Making Time for God in this New Season

This season of my life is not one I can say I fully embrace.  It is one of significant slowing down, one that seems filled with the mundane tasks of feeding, rocking, holding, praying for the baby to sleep, and hoping the other kids somehow survive, and then waking up to do it all again the next day.  While there are certainly moments of joy and happiness in it, it is also a season of doing what needs to be done simply because it needs to be done and knowing in a bittersweet way that this season will soon pass.  Things necessary for day to day living like laundry and dishes get done in the few moments when Kai is peacefully asleep.  Playing with the other kids is done often with a bottle in one hand and a burp rag on my shoulder.

Things that seem non essential get shoved to the wayside including time in God's presence.  While I know my own need for His presence, it's easy to see that as a negotiable, non tangible must do.  I appreciated these words today, from Sally Clarkson,

“I have come to believe that the success or failure of any woman who hopes to build her children into a godly legacy depends to a great degree on whether or not she is spending time in the presence of the Lord and filling her mind with His word.

Desiring to secure the hearts of our children with a love for God, often we try to teach them what is right, correct their attitudes, and often become frustrated with their immaturity, and so in our exhaustion, point out faults to our immature children.

We strive to be women of godly ideals, but tend to fall short and overwhelm ourselves with the mundane, ordinary day “have-tos.”

Yet, we cannot show our children the excellencies of God’s character if we have not invested time in His presence. We become like the ones we spend time with! –And so if we can never make time to cultivate a deep love, a fresh worship, a spontaneous conversation with our dear Father, then we will not be living from His spirit’s truth, wisdom and grace."

In the same blog post, she continues to put forth the challenge to be in God's presence in manageable ways.  For me, a 30 minute Bible study seems undoable.  Sally's suggestion of Post It notes with a Scripture, placed around the house for moments of meditation seems much more realistic in this new season of my life.  

Now to find the Post It's...here's to hoping they are in the desk drawer and not buried on the counter.