Kristin posted yesterday on dealing with interruptions. My life feels like one big--and wonderful--interruption at the moment. It’s a whirlwind of diapers, crying, spit-up, nursing, and laundry. There was a breakthrough this morning: my bed got made. Yeah! Although, come to think of it, I just remembered a load of laundry that is still sitting in the washer from yesterday.
Unexpected busy seasons--like a new baby, the start of the school year, final exams, travel, or a deadline at work--often leave us wondering what should and shouldn’t get done. My mom has given my sisters and me three simple principles to help us navigate really busy seasons, and I hope they will serve you too.
First of all, Separate the really-do-matter items from the really-don’t-matter items. Then take care of the really-do-matter items first. For example, when we hit hectic seasons as homemakers, Mom has taught us girls that after sitting at Jesus’ feet, we should attend to three priorities before anything else:
(1) Our husband: “What one thing would please my husband the most?”
(2) Our children: “What one issue in my child’s life needs consistent attention?”
(3) Our food and laundry: “Regardless of how dirty my house is, or how many piles of clutter have accumulated, or whether or not the beds are made--as long as my family has nourishing food to eat and clean clothes to wear, their basic needs will be taken care of.”
So if you presently find yourself in a busy season, stop for a few moments and separate; and then forget about those “really-don’t-matter” items for right now.
Tomorrow we'll look at the second and third helpful principles for navigating busy seasons. But first I’m going to apply the “food and laundry first” idea and get that load of wet clothes into the dryer.
