The Busy of life…
Ahh… September always starts off with a banging rolls quickly into October. The end of summer holidays, the beginning of lunch bags, school bells ringing, children’s excitement for the new school year and impending Thanksgiving weekend. Families begin to organize for children’s hockey, basketball, youth and fellowship groups, dance lessons and all things indoor. This year it is an especially exciting and overwhelming time.
Routines are swiftly changed, parents face new and different challenges with these new routines. Children are adjusting and learning new adventures. These changes can bring chaos, some confusion along with stress and little relaxation.
How did you transition into the new school routines? Do you find yourself running without resting? Are you beginning to feel settled in or maybe a bit overwhelmed?
Even myself, without young children to care for, find the end of summer routine busier. There seems to be a bit more to do around the house, extra time spent helping family and gearing up to a busier fall and winter work season. The change is uprooting and I find I need to ensure I take time to stop and rest.
This week I encourage you to stop, breathe and relax. My calendar is going to purposely look a little lighter even for just this week. I was reflecting with a friend at how every year the weeks in September are always hectic and we tend to jump in both feet forward and quickly find ourselves with a long to-do list. Everything around us is simply BUSY.
Even Jesus felt the hustle of a busy life and ministry. When Jesus was feeding the five thousand He and the disciples were so busy, people were coming from everywhere and they didn’t even have a chance to eat. Jesus stopped and said to the disciples;
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Mark 6:31
We don’t have to escape everything and everyone for a weekend or to the woods to find rest. Being purposeful to take down time to breath and connect with each other will help rejuvenate our minds and bodies. Sit in quiet together share the week, talk about nature, take a hike together. Don’t forget to also take time this week for yourself. Find solitude and peace.
“Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer”
Luke 5:16