Balancing Back
Book bags replace pool bags. Pull out your new calendar to mark the first day of the new school year. Or maybe the school year has already begun! Whether we have come to terms with it or not, it's revving back up! All of it! All the homework and carpooling, long days punctuated by sports practices, and busy weekends filled with games. Maybe your work gets more hectic, and church ministry, dare I say, (starts planning for the holidays). Shhhh! We scream, "Slow down!" It all goes by too fast. But does it? Or can we see this bustled, wild, beautiful life all in slow motion? We wouldn't want life to slow down, even if it could. We thrive on the fullness of life: the relationships, the socials, and events, the lazy nights in, the scheduling and planning of what's ahead, and the vision casting and dreaming. We live for the random run to Hobby Lobby just for the pumpkin candle. We live for the transition to cozy sweatshirts at football games. We live for the home groups to dive into the bible and get off-topic. We live for the loud car ride where the kids unpack their school day on the way to the sports game. We live to see God move in our family and community. We live to see God in the transition of seasons. We live to bring Jesus to others. We can be excited about what's coming next while still appreciating the extra laundry load and getting in bed with tired feet because we did what He called us to do today.
Right alongside the extra packed schedule, revs back up all the good stuff. Countdown to Friday night again, embrace your child's new accomplishments in the coming grade and switch to cozy fall decor. We sprinkle quality friend time between extracurricular activities and small groups at church.
Whatever God has for you in this next season will be amazing! How do I know this? Because He will be with you there. And whatever He is asking you to balance, I know, has the opportunity to draw you closer to him. Good or unexpected, busy or challenging. You may have to balance a little more on your schedule as we move into September, but with more hecticness comes more need for the grace of God.
Remember, He gives you the exact grace you need for the precise table before you. Don't try to put too much on it that He's not asking you to. Ask Him what HE wants to spread out on your table. Because really, it's His table anyway, and He's trusting you to steward it. The coolest part about stepping forward into what God has for us is that we must let go of what's in our hands now. So we can have an empty hand to grab onto what's next! Sometimes it's painful, sad, or difficult. But every time I let go, God never disappoints with what's around the corner. It's not always the prettiest, but His presence is always decadent. And that is what I cling to! Whether you are excited about this next season, unprepared, scared, or hopeful, know that another sister in Christ is feeling it too!
The one thing you want to make sure you have in your balanced schedule is a sister in Christ. That is something God will never ask you to compromise or cut out. People who love Jesus. The ones that are in your corner and encouraging you onward. Whether that's a phone call, a Facetime to a friend, a coffee date with a mentor, reading our blog, listening to Wednesdays in the Word, engaging in a powerful testimony through Crowned Conversations with other friends, or attending an in-person event coming up in the fall with us or at your local church. ADD IT! Put it ON YOUR table. Pull out your calendar. C'mon, I already know it's on your desk with some cute gel pens.
Get ready to watch your life in slow motion. It's packed with so many things of God. Just ask Him to show you every way He is showing up. I'm sure your life smells much more like Him than you even realize. Ask boldly, "God balance my life. God show me what you have for my table." And watch Him do it.
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."
-Ephesians 5:15-17