Don't Give Up

This post is by Patty Lewis.

Wow!  We started summer busting out through the gate!  It feels like we ran through it on a bull, and we are still holding on! We did not plan for summer to begin this way, and I’m still holding on wondering when we are going to catch a break or, rather, decide we are going to take one. 

God blessed us with only one child.  For us, this is our one shot, and he turned 18 this past February.  We are knocking back and forth between wanting to enjoy these last bits of time we have as a core family before he decides to fly the nest and preparing him to fly well.  It feels like we have to always be on guard to make sure he gets what he needs to be prepared for life, and we often miss the fun that is right before us.  

So, we are choosing to say yes to doing things that are fun.  We want to make memories, be in right relationship, and live abundantly.  That can be exhausting though, because there is so much opportunity to have fun and live fast, sometimes too fast. It seems to leave little room for rest and recovery.  I am thankful for these things, but I am well aware of the need for down time. 

I don’t really know what the answer is and looking ahead at this week, there isn’t a lot of room for resting.  We just stacked up all kinds of things to do with family and friends day after day.  Meanwhile we are likely not getting enough unwinding time, and we are not able to keep up with daily needs of the household, like laundry as one fine example.  I’m not sure what the solution is.  So, for sure, I’m reminded as I write this—praying for wisdom and being willing to be flexible is the way forward. 

While I am praying for wisdom, I’m not going to give up.  That is a motto commitment I have with a friend.  We remind each other, we will not give up.  While we follow hard after Jesus, commit to being wives and mothers who love their family first, when it seems impossible, confusing and frustrating beyond imagination, we simply will not give up.

I will endeavor to carve out rest and recovery where I can, prioritizing appropriately, living today well and I will not give up.  When we are all tired, hungry or overdone, I’ll try to be gracious and loving.  I will not give up on my relationships and I will persevere.  God has given us so much.  I am thankful for all of it. 

I wish you the very best summer, and I encourage you to also endeavor to carve out bits of time for rest and recovery. I encourage you to not give up, but to lean into whatever is before you trusting The Lord is working in your lives. May The Lord show you where you need rest and recovery and help you to lean into it.

An itty bitty update:  after the first draft of this blog post, some scheduling shifts happened.  They were wise and hard decisions.  Each one freed up a day, so we have two days at home to unwind, rest and recover.  The Lord is oh so good to us!

May The Lord bless you and keep you! 

Patty Lewis lives on the Space Coast of Florida with her Husband, Son and one cat. She is a homeschool Momma, loves having the goal of encouraging others by listening and speaking words of life. She enjoys reading, gardening, learning, exploring, Universal, coffee (iced lattes really sweet), adventuring, anything with her family and laughing really loud.

Photo by Angelina Kichukova on Unsplash