strive for. Not to be discouraged by, but to be challenged. So, keep on balancing life. You’ve got this!