One of the greatest challenges of my current season is the statement I say often which is “I just don’t have enough time.” It is the peril of brilliant motherhood. When we complete every task with pinterest perfection, when we meet every need that is tugging at our heart strings, when we win in others lives, something loses.
When our schedule is dictated by perfectionism, someone is left behind. Whether it is our little people who are tagging behind us as we shout “Hurry, hurry into the atmosphere”. Maybe it is our nearest and dearest, those people who are the ones we are supposed to be doing it for in the first place. Maybe we are the ones who are losing sleep, losing peace, losing love as it slowly leaks out of our over stuffed lives.
When we shout into the universe that we just don’t have enough time, we lose the present, we lose.
I love lists, I love order, I love to feel like I am living with deep convictions and equal compassion.
I love a good hustle, I love to fill my life with people and task, with passion and purpose.
I am learning in this season though, that time some times just does not make sense. You know those moments where we say to each other “Is it just me or the years getting faster?” or “Can you believe it is Christmas, Easter, Winter, Spring already?”
We say statements like…
“Where did the time go?”
“Before I knew it my child was grown up, it just went so fast.”
We get angry when Hot Cross Buns appear on our shopping shelves before we have even taken down the Christmas decorations, but the truth is it is only ten short weeks away before Easter is skipping across our days.
Time doesn’t change.
Seconds don’t speed up.
Years have mostly the same number, with an occasional extra thrown in for good measure.
We have enough time.
I think what changes is the way we allocate their resource across our days.
A scripture that has always intrigued me is this one…
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It is like it is saying that time is irrelevant in the midst of the insight that eternity brings, that when we are waiting, that when we are seeking, that when we are frustrated, time is not in debt to these things.
We have enough time, somedays it is just reframing what is important, what is irrelevant and what is exhilarating in our schedule.
I am learning to keep massive chunks of my day free and allowing an organic approach to my task list detail. Rather than getting frustrated with my lack of progress, I am giving myself space to choose in the midst of the day what is important, what is irrelevant and what is exhilarating.
When I couple the things that excite me, along with those that are important, I fit so much more into my days and I allow the normal ebb and flow of my family life to dictate that which is important.
I am also realising that some of the things that demand my attention (emails, facebook messages, phone calls) with things that seem so urgent are actually not what I should be giving my enough time to.
So rather than scrolling mindlessly through facebook to comfort a heart that is wanting to escape a little, I am putting on some music, singing along and sweeping our floor.
Instead of packing my schedule full of all the people and tasks that are necessary, I am committing myself to one thing each day and anything else I achieve is an absolute bonus.
I am wading through all the obligations in my diary and releasing myself from anything that I have said yes to out of habit of wanting to please people rather than the intention of what I want to give my time to.
I am listening a little more to the areas of my life that there is a grace for and allowing that sense of peace to lead and guide me.
We have enough time my truth seekers, there are just some things that we give our time to that don’t really deserve it’s precious treasure.
You have enough time my friend, take back ownership of its direction and become the captain of that ship again.
We have enough.
We really do.
We all need to read this. Be the ‘captain of our ship’. What a great line. I had this thought today: I’ve filled up my diary already and I swore I’d leave more space for what’s important. I haven’t even recovered from my surgery and I’m moving on as if I already am. No wonder I’m tired!
Thanks so much for sharing this today. Just when I need it! xx
Thankyou for encouraging me, it is exactly what I needed today.
So great and so confronting Amanda. As I read this morning there was a big part of me that is disagreeing saying “no I really don’t have enough time” but deep down I do you that I have enough time for what I have made time for. I just wrote in my journal that I wanted to eliminate more of that mindless time that disappears in my day…usually social media or mindless checking checking checking
I imagined what my day would look like if every time I escaped to ‘check’ if u picked up a book instead… Hmmm
Anyway thank you for the reminder cxx
*know not you
Thankyou.
I loved your leather boots post, the photo drew me in and I loved your words and encouragement. Well done on walking out boldly into this new blogging world. I hope it is inspiring you along your way.
XXOO AMANDA
Hi Amanda
Thank you for this timely post. I have been reading your material lately – much of what you say rings true for me. My calendar is full and I have much to do. But there is a voice that asks me to ‘be still’. So, I will take your suggestion and be my own ships’ captain – my family will love it!