Don't fill it

“Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of His making.” Proverbs 16:11 NIV

If you have not heard me talk about my wife, let me just say that she is amazing. All the way back in 2005 we decided that I would change professions. I went from working at a stable but busy job that featured a regular check to a job featuring zero guaranteed income but a much better schedule. It was a bold choice, but we knew it was an obviously God guided decision. She sat me down prior to making this move and made me promise her that I would not fill up the time gained. She said there would be demands and opportunities, but she wanted me to go an entire year without saying yes to anything extra. I try to never break a promise to her.

I am so glad she did that. There were opportunities to be involved with many activities in the community. I love our community, but it was a wise piece of advice. We ended up with a great opportunity to reset the clock. I ended up being a more present father and a more present husband. I learned that the outside world did not need me near as much as I thought it did. Even better, I learned that my internal world needed me way more than I realized.

It struck me today that we all have that opportunity right now. I heard one friend today say that they were going to the grocery store more often. They are eating out less and eating dinner together more. I have seen families figure out activities at home. People are working less; prior distractions are closed or unavailable. We have more time. Hear this, I realize that some of this is a hardship. People do need to work. I am aware that some struggles are very real. I am not saying that it is all easy. Some situations are difficult.

But what I want to encourage is this, we will all end up facing an opportunity much like Mary and I had. Maybe we should make a promise to each other to not go all the way back to maximum schedule overload. Maybe our kids do not have to be signed up for every activity. Maybe the backyard is more beneficial to the family than other previous options. Maybe not every available hour of work should be taken. Margins are a good thing. It can actually be uncomfortable at first. We think we should be busy all the time. But I think we should remember our creator established a day of rest, even for Himself.

Since we do not know when everything will get back to “normal” we have a trial period tailor made to establish a better pace. Not a more productive pace, but a pace with more time spent with our spouse, our children, our friends, our God.

What is the biggest challenge for you to spend more time with your family? Time with God?

How can you reset how you spend time or with whom you spend time?

Challenge: Have a business meeting with yourself and/or with your spouse. If you are not married, have a meeting with a trusted friend. Set guidelines. Look for margin. Talk freely about things you can do without and maybe try to do without them.

Rick Claiborn