There is a time for everything
This verse from Ecclesiastes 3 has been on mind ever since my mother-in-law shared her thoughts about my post from a couple of weeks ago. In that it, I talked about how I wanted to live as if every day were precious, but seemed to be spending a lot of time living in survival mode. The verse has stayed on mind for two reasons. First, I need the reminder during months like this September that even God has told mankind, “There is a time to laugh and a time to cry.” Second, it helped give me the resolve to make some changes in my life.
One shouldn’t make any long-term decisions in times of stress. A guy who expresses his feelings for his date when they’re in a life-threatening situation might change his mind when calm resumes. The woman who promises to dedicate her life to God if only He’ll save her from her dire straits might renege on it when trouble has been averted. And so I have tried all month to avoid making any long-term decisions, by being logical about my stress. The vacation bills will certainly get paid. The endless meetings at work will surely lessen. Our foster dog, Gizmo, will hopefully start sleeping through the night again and regain use of his legs. And you know what? Here it is almost the end of September and sure enough, we’re started to save again, I had only meeting this past week, and our sleep is back to minimal interruptions. As for Gizmo, he can stand and walk short distances.
Except here’s the issue. My husband often talks about the foolishness of basing one’s plans on ideal conditions. I tend to pile up the commitments when things are going well, forgetting that it’s impossible to keep up with them all when things are going badly. So, perhaps at forty-something, I’m finally recognizing the flaw in that logic and am forcing myself to make priorities. I’m the type of person who would fill up all 24 hours of my day, every week, if I could. But that’s not realistic. For that reason, I’m choosing this month to drop some of my commitments. I’m not totally happy about my choices, because I really like some of the activities that I plan to drop. However, there are also new things I’d like to do, and I also need down time. Which brings me back to Ecclesiastes 3. There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.
That’s my week. What about yours?
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September 23, 2013 at 10:56 am
Six words I can certainly relate to – I choose a word each year and this year has been “balance.” For me, that has been about prioritizing the things I spend my time on, whether they are truly the things that are important. I’ve had to make a few hard decisions and say no to a couple of opportunities. I’ve also had to end my involvement in a few ongoing commitments. What really amazes me though is how easy it is to fill the time right back up if you aren’t diligent so be aware!
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September 24, 2013 at 4:58 pm
Your advice is so true! My husband teases me about not being capable of having unstructured time. If I drop out of one organization, I immediately join another one. Or as soon as I set aside an evening to relax, I start filling it up with tasks. That’s a reason why now I turn to my husband for advice whenever something new entices me. If my life is too full, he’s going to gently but firmly tell me NO I can’t add this new thing to my life. He’s part of who I stay balanced. 🙂