Finding the time

Have you ever struggled to “get it all done” within the twenty-four hours a day you have? I’ve heard it said people like Ben Franklin had the same 24-hour day we have and look at all he accomplished.

That so does not encourage me.

Then I’ve had this interesting thing keep happening to me recently. A number of people will ask me this question…

“How do I find the time to write???” or “How do you do all you do in a days time?”

My answer… “I wish I knew.” ;-)

Inside I’m looking around my life and wondering what in the world they see. I have dirty dishes, dirty laundry, paint-chipped baseboards, and a to-do list a mile long that’s serving only to collect dust bunnies that have escaped their other normal hangouts.

At the same time, I do have three amazing little girls, a neat house, and two full-time jobs~ homeschool mom and author. I know full well how I have those. God. And a great hubby who takes up the slack when I’m writing.

Now that might seem like a Sunday school answer I tell my students at church not to give. But the truth is, I am who I am and I do what I do only because God has called and equipped me.

Same as you.

Same as ole Mr. Ben Franklin.

We each have the same allotment of 24 hours a day to live the life God created us to live. He’s the one who gives us dreams and then asks us to put them in His hands.

Sometimes fear keeps us sitting on our dreams instead of opening ourselves to what God wants to put there. Sometimes the season of life we’re in requires a little more time in God’s “classroom” before we’re able to step into the reality of the dream He’s dreamed for us.

But regardless of where we are and why, there’s a lesson that holds true every time.

I love The Message translation of Matthew 6:33-34:

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

That in a nutshell is how any of us do what we were created to do and excel.

I so needed this reminder from the Word today. I hope it encourages you too.

In case you’re wondering, I do have a longer answer to the question of how I find the time to write. It goes a little something like what I wrote to a fellow mom friend…

“I write mostly on Saturdays and my family has taken up the slack and are awesome encouragers telling me to do what God created me to do. For me I can't not write. It's part of who I am. And for this season it's part of what God has called me to and given me the time to do. I struggle with it though. I think we, as moms, are especially prone to feel guilty about something. I'm learning to stay before the throne of Grace and trust that if He says write, I'll write and entrust all of it to Him.”

To that I’ll add~ homeschooling has taught me a lot about the necessity of personal organization. I don’t follow a “method” because none I’ve read fit me perfectly. But I’ve taken bits and pieces and adapted them to fit my life. For example, my girls have room time or naptime every afternoon for about two hours. They go to bed by 8:30 pm at night. I do my “life stuff” like exercising, emails, keeping our budget, working on Sunday school lessons, and all the odds and ends we all have during that time.

And when Saturday comes, I write.

For twelve awesome hours I get the privilege of pouring out what God has poured into me through the power of a story. My prayer is what comes out will somehow be used to draw others to Him and give my readers a sense that the God of the universe loves them and has a special plan for each of their lives.

The coolest thing to see is God’s people embracing who He created them to be and living out of the fullness we have in Christ. It looks amazing on each one of us.

And different.

But the lesson of finding the time is the same for all of us…

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

He is with you yesterday, today, and forever. One day at a time. Always by your side. Loving the unique person He created in you.

And smiling.