Tonight, the kids are spending some time with their amazing great-grandma. The evening belonged to Josh and I.
Before the kids left, being the amazing people they are, they helped clean the house.
Oh Yes, there were some eye rolls and teeth grinding. Probably a few murmurs and complaints just out of ear shot. But they cleaned. They're kids. Of course they would rather play games or just watch movies. Who wouldn't? ;) But they helped out without arguing with me. That was the amazing part.
Despite everything they could have been doing, they didn't argue and helped.
What did we do after they left? The same thing any other love-smitten and childless couple would do. We went to dinner. Feeding two adults is much more affordable than feeding a family of 4. Right?
As the night was winding down, I decided to take a shower. Wash, soap up, rinse, condition, rinse again and I'm done- time to get out. 5 minutes tops. That's when I realized my own character flaw. Even without responsibilities tonight I instinctively rushed through my shower. There wasn't a good enough reason why it was rushed. Other than, I just always rushed through them because there was too much to do. My shower had become another obligation to speed through so I could move onto the next task. Get in, wash up and get out. I was stuck in a rushed mode. On a perfectly calm night, my rushed nature was working against me.
It was a perfect reminder to slow down.
Maybe you can relate, or maybe you have already figured this out. ((Big shout out to you if you figured this out before I did. Well done!! )) This realization was disappointing to me.
In the grand scheme of things, our world is small. Looking at the vastness of the universe, comparing it to the stars light years away. Comparing my life to the moons' orbit around each planet, each planet as it orbits the sun. In comparison to each galaxy beyond our own.
Bringing it down to Earth, each country in every continent that spans across the globe has its different culture and people. Here I am, in South Central Indiana, USA. In the span of everything happening in the universe I was rushing to get in a 5 minute shower. In the grand scheme of things, a 5 minute shower or 15 minute shower wouldn't change the way the world rotates. If I didn't get the dishes washed, or if I didn't get the house picked up, it wouldn't affect much. BUT- If I stayed in a constant state of busy, it would affect my children.
Not only could they miss spending time with me, but they are learning how to "adult" through me and through Josh. They learn how to respond to life's situations. All of this makes me just stop to think, what am I unknowingly teaching my children?
Life is precious.
Life shouldn't be lived at a constant rushing pace. Life isn't a challenge to see how much we can get done within 24 hours. After all, "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 2 Peter 3:8
Life was meant to be enjoyed. So let's make that change. Let's slow down a little. There will be times when there is a need to rush. But it's ever more so important to slow down when we can.
We are setting examples for our kids. We need to teach them how valuable they are. I don't want my boys rushing through life being too busy to enjoy it. And unfortunately, that is the unintended example I was showing them. My boys need to understand their time is precious and they should enjoy it.
So my dearest friend, I want you to know that your life is valuable too. Slow down and enjoy the moments you've been given. Even when we get busy, slow down a little to enjoy it.
Love you friends!