Becoming Extraordinary

We've had a lot on our minds here lately. I stand amazed at how easily life gets away from me. For the last couple weeks I've been nursing my middle baby (Anna) back to health. She developed pneumonia after what seemed like a typical cold. It seems like we've been inundated with new medications, antibiotics and breathing treatments. All things that have taken my mind off of...well everything else. Now that the dust is settling a bit and she's feeling much better (though we're not completely out of the woods), I have found myself feeling very disorganized and scatter brained. It's time for me to get it together and try to get my family and myself back on track. In that order I might add. Which leads me to my next point.

It's often noted that women, especially mom's, don't take very good care of themselves. It's the nature of the beast I'm convinced. There are very few women that I know who take care of themselves before they care for their families. There's a delicate balance between caring for ourselves without neglecting our families and the balance proves very difficult to strike. I know that's the case for me. I wind up saying to myself, "I can wait, but my kids can't." I know I'm not the only one who has this problem. Incidentally, it's also worth saying that on most days (cause everyone has a bad day) I am also striving to first be the best wife that I can be and serve my husband the best that I can.

In an effort to strike the balance a little more precisely I am certain that I need to make some changes in my life. When life seems off kilter, it's always inevitable that it can be traced back to something spiritual, or lack thereof. True again this time. I have not been starting my days with God, nor have I really acknowledged him appropriately throughout the day. This leads to me trying to do most things by my own strength which comes up short each and every time. When I am seeking the Lord first, my days are always better. That's just a fact that I've discovered along the way. Please don't mistake me to say that life is easy when I'm spending time with God. It's just more bearable. Things make more sense.

Just today, I had a conversation with one of my dear friends who was commiserating with me about how long it's been since we'd showered. (I'm really not joking). As we talked, she recalled a recent conversation with her husband who offered her the reminder that if she wanted a shower every day then she should get up when he does...long before most of her children I might add.
I only recap this story because his words were not meant in a mean way. In fact, it really is true for most of us. If we want to be productive without children at our sides, we have to make some changes.

I confess that my wake up time each day is dictated by my children's wake up time. In most cases it is my eldest who climbs up into the bed beside me and says, "Mommy, let's go downstairs and get breakfast." Even then it takes me a few minutes to finally arrive there. I have said many times before that I don't love starting my days this way. I wish for something more. But then the next day comes and it's the same old thing.

And that's just what it is, the same old thing. Every day is very similar for us. The only thing mixing it up is which child has the most teachable moments in a day (i.e. timeouts). I often think to myself, "I'm so ordinary." and then I ask myself, "How can I be extraordinary." I believe that it starts with something small like waking up to see my husband off to work and then getting with God to say, "let's do this day together." I know it sounds so cliche and so old fashioned. I do not consider myself an old fashioned woman, in fact quite the contrary, but I have a firm belief that I should value my husband over my children and I'm afraid that by my own strength I am falling short more than I am rising above.

And to that end, I want to resolve to at least begin my extraordinary journey by waking up with my husband and beginning each day in some sort of communion with my God.