Things I don't do.
As strange as it sounds, one of the most difficult challenges in my life right now is managing abundance.
Abundant hand-me-downs, toys, and books.
Abundant kids and their abundant needs and wants.
Abundant friends and abundant events and abundant good ideas!
I wish somebody would filter my life for me! Why it is all things seem to demand equal, immediate attention? And why does my brain seem incapable of handling all of those things equally and immediately?
I am not a computer. I cannot help with homework, make dinner, reply to a facebook message, and listen to a piano song all at the same time. I cannot care equally about the skinned knee and the threat of ISIS and the funny elephant video and the boys' pet cricket and the lady in the hospital.
There are a thousand ways to do this life well... but "do every single possible thing" is not one of them.
As part of my plan to not lose my mind entirely, I've been reading. And I want to share a gem from my current book (well, one of six) that stopped me in my tracks this week.
The book is called Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist. She was talking about this struggle, and the list making, and the feeling of never catching up, of always feeling the pressure to do everything better.
The author shared something she learned from a friend:
"she said it's not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. What's hard, she said, is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about." (54)
We hear "DO EVERYTHING BETTER" when a friend knits or sings something beautiful and we think we could never do that, but maybe we should.
When the kids get dressed with clothes straight from the dryer, we rebuke ourselves with a silent "DO EVERYTHING BETTER."
When we're socializing, we feel like should be cleaning, and when we're cleaning, we feel like we are neglecting relationships.
If only we could do it all, better.
DO EVERYTHING BETTER is the song we march to when we forget that we are mere mortals.
DO EVERYTHING BETTER sucks the life from our souls.
DO EVERYTHING BETTER makes us do nothing well, especially not those things we were made to do like love and rest and rejoice, and leaves us crying on the floor in a heap of guilty failure.
It is easy, so this author says, to decide what we want our lives to be about. I agree.
But what are we willing to NOT DO so that we can do those things?
Because we are mere mortals, with limits that even caffeine cannot overcome, we must ask this question.
What do YOU do?
What don't you do?
What does it look like for YOU to love serve your family and love your neighbor and feed your spirit? We are not in junior high, mamas. We don't have to look like everybody else to be liked. There are a million ways to do this life well. What does YOUR list look like? What can you cut out that may be keeping you from the more important things?
Things I doFeed my Spirit through the Divine Service and devotions
Provide a kid-friendly house for moms and children for the sake of community and fellowship
Cook real food (mostly)Quality time with hubs Read aloud to the kids
Read quietly for the joy of it
Take tons of picturesWriteTeach GardenNap when my body tells me to nap
Things I don't doScrapbook (I store memories with words, not photos, and never, ever, with fancy borders or decals. I use scissors for opening cheese.)Make clothesClip coupons, bargain hunt (If only Amazon sold groceries!)
Keep my floors perfectly clean (it's much faster to just wear shoes in the house.)Attend every sporting eventVolunteer for every church and school thing offered Garage sales or eBayChores kids should doSpend time with petsInterior decoratingBlow-dry my hair except on special occasions
Pay attention to my fingernails
Laundry on Sundays
Stay up past ten, except on special occasions
As I look at this, I realize there's still more work to be done. There are still some items on the chopping block that I should probably just chop already, but I'm not quite ready to do that yet. (Facebook? Learning piano? Ironing? I wish!) There are still things I am not sure about (coaching? babysitting? write another book?)
Our lists will change every few months, as we flex with our lives. But do your soul favor, and add to the list of things you DON'T do to make more space for things that matter. Do it today.
What's on your chopping block? What do you love, and what do you NOT do?
Abundant hand-me-downs, toys, and books.
Abundant kids and their abundant needs and wants.
Abundant friends and abundant events and abundant good ideas!
I wish somebody would filter my life for me! Why it is all things seem to demand equal, immediate attention? And why does my brain seem incapable of handling all of those things equally and immediately?
I am not a computer. I cannot help with homework, make dinner, reply to a facebook message, and listen to a piano song all at the same time. I cannot care equally about the skinned knee and the threat of ISIS and the funny elephant video and the boys' pet cricket and the lady in the hospital.
There are a thousand ways to do this life well... but "do every single possible thing" is not one of them.
As part of my plan to not lose my mind entirely, I've been reading. And I want to share a gem from my current book (well, one of six) that stopped me in my tracks this week.
The book is called Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist. She was talking about this struggle, and the list making, and the feeling of never catching up, of always feeling the pressure to do everything better.
The author shared something she learned from a friend:
"she said it's not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. What's hard, she said, is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about." (54)
We hear "DO EVERYTHING BETTER" when a friend knits or sings something beautiful and we think we could never do that, but maybe we should.
When the kids get dressed with clothes straight from the dryer, we rebuke ourselves with a silent "DO EVERYTHING BETTER."
When we're socializing, we feel like should be cleaning, and when we're cleaning, we feel like we are neglecting relationships.
If only we could do it all, better.
DO EVERYTHING BETTER is the song we march to when we forget that we are mere mortals.
DO EVERYTHING BETTER sucks the life from our souls.
DO EVERYTHING BETTER makes us do nothing well, especially not those things we were made to do like love and rest and rejoice, and leaves us crying on the floor in a heap of guilty failure.
It is easy, so this author says, to decide what we want our lives to be about. I agree.
But what are we willing to NOT DO so that we can do those things?
Because we are mere mortals, with limits that even caffeine cannot overcome, we must ask this question.
What do YOU do?
What don't you do?
What does it look like for YOU to love serve your family and love your neighbor and feed your spirit? We are not in junior high, mamas. We don't have to look like everybody else to be liked. There are a million ways to do this life well. What does YOUR list look like? What can you cut out that may be keeping you from the more important things?
Things I doFeed my Spirit through the Divine Service and devotions
Provide a kid-friendly house for moms and children for the sake of community and fellowship
Cook real food (mostly)Quality time with hubs Read aloud to the kids
Read quietly for the joy of it
Take tons of picturesWriteTeach GardenNap when my body tells me to nap
Things I don't doScrapbook (I store memories with words, not photos, and never, ever, with fancy borders or decals. I use scissors for opening cheese.)Make clothesClip coupons, bargain hunt (If only Amazon sold groceries!)
Keep my floors perfectly clean (it's much faster to just wear shoes in the house.)Attend every sporting eventVolunteer for every church and school thing offered Garage sales or eBayChores kids should doSpend time with petsInterior decoratingBlow-dry my hair except on special occasions
Pay attention to my fingernails
Laundry on Sundays
Stay up past ten, except on special occasions
As I look at this, I realize there's still more work to be done. There are still some items on the chopping block that I should probably just chop already, but I'm not quite ready to do that yet. (Facebook? Learning piano? Ironing? I wish!) There are still things I am not sure about (coaching? babysitting? write another book?)
Our lists will change every few months, as we flex with our lives. But do your soul favor, and add to the list of things you DON'T do to make more space for things that matter. Do it today.
What's on your chopping block? What do you love, and what do you NOT do?
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