Balanced Thinking

" Balanced Thinking" - Moments with You - online devotion
by Barbara Rainey

Though your beginning was insignificant, yet your end will increase greatly.
Job 8:7

A lot of moms, especially those with young children, ask me, "How can you balance making time to be with your kids when there are so many other tasks to do?" I think the answer lies in understanding the word "balance."

I think many mothers misunderstand what balance really looks like. I like to think of it like riding a bicycle. The only time a person on a bike can have it perfectly balanced is when the person is not riding at all but straddling the bicycle with both feet on the ground! When riding the bike, however, there are constant movements to the right and left, back and forth, dozens of muscles working in concert to stay upright and keep from crashing. Sometimes there are sudden swerves to miss a rock or a limb on the road.

Parenting is a lot like that.

I think moms (and dads) need to let themselves off the hook a little and realize that true balance can only be seen by looking at the overall ride. What matters is the sum total of what you've done over time, the choices you make for the important things that balance the mundane things of life.

For instance, your house may be a mess all week before you can take time on Saturday to re-create order. All week long you've berated yourself for letting the house get out of control. But look at things from a bigger perspective--did you accomplish something significant in your family because you used your time in a different way? Weigh the important choices with people against the more mundane choices with tasks, and you may see that you did in fact achieve overall balance.

Discuss
When do you feel the most out of balance? What kinds of choices encourage balance in your lives? Talk about how you can help each other daily and weekly.

Pray
Pray for God's perspective regarding the truly important, because that always leads to balance.