The simple fact that I must be flexible is hard for me to grasp.  I love making plans and lists, and I love to follow said plans and lists.  When I set a goal, I like to accomplish it.  I find satisfaction in checking things off and achieving all I set out to do.  I don’t know when exactly it happened, but sometime around the 3.5 child born I really had to be okay with things not being perfect in my home.

I realized that I put lots of pressure on myself to clean the entire house top-to-bottom every week, do every bit of laundry and put it away, be at every church event, go to every shower or party I was invited to, spend spare moments tending to my husband, and never run out of anything we needed for the household ever!  That pressure got to me at least once a month (guess when).  I’ve learned over the years to just chill out and not be so regimented.  Relax a bit.  I’ve opted to have a personal quiet time when the kids do instead of using that time for work.  The result has been great for my sanity.

I won’t lie.  There’s always dishes to get done at night, and laundry to fold while spending time with my husband.  The house never gets a complete scrubbing every week, I don’t make it to everything on the calendar, I substitute ingredients for what ever I have on hand, and we run out of coffee creamer.  I’ve even worried if we had enough toilet paper to last until the next day.  One thing that makes all of these inconveniences worth it, is that I can take a deep breath and feel more graceful in running the household.  I no longer feel like I’m on the edge of a breakdown.  I don’t get anxious if I go to bed with dishes in the sink.  If I meal plan, and then I don’t have time– due to the days events– for “Tuesday tacos”, no big deal.  I have what I need for spaghetti. Go with the flow.

Let me just point out a little something before you think I’ve gone hoarder-relaxed, or nothing-to-eat calm, or everyone’s out of underwear.  I plan still.  I’ve mentioned before that I am loving Organizing Life as Mom.  I plan out my days and weeks.  I make my shopping and packing lists.  I just don’t follow it to-the-tee.  I use it as a wonderful guideline to help me see in plain writing what “the plan” is.  I don’t allow myself to feel defeated and less of a wife if it doesn’t all get done.  If a friend needs me, I throw out the plan for the day.  If Nick wants to pack up and have a family day, I don’t say “no” because it’s laundry day.  If I set out to write a post everyday for a month and only seem to write half of the posts because we get sick and life happens, and ministry gets tough– that’s okay.  I am still a work-in-progress, but I’ve learned to be more flexible in life.  The more you’re stretchy like a rubber band, the less you’ll snap like a stick.  That’s better for everyone right?

One of the most tangible lessons I learned as a new Christian was the idea of perseverance.  Keep going for Jesus even when it’s so much easier to give up and do what we want.  I had come across some tough opposition and didn’t really know when or if it would ever end.  I was single then, and having really difficult family drama.   I had a couple of flat tires (and I was flat broke), I was having a hard time finding a job that would give me the hours I needed, and a bunch of other little things that kept coming up.  None of them were as big a deal individually, but all at the same time.  The constant “one thing after another” seemed overwhelming.  I felt like if one more thing happened I wouldn’t be able to handle it.  A dear friend and mentor showed be a couple of verses that still speak to me whenever life gets to be a bit much.

I suppose this should have been the very first post.  One of the greatest and most important lessons I have ever learned is that I need to be teachable and moldable.  Humility while learning is even more important.  Knowledge without humility is nothing more than pride and arrogance.  And those two things lead to thinking you are better than other people…which is bad too.

Proverbs 16:19
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 9:9
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Philippians 4:9
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

That’s it.  Nothing long or complicated.  Just be humble and teachable, using what you know for good.  Given yesterday’s post I think you know where and whom to learn from :)