One day many moons ago, I was shaken to wake for a rare meteorite shower with my betrothed...
While this seems like a fictitious line of a sappy romantic novel, it indeed happened and still feels dream-like as I remember my groggy state throughout that rare occurrence. I share this memory to admit my love of astronomy (which I currently get to learn again alongside of my first grader) and the grandiosity of the world, yet I do not share the same love of astrology as some do and those stars shooting across the sky.
Many people follow, believe, or simply enjoy the differences and details of stars as they relate to zodiac signs. As a "Libra" my symbol happens to be quite fitting though, (whether coincidence or choice, who knows). The scale fits my desire to "avoid all extremes" (Ecc. 7:18) and keep life in a "perfect" balance.
Just like a kid watching the plates weigh down on one side, and then the other, we all tend to over correct or barely correct in order to adjust our own personal scales accurately. Like all children, I once lived only for myself. I thought having children would help correct some of those selfish tendencies on my one sided scale, but one child barely added any pounds unless you count the actual pregnancy scale.
I forced my baby to "get on my schedule" no matter the cost. Then, four kids later, and I over corrected my scale so that my needs were hanging high in the air never being touched. In hindsight, I can see the error in both corrections.
Now that I enter the first year in seven years without a baby or a pregnancy to change the scale, I see an open opportunity to add weight on either side I choose. I don't want to return to my old ways of planning out all my time (because it's not mine to start). Yet I don't want to rid myself of selflessness either. Instead, I need proper margin in my life that has held the weights evenly in place these last couple of years.
Through the mountains and valleys, carving out time in the beginning, middle, and end of my day to quietly read, rest, reflect and relate to others has aided in my sanity and sufficiency. Why return to reading the Bible just once a day or slowing down at the end of the day when I have maintained peace in the storms doing otherwise.
Those carved out times have to be purposeful for the risk of over-planning in our plugged-in culture takes hold and screws the scale again. Albeit, that time still needs to be flexible to minister to others, invite hospitality, soak up and meditate the word or simply sit with a hurting child.
Either way, when we do not set up margin ahead of time, we feel the effects of exhaustion, distraction, and irritability reminiscent of those affected by the winter blues or cold and flu season. Finding balance does require times of heaviness on one side teaching us, like kids, what the right correction looks like. Learning is always a good thing.
Learn how to gently, yet properly balance the scale on both sides. Only then can we make the choice to stay balanced when the opportunity comes to take things off, or put more things on one side of the scale. A two-sided scale won't balance itself. Due diligence and managed margin along with purposeful prayer keep it in check no matter the season.
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| Levi has been in a season of waking too early and going to bed too late, but slowly and surely we are seeing some balance on that scale too. |
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| We balanced our long weekend with a free trip to the Cyclorama and History Museum on MLK Day! Who knew they'd have a train too! |
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| Just a little indoor ZUMBA on a cold and rainy afternoon. It cracks me up every time! |
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| Enjoying some outside fun in the cold with my boys. Have to balance my own personality with this one! |
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| This one keeps the scale and grocery bill moving up with all his snacking habits! |
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| No winter blues for these blue-eyed boys |
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| I love the determination I see in each one! |
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| The gift that keeps on giving. |
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| Roman is inching his way on the toilet training. We haven't moved far, but he'll definitely do more because of his brothers than any parental authority! The gift of many baby boys! |
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| If we can't have any snow, then we'll make some! |
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| Two simple ingredients made for a fun winter activity. |
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| Please pray for this sweet baby boy who will undergo another bronchial scope next week! The balance of medicating and un-medicating him to shrink his internal birthmark requires a team of doctors! So thankful for that perspective balance! |
~Scale Buster!
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