August 04, 2017

Fuel for a Balanced Life by Susan Barclay

Maintaining balance is important!
Dictionary.com offers 31 definitions for the word 'balance' so clearly even the best minds have difficulty with this subject! The meaning that I'm going to use is number 11, "the act of balancing; comparison as to weight, amount, importance, etc.; estimate."

When I first read the topic for August, my thought was: "Balance. Ugh. Is there such a thing?" The way I look at it in light of the above definition is that the art of balancing means I've correctly evaluated life's priorities and am proactive to address them in their proper order. And while I think I've successfully accomplished part A of that equation, I've a long way to go on part B.

It's not that I haven't tried. I've used my calendar to create detailed schedules, outlining devotional, family, work, writing, volunteer and other commitments. I've tried 'to do' lists and apps, a white board, computer sticky notes. I've read books on the topic, and I've tried saying no to all but the essentials.  So far nothing has worked long-term.

This well-known phrase strikes me as true: "life would be easy if it weren't for other people." One of the major obstacles to attaining balance has to do with others in my life. To put it simply, my husband, my young adult children, my mother, my employer, all have needs and expectations. My husband longs for an uncluttered home (as do I, for that matter!). My children are torn between dependence and independence. My mother is getting older and requires more frequent check-ins and visits. My employer expects my presence and hard work at the scheduled times. Of course I don't want these people out of my life, but where do my own needs and desires fit in? I know I have the same number of hours in a day as Mother Teresa, etc., but I am not Mother Teresa!

In Dancing Through Life, (which I admit I haven't read yet), Candace Cameron Bure says,
“The pace of life is often so fast, we don’t always have time to pause and spend time with the Lord. We must take advantage of the time we do have so His Word is stored in our hearts and can be our fuel in the busyness of life.” 
God's Word is fuel!

Therein lies the answer. In belonging to God, His strength and wisdom are mine! I know that Jesus took time to rest and commune with His father. I know that He is my example. My new challenge  is to search the Bible for more on what it says about living life in balance. If anyone has any scriptures to get me started, please leave them in the comments!
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Susan maintains a website at www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com 

9 comments:

  1. You nailed it! So many other things in our lives along with the people in our lives play a huge role in the "balance" that we strive to achieve every day. It's difficult to prioritize or balance the things that we want to do versus the things that we have to do. There isn't a calendar out there that can do that. It seems like as soon as I write the first "to do" thing on my calendar - others things quickly follow. Great post!

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    1. Thanks, Vickie! I agree - the "to do" list fills up quickly, and then there are all the interferences with our best laid plans :(

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  2. Great post. I can see that this month's theme is striking a cord with our writers! It is so difficult to 'find the time' to write amidst the rest of life's busyness.

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    1. Yes, I am seeing the same agreement among our bloggers. It's comforting to know we walk this road together and not alone.

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  3. Thanks for your thought-provoking post, Susan. As requested, here's my quoteMatthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Although the word balance isn't in this quote, I believe that by sharing the yoke with Christ's, we will learn from him the way we are to go.

    Staying close, we will be less inclined to veer off course, or lose our footing. The second part of this scripture says we will "find rest for our souls." By plowing our fields with the Master, we will be more sure-footed in finding the right path. We will avoid the bogs and the boulders. In spite of life's demands, we will make a more restful journey.

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    1. Thank you, Sharon. This is the first scripture on my list (I was on holiday and am just beginning this project!).

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  4. It certainly is difficult to balance everything in our lives. I have always struggled with this issue. The one verse that popped into my thoughts is Matthew 6: 33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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    1. Thank you for this verse, Shirley - adding it to the list.

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  5. Susan, I have all sorts of thoughts running through my mind as to what I could share in response to your post, which, by the way, totally resonates with me. Thanks for putting it so clearly for us.

    One simple thought that often helps me in this struggle for balance and for getting things done (it's not my idea and I don't recall its origin):

    If every day you put one drop of water in a bucket, at the end of a year it will have some water. Maybe not a lot, but some. Living in our frenetic, frantically-driven world, with so many things/people tugging at our hearts and energy, sometimes one drop is all we can produce; yet, with regular and consistent 'one drops' there will be progress -- with any task in our homes and in our writing.

    This helps me from fretting when I think things are not getting done fast enough. And, Sharon's Matthew 11:29 is a go-to reminder for me as well.

    Grace for the journey, Susan, and for us all...
    Brenda

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