Lessons Being Learned

A while back I wrote a post on empty calendar squares. A time when life had gotten so busy and crazy that I craved those empty blocks. Just the other week I looked at my wonderful menu planner calendar and noticed it was empty; then looked at my desk calendar; it was empty as well. That's what our summer has been. Empty dates. No planning can be done. Grandma is first on the priority list. It's taken a lot for me to let go of that control and not freak out at the lack of a schedule. But, honestly, I have. I have learned to let loose and not grip so tightly to having everything under control, structured and planned out. It's been a wonderfully freeing experience to trust God's plan and let myself grow in this way.

Of course, I still do like a schedule of some sort, but learning that I do not need to have every minute planned out has been a great lesson. Another lesson that I have learned is that I can't do it all. My goals are clean laundry and dishes, and food on the table. I do try to get the floors swept, since Easton puts everything in his mouth that may be on the floor. The house is dirty. But, there are more important things to attend to. Taking my kids swimming when I have a couple free hours is more important than cleaning my house right now. I am stretched thin, and my kids have had to do a lot of stretching too when we have to be away from home so much. I have learned to spend time with them - playing, talking, laughing and just enjoying the little people that they are is so much more important to me than making sure my house is perfect. The house will still be here to clean later, these moments will not be.

My garden has also been sacrificed on the alter of "let's change our priorities". We have the best crop of weeds I've seen in a long time. My peas didn't get picked. Earth shattering? No way. There will be other times and years for that.

Priorities. Such a wonderful thing. No regrets. I know what I need to do and I'm doing it. It may feel like an out-of-body experience, but it's all good. Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, we'll make a loosely held plan, and trust God to fill in the blanks with His will.