I am up before the sun, finding an ability focus in the early hours that I don’t have during the day. I am a light switch kind of person with my abilities. If I have a high-intensity day, the next day I make sure that I am “off” in terms of expectations. Sunday was an “on” day, with many demands. Monday was an “off” day, where I rested, cleaned, and prepared a big roast that could be eaten for a few days. Tuesday I was “on” again, working on a funeral luncheon, with all of the details and interactions and laundry that come with it. You get the picture.
I think that people often wear being busy like a badge of honor, and use the word “busy” as an excuse not to do the important things. I am trying to avoid the word busy in my vocabulary. Instead of “busy,” I say “full,” because my life is full of choices for how I will spend my time, and I choose a full life. When I hear the word busy, I think of someone who is a slave to their commitments.
Even though I like the “on” and “off” formula for living, it’s not always possible. Sometimes I have to be “on,” day after day. I have seen a healthy dose of grace enter my life this week, allowing me some emotional, physical, and mental stamina that I don’t normally have. I have also felt some profound love and acceptance from my Heavenly Father through prayer that gives me more strength than any plan or formula for living that I come up with.
Acceptance and love are powerful motivators. By this, I don’t mean they are incentives to keep going, they are the fuel. We are loved by God, not because we did a good job; We are loved because we are his children. I have felt his paternal joy that comes from seeing me accept his help to climb a little higher.