A Routine, If You Please

Routine. Webster's Dictionary defines this word as "a habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure." Want to hear Nell's definition of the word?  Of course you do, it was rhetorical, darlin'. ;o) Routine, ahem, "a salvation of Nell's sanity in which the order and organization of her life is kept in line by doing familiar things at familiar times in familiar ways."  Isn't that good?! I thought of it all by myself! :o)-

I love routines. I love lists. I love calendars. (the written kind, I haven't quite figured out my phone's yet ;o) I love all of these things that help my oh-so-forgetful mind to remember dates, appointments, important events... and the list goes on. I have a large notebook-style calendar. It is my closest and dearest companion. It has TWO columns for each day! I write appointments and activities on one column and make a 'to-do list' on the other column. It's great! :o)

However, this summer, the Lord asked me to put away those friends of mine for a season. Let me give you some background... I felt very convicted by the Holy Spirit a couple of years ago concerning my children and my role as their mother. I was teaching them and loving them, but I had left out an important part of that equation - I wasn't enjoying them. I've always said I want my children to be a joy. I don't want them to be a burden or a challenge, but rather a joy. One day the Lord asked me a question... "How will they know when they are a joy if no one ever enjoys them?" Now, that might seem right up there with "woodchucks chuckin' wood" to some, but it made perfect sense to me and my weirdness. :D

To make a lengthy tale short, I made a few changes to our summer.  We threw the routines out the window - in a manner of speaking.  We still bathed and ate and took care of essentials, but for the most part, we were just flyin' by the seat of our pants doing whatever we wanted to do everyday. I know this seems like bliss to some folks, but I gotta tell you -  it is beginning to make me nuts!!!

Now, don't misunderstand me, I have grown this summer. It has stretched me to watch movies, go shopping and swim with my girls instead of cleaning my bathrooms and running errands. I have absolutely increased my penchant for doing things my children enjoy doing. Granted, not by much, I still detest most of the fun activities that other normal homo sapiens seem to get a kick out of, but well... baby steps, right? ;o)

However, with all of this wonderful, exquisite, incredibly annoying growth almost over with, I find myself wanting to sing Handel's chorus of "Hallelujah!" over and over again! Thank the Lord summer is only three months long! However, I also felt a bit of a challenge issued to me... Oh, blech. Can I keep from complicating my life unnecessarily in the midst of all my routines? Can I refrain from complicating other's (my family's) lives with all my schedules, appointments and the like? Mmmm, ouch. We're gonna have to see, but here is the goal. Live life with a schedule and a routine to accomplish the days' tasks, but don't allow the routine and the schedule to become 'god' for the day. Leave that to Someone who is sooooo much better at organization. ;o) Time is in His hands, not mine...

Oh! And He's not green either! Purple would be a much better color choice, don't you think? ;o)-

"I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out." - 1 Corinthians 7:29