Overflow

  Image from © Lime Lane Photography

I feel like I need a flow chart to decipher our schedule these days and we haven't even started the kids' sports yet. As I was driving my daughter to preschool this morning I was running my day through my head...9:00 drop off Charlotte...9:30 walk with my friend...11:30 pick up Charlotte...12:00 lunch, park, playtime...2:00 pick up carpool...3:00 get home and start snacks/homework/dinner...8:00 first writing group meeting...11:00 bed...wake up and do some version of this all over again everyday this week. I fill my days with bible studies, errands, coffees, meetings, babysitting, playdates, volunteering, scouts, fellowship, a not-often-enough date night. In a few weeks we will be adding ballet, gymnastics and soccer to the mix.

Life is full to the brim, threatening to overflow.

The thing is, all of our activities are good. It is good for our kids to be involved with scouts and church and sports. It is good to schedule playdates and coffees and volunteer. It is very good to make time for bible studies and writing groups and moms groups. I know I am supposed to be doing all those things and we even have a few other things lined up for the near future. Each fall it feels especially taxing as we ease into the new school/scout/sport schedules with the grace of an elephant.

It's nice to dream of having loads of free time, time that is uncommitted and unscheduled. I would have freedom to do what I want when I want, and no one would need or want anything from me. Really what that would means is that we have no friends to meet, no one to take to practices or games, no one to teach or learn from or live with.

Our busy schedule shows that my kids are curious about the world, learning and trying new things. It shows that my husband is respected and needed by our church, community, friends and co-workers. It shows that I have dear friendships to maintain and new ones to grow. It shows that we are needed to serve and love others with our talents and our time. It shows that we have people to love and teach and live life with.

Best of all it shows that God is blessing us with family, friends, talents. We are being obedient to our call to love and live and serve, even when it's hard (and some days it is very hard).We may not always do it gracefully or well., but we are called to this busy season.

We may be tired today and tomorrow and for the foreseeable future, but there will be a time when our kids are grown and gone.Our professional lives will slow down  and we will be surrounded by a stillness that will be peaceful, calm quiet. It will be beautiful and sweet. Some days I will cherish the silence and some days I will want to sit down and write about how I miss those chaotic days where life was full to the brim, threatening to overflow.