Take Back Your Life

Here is am in the midst of Week 5 of the Stressed-Less Living Bible study. I also find myself in the midst of the last week of the school year. Somehow it seems rather appropriate, as my job is often one of the things that causes me to feel stress.  There have been many times this year when I have said that I feel like a hamster on a wheel, continuously running, going through the motions of daily life, without really enjoying it or taking time to relax. I have so wanted to "Take Back My Life."

I have said before that I think the Lord sent me to this Bible study and I truly believe this. The readings, the discussions, and the study questions have all given me great pause, and this week's is no different.

The first question at the end of Chapter 5 asks, "What childhood memories come to mind that bring back feelings of peace and joy?" Hmmm.... Let's see.....

• Family picnics at Berheim Forest- Mom and Dad would pack sandwich bread, chips, and lunchmeat into a cooler, load the whole family into the station wagon and we would just go walk around the park, pause by the stream, eat our sandwiches, and feed the ducks some of the leftover bread
• Trips to the ice cream store- On hot summer evenings it would sometimes get a bit too hot for us to fall asleep right away. (This was back before we had that wonderful thing known as central air conditioning. The only comfort we had was a slight breeze that would blow through the open window.) The three of us kids would usually be in our pajamas already, but fighting bedtime and sleep. Dad would once again load us into that old station wagon and take us on the short trek to the neighborhood ice cream parlor. Minutes later we were lounging in the back, licking away on our favorite flavored cone.
• Sunday afternoons with family and friends- Sunday mornings meant Sunday School and church, but Sunday afternoons meant relaxation. We often had church "family" who would come over to our house to dine and visit. I can remember making homemade ice cream while the minister and my father played horseshoes. I also remember playing games in the backyard with other children from church while the adults sat around on the front porch. 
• Cleaning the church- Mom and Dad were the couple who went on a weekly basis to clean the church and get things tidied up for the next week. We kids often went with them. My job was to roam through the aisles of the sanctuary and collect the cast-off Sunday bulletins that had been left behind. I would roam up and down each aisle, being sure to remember to ruffle through the hymnals for the sheets that got tucked in between the pages.

I could go on and on- there are thousands of wonderful memories. I did notice two factors that were common threads through all of them- Family and the Church. It seemed like there was always someone from church who would pop in at just the right time, kind words, a sweet dessert, or a smiling face. It also seemed that Mom and Dad were able to take the few minutes each day from their busy lives to spend time focusing just on us kids.

One lesson that has become apparent to me this week, is that I need to get back to those two common threads. I need to spend more time in thoughtful connection with God, I need to truly get connected with my church family, and I need to devote more time to my own family.

It is so easy to just keep working, trudging along on that hamster wheel that I mentioned earlier. I have always thought that rest came easy to people; it was something that you just did naturally. You worked and worked until finally your body gave out and you just RESTED. I have discovered that this is not the case. When you get on that hamster wheel and it keeps going round and round, it is EASY to maintain that momentum; you just keep working, walking, and going around in circles- complaining and griping the entire time. It takes effort to step aside and leave the wheel, take some time to read the Bible, pray to God, and spend real relaxation time away from work and stress. It isn't easy- BUT it sure is worth it!

I want to get back to the roots of my peace and joy: God and Family. I want to continue my Bible time and begin family Bible study each day. I want to make the time to join the Women's group at church and become active. I want to do simple things with my kids, like those family trips to an ice cream store. I want to reclaim my life and make it better than it has been. Dear Lord, help me to Take Back My Life!