One Good Thing

Okay. I’m going to hang-out-there on this one. On a skinny limb. Bloomers billowing in the breeze. Gulp. Here it goes.

The boys and I attended a community event yesterday. It was awesome-good. Classic summer. Besides the fun and sun and frozen sweetness on sticks, we were able to visit with friends. Lots of them. Moms. Kiddos. People we love. People we admire.

But every conversation was the same. Everyone shared a similar struggle.

And the buzzword was “busy”.

Moms were busy. Kids were busy. Running around. Teams. Sports. Lessons. Day trips. Zoo. Pool. Park. Play ground.

Commitment. Commitment. Commitment.

Stress. Stress. Stress.

Funny thing is, every mother, while to-the-hilt full, still wanted something.

Down time.

Time to read to the kids. To sit in the yard. To breathe and relax and enjoy without the ticking of the clock. Several even dared to dream of taking better care of husbands. Homes. To have clean kitchen floors and windows fit to see through. I could relate. I will not confess who-wore-whose-undies to VBS last week.

So I stand challenged. My own summer has been a blur. Chest-heavy, get-in-the-car, we’re-gonna-be-late, go-kids-go, full. And it’s all good. If the opportunities were not good, they would not be on my plate. But an abundance of goodness can be too much.

So this week I’m going to practice saying “no” to one good thing. I’m going to pull a chair under the maple. Share ice cream on the porch. Find a tattered copy of C.S. Lewis-something. Maybe even rendezvous with Mr. Clean and hit that ceramic tile.

It will be counter-culture. Scary. And what if I deprive my boys or myself of some enriching, monumental, can’t- live- without experience?

Unlikely.

How hard can it be, to let go of one good thing?
"No" is just a two-letter word.

Wish me luck!

I'll let you know...

Lord, help me to manage my calendar. To know what to keep, to know what to let go...