Not enough hours...

I've been feeling very frustrated lately. I feel like there's never enough
time to do what I need to do, let alone what I want to do. The morning is
always a rush of getting myself and the kids up and out the door for work
and school. Get their clothes, get their lunches, get my lunch, get ready to
go. Then I'm at work all day and get home around 5, sometimes 4:30. On a
night with nothing else going on it's make them do their homework, fix
dinner, and do whatever needs to be done around the house (laundry, dishes,
straighten messes, pay bills). Then there is bath time, reading and the kids
are off to bed. Then I continue doing whatever needs to be done before
collapsing into bed. Of course, other nights are a little more hectic with
activities like Wednesday night church and gymnastics.
Now, I know I have a good life and we are blessed. We have a nice home,
plenty of food, and are basically healthy. I know a lot of people have more
hectic schedules than mine. But somehow my daily routine just isn't where I
want it to be. If you noticed one thing that was not mentioned was prayer
time or Bible study time. I guess those things just get thrown in, if
possible, after the kids are in bed. That's not right. And where is the time
to play a game with the kids, or go to the park or just sit and watch them
play or listen to them. Sure, I do those things sometimes, but I want to
make more time for that. And what about a family Bible time. That's
something my husband has talked about a lot but we've never done, except
maybe a little around Christmas.
I want a slower pace. I want time to enjoy my family, my home, and my
relationship with God. The thing is, I don't know how to get there. I
recently read the book "Chasing Skinny Rabbits." It is about the many
"skinny rabbit" trails we follow in life. These trails take us away from the
path God has for us and leave us feeling drained and depressed and bring us
no joy in the end. I'm trying to take a look at all the things I do and
determine if I'm on any skinny rabbit trails and figure out how to get off.
Part of that is looking at how I spend my time and trying to see if I can
get rid of any activities or responsibilities or if there is anything that
is taking my time that I should give up.
Why is it that everyone is so busy these days? With all the modern
conveniences we have, it seems like life should be easier and more relaxed,
but I doubt many would say that it truly is.
I hope I've not rambled too much. It's just this has been on my mind lately
and I am perplexed as to what to do. I have a feeling I'm not the only one
who often thinks "there are just not enough hours in the day."
If you are feeling the same or similar frustrations, let me know. And if you
have any thoughts on how to improve the situation, I'd love to hear that as
well.
Trying to stay on track,
Pam
P.S. Our women's Sunday school class is starting a book called "Running Nowhere in Every Direction." Title really hits home, I'm anxious to get started.

 10 Comments posted by: Pam Cassady on September 2nd, 2008