Balance for a Wobbly Writer ~ Valerie Ronald

                                                                          photo credit Valerie Ronald

My season for physical balancing is long past at my age. I can stand on one foot for perhaps five seconds, but that’s it. I grew up near the ocean where, as children my brothers and I would challenge each other to see how far we could walk balancing on beach logs. I recall dancing down the logs, leaping from one to the other, walking heel-to-toe with arms outstretched like a tightrope walker. Back then, balancing was easy.

Balance means something different now. Do I eat a balanced diet? Does my cheque book balance? How do I balance life and writing? This month’s topic prompted me to evaluate how I do both and where I need improvement. Perhaps you will identify with some of my discoveries.

I would rather write than almost anything else. If I’m not in the writing zone at my computer, then I am dreaming up writing ideas and story lines or thinking about how to express a deep topic in a way that readers will understand. But meals don’t get made or errands done if I’m always following my passion. So I need to prioritize and compartmentalize.

Do your chores first, then you can play. That’s what my mother always said. Sitting down to write is easier when the house is tidy and meals planned, so early afternoon is a good time for me to write. It doesn’t always happen, but most days I try to do something writing-focused in the afternoon, even for a short time.

Deadlines stimulate writing, as long as there are not too many. I give prayerful thought to a writing project with a deadline before committing to it. There are so many opportunities I would like to participate in but if I over-commit then it creates stress. In order to maintain balance with writing and life, I need to assess how much I can do.

Be realistic about physical and mental energy. These days it takes much longer for me to do household tasks due to age and physical limitations. I’ve relaxed my cleaning standards, cook simpler meals, and ask my husband for help often. The need for frequent rest provides time for me to think through writing projects. I keep a notebook or my cell phone nearby so I can jot down my ideas.

Serve others first. My husband is in leadership in our home church, so I do as much as I can to help and support him in his ministry. This requires commitment to building into the spiritual lives of our church family, as well as the other roles we fill in our small congregation. As much as I love to write, when a need arises, people come first, whether in family relationships or church connections.

Nurture your relationship with God. Not to be impertinent, but God is my ghost writer. I depend on His Spirit for direction, inspiration, creativity, and more in my writing. Having quiet time with Him in the morning is absolutely essential for all aspects of my life. Often as I’m reading His Word, ideas shine forth or a particular verse sends me on a search that may develop into a full-blown writing project. The writer of Hebrews exhorts, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest” (Hebrews 3:1 NIV).

If we stop seeing our daily life and writing as enemies, and instead let them blend together, giving ourselves grace to face each aspect of our day as a gift from God, then balance will take care of itself.

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction, and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.