Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Perspective

Perspective is the ability to stand between yesterday and tomorrow and understand how today fits in. It requires looking beyond the moment with a view toward the whole life.

How very much moms need perspective! When we drop everything to hold our babies while they are sick, when we disregard the clutter to read to our toddlers, when we make ourselves an available 'home base' from which maturing children can go out to explore--we need to know that we are investing in tomorrow by making wise choices today.

How are we spending our time today? Are our choices on this Tuesday going to make a difference in the lives of our children next Tuesday or even four Tuesdays from now?

Resist the urge to let a clean house take precedence over a tickle-war. Don't let a to-do list replace a heart-to-heart talk. Take a daily peek at how today fits in between yesterday and tomorrow.

It is hard for me to "take time" and deviate from my own agenda and to-do list. One of the things I like about having a newborn around is that I am forced to slow down. Sitting down every two hours to nurse is time-consuming, not to mention all of the other things that go along with a baby. One of the first things to come off my priority list was yard work, IF you can call watering a couple pots of flowers and pulling a few weeds in two tiny beds "yard work".




I have so much room to improve in this area and I daily ask God to order my days and be the Lord of my time. Sometimes that means there are dishes in the sink and little girl clothes on the floor, but I'm learning to see the big picture and realize there will be a day when I can have a pristine house and a to-do list that gets done without someone asking for a drink of water or to read them a story. And hopefully I'll be able to say that some of the time I chose wisely and let the mess sit through just one more story or snuggle time.
"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher, "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?...All things are wearisome, more than one can say...What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1: 2-3,-9

4 comments:

  1. This is so great for me, cause I feel like I'm becoming overwhelmed. Thanks for the perspective. ;)

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  2. what a great perspective and a wonderful reminder! Thanks for sharing this!

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  3. Wow, does that speak right to the heart. I certainly could not have said those words, that I think daily, better myself.

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