Finding balance.

 

As a health and fitness coach this can take on many meanings. But I’m not talking about yoga or core strength. I’m talking about life balance.

 

When people ask why we moved to Texas, our condensed answer these days is typically “for opportunities for our boys.”  The reality is much more. A more specific answer would probably be getting out of the grind and finding an improved quality of life – for all of us. That includes increased opportunities as well. In so many ways that has happened. We spend less time in the car going back and forth to school. Derek and I spend more time together since we have been working from home since we moved. We take turns picking up kids from school and driving them to sports which means we both have more opportunities for quality interactions with our kids. And a flexible work schedule also means we have had time to join women’s and men’s groups that otherwise might have conflicted with our jobs where we worked for other people. I’ve even had opportunities to travel with friends since Derek’s schedule is far more flexible these days.

 

That said, even with these changes, it is still so easy to find ourselves caught back up in the grind.

 

When someone asks you how you are doing, how do you typically reply? I try so hard to not reply “busy.” Because we are all busy. Sometimes I feel like I am busy just being busy. And then hours will have gone by and I feel like I have nothing to show for all that “busyness.”  I have a checklist a mile long, if I even have time to put my checklist on paper these days, and when I get to the end of the day and nothing is checked off it can be so frustrating.

 

As I sat working at the counter this morning and Derek was driving to a business meeting (as is typical, conversations on the fly), we talked on the phone about this illusive balance. And we talked about being more INTENTIONAL with our time. Derek is working as an independent contractor doing architectural work, I am working as a coach and together we are running a new home construction company. Each of these pieces alone could consume all of our time. Together, along with our kids’ schedules, they can be overwhelming.

 

How do we get a handle on all of the demands on our time? Our kids’ schedules alone can be crazy. We are driving all over the countryside to get them to practices for things they love to do but we often find ourselves celebrating when these same events get canceled. And we high five on the weekends if we ever have a day without an agenda.

 

Are we alone or do you feel it too?

 

So today I am sitting here, with tension in my neck, typing out this blog, knowing the answer to my own question. It’s time to be still. It’s time to pray. It’s time to seek God. And it’s time to give Him room to move in our lives. We started out on this journey to Texas by being so intentional in our prayer time really seeking God’s guidance. We were not about to up and move our lives without knowing this was God’s plan. We were intentional then. We were open. We were listening. And we could hear God’s voice in the quiet moments.

I’m committing right now to give God more time. To release our worries. To turn over the reins. He does a much better job directing our lives than we ever could. If we can just be still. Then we can find balance.