Guest Blog – Finding Balance by Desirae Shawn

Ever pray for God to help you get through the day’s events or deadlines? Ever wonder how you even get things done?

Sometimes I do. A few years ago, I consistently looked at my to-do list at the end of each day and fought disappointment at what was left incomplete.  Many nights, I stayed up late trying to get caught-up or ahead. And each day that passed, I felt more behind.

One day, as the week was closing I knew exactly what “needed” to be accomplished.  That Friday was full of housework, home school, errands and meetings with potential clients.  However, God had different plans for me that day.  I received a phone call Thursday evening from a dear friend who was (and still is) deathly ill.  She needed someone to drive her to a doctor’s appointment to a city over two hours away.  Initially, I was irritated, but God placed a heavy weight on my heart that led me to the decision to help my friend.

That weight is the same type of feeling I get anytime God wants me to do something different than what I had originally planned. I really should stop ignoring that feeling—it gets me in trouble when I do.

But this particular day, I sat my list aside. And God blessed me for my obedience so much more than I could have ever expected.  As my friend and I shared our hearts and lives with each other, we enjoyed laughter and endured precious tears together.  It was an opportunity to strengthen a sisterly bond–a moment I will cherish forever each time I think of my friend.

As women, we wear multiple hats.  Wife, mom, housekeeper, daughter, sister, friend, coach, business owner, committee president, volunteer, etc.  At times, transitioning from one role to another is rocky. Sometimes we have to wear more than one hat at a time.

How do we know which hat to wear and when?  Family or friends tell us it’s all about balance, but what does that really mean?

These are things which have helped me decide:

• When I decide to live my life according to His plan, it also means giving Him my daily schedule as well.  I have learned I get so much more done when I am on His clock, instead of my own.
• Remain flexible.  Be okay with a change in the planned schedule, especially if it involves doing a job for God.
• Do our best, and forget the rest.  At bedtime, we need to lay on our pillows knowing we worked as hard as we could with the time and resources provided.
• Schedule wisely.  When we allot time for a task, stick to it and do what we can to avoid any distractions during that time.  For example, I tell my son that I am going to get some work completed for a certain amount of time.  He knows the less he interrupts me, the more I get done, and the sooner I finish.  However, when I tell him I am stopping at a certain time, whether I am finished with everything or not, I do just that.

So, what about the list?  It amazes me how God provides for the obedient.  When I arrived home that evening, I was gifted with a cleaner house, two loads of laundry done, some completed assignments for my son’s schooling and a warm meal waiting for me to devour.  Sure, the house wasn’t cleaned nor the laundry folded like I would necessarily do it, but that involves controlling my perfectionism, and that, my friends, is a different topic for a different day.

Desirae Shawn balances life as an independent distributor for SendOutCards  (a greeting card and gifting company) with a marriage of five years and parenting her 9-year-old son. She enjoys the outdoors and loves working with children. Find out more at www.frommetoyou.biz.