For the last few years my heart has been longing for simplicity. I watch old pioneer-type movies and think that life just seemed so much simpler back then. I know that’s probably not the truth–they had so many different issues to deal with. In many ways, with all our modern conveniences today, I’m sure we have life so much easier.
Still, the lifestyle people had all those years ago just makes me long for the good ol’ days. There were no televisions or video games to draw families away from each other. Family time was so precious and treasured. Reading God’s Word as a family was the highlight of the day. Families worshiped together, played together, cooked together, built their homes together. Everything revolved around family.
I long to have that for my family. But truthfully, I feel pulled. Pulled in all different directions.
I’m struggling to find the balance. Today has been one of those days when I just feel pulled. My circle of friends get their children involved in everything imaginable. The competition among their children is fierce. Who can play the most, do the most, be the best and beat the rest kind of mentality. Even in the small town that we live in, there are many things to get our kids involved in.
The idea of rushing our many little children from one activity to another has no appeal whatsoever. Ferrying them from one place to another for the sake of having them involved in different things means one thing to me–less family time. But, I know there has to be a balance–and I’m struggling to find it.
Things are so different now even from when I was a child–which was not even that long ago. I loved sports and was a competitive swimmer in my day, swimming at State level. In my younger years, training was fun and the joy of the sport was encouraged. It was not until I got into high school that things started getting more intense. How different things are now. My children played football last year. Oh my word–we were on the football field (two separate fields as we had two sons in different teams, so we alternated) four nights a week PLUS Saturday games. Family time became virtually non-existent. We lived on quick and easy (and not healthy) meals. We were constantly on the run. We never read at night and our times of reading God’s Word as a family fell by the wayside. We were just too tired when we got home late after practices. Not my idea of fun at all.
I figured that if we allowed all five of our children to play a different sport each season, heck, we’d never be at home. Things are so different these days. There are a million and one things calling our names to get involved in. They’re all great, I’m sure. But are they the best? Or, are they just things that rob us of precious family time?
So I’m struggling to find the balance. I want my children to use every gift and ability that God has blessed them with. I really do. But, family time is crucial to us. It is one of the reasons we love homeschooling our children–we get to be with them more. We get to sow into their lives and be their primary teachers in all things.
I love the idea of living a simple life. I long for it with all my heart. But, yes, I’m feeling pulled. The word simplicity seems so unattainable in a crazy, busy world.
How do you find the balance? How do you know when to let your children get involved in different things, and when to pull back? I never want to fall into the patterns of this world–and we all know that one of the things satan steals from families is time–time together, time in God’s house, time with church family. Busyness takes us away from all those things.
Learning and growing each new day–right along with my children.
