I’ve actually written – woops – started a post on my blog: momontherocks.com about time management. But I ran out of time last week, and haven’t gotten back to it since.
I’m having a really hard time getting it all in – the exercise, the prayer and meditation, the reading, time with my man…just about all of it, except for sleep. When you casually mention in conversation that we’re supposed to get 8 hours of sleep, laughter and guffaws ensue.
I suppose that I should fess up, we have twins. They’re ten years old. We’re well-rested folk right now. We weren’t though. I can’t remember the majority of the first three years of their lives. And that is why scrapbooks exist.
So, you can imagine my own guffaws when asked about finding time for rest on the Sabbath. I found a necklace I wanted so desperately, it took everything I had not to buy it for myself and drop subtle hints (for two months) to my kids and husband for Mother’s Day. By hints, I mean, address of the store, name of the store, an exact description of the necklace, a website link and maybe one time, a upc barcode number.
The necklace is a dainty charm of a flying pig. To me, it’s the sign of hope of things we think are never possible, ever. Did we ever think we could watch tv on a cordless phone in our cars in the middle of Kansas? What about the internet? Or finding time for rest on the Sabbath. There’s things in our lives we don’t even have the capacity to dream up – because we’re overbooked, underslept, and drenched in fast food – all of which literally turn our minds off.
I like to think of it as maybe one day pigs could fly. I get so wound up about finding time to do everything sometimes that absolutely nothing gets done. Anything is possible, including prioritizing my time. Clasping my flying pig, I stop and breathe. And in just a fraction of a moment in time, I’m able to get a grip, re-focus, and accomplish something.
Practicing rest on the Sabbath can exponentially increase productivity, focus, clarity, and wait for it…..spiritual awareness.
So, what it seems to me is if we know the benefits of play and rest, then we do it. Example, me for my sleep. If we stop and meditate and pray – there’s benefit to that as well. Or exercise, or making love, or writing the book I’ve said I’m writing for over two years now. The hesitation and the “I just don’t have time for that” really should be re-worded to “I don’t have time to make that connection.” We’re wound too tight. It’s easier to note how busy we are than to stop and just breathe sometimes. But we don’t.
Someone suggests we get 8 hours of sleep, and we immediately bat it off like it’s impossible. At the mere suggestion of 30 minutes to an hour of prayer or meditation, eyes pop out of heads. “WHAT!? WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING HOW MUCH PRAYING!”
It was just a suggestion.
I’ll get that post about my wacky time management written…eventually. The lawn will get mowed, the kids to track practice, the house cleaned. Eventually. “Kids it’s ‘Fend for yourself dinner tonight, mommy’s meditating,” just might come out of my mommy mouth. We know that sleep, exercise, and mediation are all necessities to stop and regroup. We just need to do it. Consider exercise, sleep and prayer as essential as food.
Earlier this year, Frank Schaeffer and Dr. Elnes did a topic discussion on Convergence Christianity, called none other than, “When Pigs Fly”. I’m looking forward to the new Darkwood Brew series learning about Amos and the fine art of the uncomfortable truth. I have hope in the unknowing like pigs flying. Another suggestion: when you do see a pig fly, stop and take in that moment. When Schaeffer and Elnes get together, stop and listen.
There’s an underlying message in Convergence Christianity that we need to simply stop and listen. For just a moment – stop, take a deep breath, and listen.
Leslie is a blogger for Darkwood Brew. She’s had her own blog for 8 years – www.momontherocks.com, chronicling the crazy moments of mommyhood. She also has a column in HerLiving, a local Omaha Magazine. When she’s not writing, she’s laughing and/or eating with her very tall family: husband, Chris, and twins, Max and Lucy.
