Balance means different things to different people. When I think of balance it means the ability to flex to make things work. There is no 50/50 in work/family life in my experience. Sometimes there are surges when you are needed 90% of the time to do 90% of the work…like when a baby is new and you’re the cow. Other times we can make work life at home or elsewhere 30% of our world. Pursing peace means realizing that we all need work, play, study, rest, creative time and fun. There has to be a balance of experiences to keep the perspective that leads to peace. Last night during a particularly stressed part of the day I took time to get out our fall dishes and set the table. Those few moments thinking on the pretty candles, meal that was cooking and time with my family set the stage to relax. Even Mr. Bingley got his Fall outfit on.
When we over focus on one area of our life or thoughts, we become stressed. This week our family is purposefully taking evening walks and doing something creative in the evenings 2 nights this week. The laughter and joy that has brought has help us all realize that this is a happy home, we just needed more play time. As we end the day and gather for prayer, it is amazing how just allowing for more fun time has audibly allowed us to realize more joy and peace in our day.
