Letting Go of the Need for Balance

Staring at my lesson planner, stacked atop my notebook full of scribbles and ideas for the article due next week, sitting on the table next to my dinner plans and shopping list, I feel the anxiety begin to churn in my stomach.

It feels strange to be planning school lessons for kids other than my own. And the hodgepodge of  teacher paraphernalia mingled with mom-stuff scattered across my dining room table and the desk in my office reminds me of all the plates spinning precariously in my hands.

Doubts creep in and I begin to wonder what I've done. I forget His provision and providence and question the very answers to prayer for which I begged him mere months before.

But, God, what if I can't balance it all? What if I let something slip through the cracks?

As He so often does, God gently nudged me to look at the life of His son. To examine the example we have in Jesus. And do you know what I discovered?

Jesus didn't balance.

He didn't aim to have equal amounts of his roles divided perfectly across his hours each day. He didn't attempt to perform His duties and activities and human, son, friend, and Son of God in equal measure.

Balance is a myth. It's a good intention often warped and twisted by the enemy to pin us down with defeat and despair before our feet even touch the floor.

The reality is, some days I will be all mom. Other days the middle school teacher hat will win the day, while still others I'll be the consummate writer, tucked away at my desk tattering away at the keys.

But, the truth is, most days will be a messy mix of all three of those roles and then some as I face the circumstances as they come. And that's ok.

Mom, you don't have to have your life perfectly balanced and portioned out in tidy little packages. It's ok for some roles to weigh heavier some days, and even for roles to lay dormant for a day. Or a season.

So, can I encourage you, friend? Free yourself from the pressure of the perfectly balanced life. Because, the truth is, that will look different for each one of us. And the most perfect balance you can achieve is quiet and faithful obedience each step of the way as He leads you.

Blessings,

Jen