While preparing for change looks different for everyone in each situation one of the ways that change seems to be consistent is that it always interrupts or changes our schedule or routine. And for some people, like me, that is a hard thing to swallow. But after the birth of 5 children and my husband pastoring for over 10 years I have found a few things that help me when changes come.
I am a list lover. I make lists of everything and I even, at times, write things on my list just so that I can cross them off and know that I have done something that day! I make lists for my kitchen, for our homeschool, for church, and even for my children. And one way that I prepare my routine and daily expectations for change is by list making.
This past week I have spent time making lists of how to run my new washer and dryer set, how to start the dishwasher and even what meals are in the freezer. This notebook will be used to walk anyone that comes to help during my recovery time through workings of my home a little easier. I won’t have to sit on the couch and get frustrated because I can’t remember which button I use for different loads. Plus it will also help my girls to be more independent and helpful and if I know my girls it will help them to feel “big” too.
This changing of my expectations goes hand in hand with yesterday’s post about the kitchen too. I am not one that handles it well if I can’t keep up. I like my home neat and clean and picked up. I also like to offer my husband a hearty meal after a day of work. But during some seasons of change I have had to accept the fact that I couldn’t do it all. But having a freezer stocked with food, my heart focused on serving the loved ones that God has blessed me with, and a list to help me see what I really have done during the day helps me.
This preparing for change is a process and has many layers to it. We must keep our heart right with the Lord and follow His leading, allowing Him to show us what is important and what we can let slide during a season of change. But, we also must apply ourselves and our efforts toward preparing too. Yes I have a freezer full of food and my house is pretty much cleaned with the floors scrubbed and the walls and windows washed, but that doesn’t mean I felt like doing it or wanted to do it. But I knew it was my job and since I wouldn’t be able to do it for awhile I was responsible with the job that God has called me to and I got in there and got it done. Responsibility isn’t always fun or easy but it is a necessary evil of this world.
I want you to know dear friends that it is okay for a season to lower your expectations and to structure your routine differently from other households. This “season” might be years long or weeks long. It might be the whole season of child training that you have to cook more quick meals and use paper plates so that after a long day you have time and energy to pour into the hearts of your children. And that is okay. While I am not endorsing frivolous living or laziness the children and spouse that God has called you to serve are far more important than perfect dinners or sparkling floors. If you are preparing for change in your home please remember that everyone deals with change differently and everyone has different expectations for others and for themselves. Don’t be too hard on yourself. God has called you to this place because you are PERFECT for His mission in that place. So, embrace your “here”, live in the “now”, and don’t regret the past or worry over the future you can’t change the past and you can’t control the future. Let God handle those and you just keep serving Him.
Post #1 – Preparing for Change – Your Heart
Post #2 – Preparing for Change – The Kitchen
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