In March 2020, my family and I traveled to Southern California to visit Disneyland. News reports had just started to trickle in about a strange virus that had originated in China. My husband was following the reports each day and commented that he wondered when it would hit the US and what the impact would be.  I thought he was crazy to even be worried about something like an obscure virus.

 

We returned home from that trip to a world that looked nothing like the one we'd left just a week prior.  As businesses and events started to shut down, we made the decision to stay home for a couple of weeks. Ten days after we entered the gates of Disney, they closed for the next thirteen months.  As time went on, it became obvious that this wasn't just going to be a two-week reprieve from our busy lives.  My husband became the only one to leave the house for groceries. We pulled our daughter from preschool, and I started homeschooling both kids. This was going to be the new normal.

 

The funny thing was, I didn't hate it at first. Those first couple of months were actually great for our little family. Homeschooling provided structure to our days and forced me to be intentional with my kids in ways that I hadn't been in the past. I loved creating a curriculum for them and watching how they learned from anything and everything around them. My husband's job working from home gave us a lot of flexibility and my health & wellness business flourished. And the kids no longer asked where we were going each day or if we can go to a park or play with friends. 

 

But in the midst of that, one thing I noticed was how much space I had. Suddenly, my calendar was open. I wasn't rushing from activity to activity. There were no playdates or gymnastics practices.  I realized how packed our days had been and how nice it felt to just BE. My kids just needed me, not the next activity. And I was finding time for deep study of the Word and contemplative prayer.

 

It made me wonder, had I been doing things wrong all this time? And what did God really want me to fill my days with?  Slowing down and savoring the days was feeding my soul and growing my relationship with the Lord and my family. Now don't get me wrong, much of the initial peace I felt was quickly replaced by deep loneliness. I deeply craved community. I missed church and hanging out with my girlfriends. Zoom meetings and online worship weren't exactly the same as being together. But I had room and rest in the middle of the isolation.

 

It's now nearly two years later. I hear people talk about the overwhelm, the anxiety, and the chaos in their day-to-day life. I feel it myself. Balancing a business, ministry, and family is exhausting. Our schedule is nearly full once again, and although I fight hard to keep in some of the space that we grew to crave, there is always something new that threatens to take over our calendar.

 

 

In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer writes:

 

Jesus was BIG on margin. He took the time for solitude and prayer. He rested. God created the world and rested on the seventh day. Not because He was tired, but because He knew the importance of the cycle of rest and renewal.

 

 

If you're struggling to do all of the things all of the time, perhaps you're valuing things that other people value or the world deems as important, instead of really listening to what the Lord has for you.

 

So take some time to answer a few questions:

 

Bear in mind that priorities can change with seasons and stages of life, so taking the time to prioritize your activities a few times a year will help you make sure your time aligns with your values.

 

Ask yourself:

You might just be surprised at what you've been trying to juggle that can be adjusted or delegated. It's okay to give up control, especially if it's for the better of your family mission.

 

Pencil out your calendar for the upcoming month. Sometimes seeing things in black and white can put things in perspective too. Highlight those things that you've prioritized as most important and see if the Lord is leading you to cut out or reduce other activities.

 

If you want extra time, you've got to build it in and not let anything take it over. Margin is your breathing room. It's your time to enjoy some worship music and sip a cup of tea. It's the insurance policy when someone is running late or things don't go as planned. Jesus wants to spend time with you. He longs for your attention. It's important to remember that Jesus had days that got crazy and his schedule changed, too. We can learn from the way he handled it - He still made time for God. Even if you only have a few minutes each day, that time can still be meaningful. Try to find a comfortable place to spend that time, and make sure to make it a priority. Don't get discouraged if your quiet time varies - Jesus did too.