I’ve never had the feeling of such peace, joy, and simplicity in such a busy weekend as I just had. Maybe it’s a perspective shift or an attitude adjustment. Maybe it’s because I’ve made a conscious effort and decision not to over commit myself. Maybe it’s all of the above.

I had no shortage of things to do this weekend. Sport, sports, and more sports, ya know on top of all the daily stuff. I didn’t wake up early or stay up late to accomplish anything. In fact, I didn’t even set an alarm. I decided awhile ago that I needed to get up extra early on my weekdays to have some quiet time and write so this weekend I decided there would be no alarm on the weekends(because let’s be serious-the cats wake me at 4:45 anyway and even when I get up to feed them and go back to bed, I’m still up before 7 am). Instead, I simply decided what the next thing was and did it. When I showered, the next thing was to get dressed. When I made breakfast the next thing was to do the dishes, etc. When I got home late Friday night from a track meet, the next thing was to eat my dinner and just sit until it was time for bed. When I got home late Saturday from a basketball tournament, the next thing was to sit and finish a puzzle and invite my youngest to join me. On Sunday after church, the next thing was a tv show with my oldest followed by some gardening, assembling my hammock, and laying in it to read a book.

It’s weird, yet in all of the busy, I felt more accomplished than I normally do. Maybe that was the peace in my heart from escaping the to do list and the alarm for the weekend, throwing expectations out the window and just being. I don’t know the last time I gave myself permission to just be.

In other news, today my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. Today marks 18 years of marriage. Though we couldn’t cancel the busy that after school hours bring, we cancelled all day time commitments and had ourselves a day date, a simple day time adventure once the last bus pulled away from the bus stop. We didn’t have a plan as we didn’t have time to plan, but I got to spend the day in the presence of the one I love who loves me in return, having this time together where we could just be.

He says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Gracious God thank you for a beautiful day and a great weekend. Thank you for my children and for my husband. Thank you for 18 years of marriage. Thank you that in all of the busy, you were the calm in my heart. Lord I pray for anyone who is drowning in busy, anyone who is weighed down by expectations, anyone who feels like they can’t take even a moment to breathe, and I pray that you would speak into their hearts and let them know that you are the one true God and that they don’t have to be everything to everyone all of the time.