Life is more complicated than ever before. Most homes have two incomes and if not are caught in a constant struggle of making ends meet. Kids are involved in sports, music, social activities, art classes and anything else they can be signed up for to ensure they are fit for society. Our homes are filled with computers, laptops, furniture, books, curriculum, magazines, toys, gadgets, and everything new or sentimental we cannot throw away. Our lives are filled with obligations to family, church, friends and finding a way to keep our heads above water. We are all busy and we are all at times overwhelmed. Where do we even begin to pare down our lives? How can we grow as families and individuals when we are constantly moving with no time to think?
Busy lives do not lead to more productive people. We hardly have a chance to grow or enjoy family if we are constantly busy. Busy days turn into a badge of courage or worse idols in our lives. We feel useless if we have a few minutes to spare. If our children are not involved in ten different things per semester we feel we are failing them. Being active is important but it should never be confused with being overwhelmed. When we are too busy we lose sight of the big picture and only see the next slot on our datebook. We lack the time to be available to a neighbor, a church member, a family member or even God.
Since we are tangible concrete people we need tangible concrete ways to get started. Start with a garbage bag. Give each of your children a garbage bag. Now, go through our home and throw away the broken, the old, and the junk. Clean out your bedrooms, your closets, your bookcases and so on. Then take a bag and place in there things that would bless others. As you purge your home you will feel freer and lighter! Go through old files, your desk, business papers and so forth and throw away what you do not need and file the rest neatly.
Once you get rid of the clutter you can see now you can get rid of the clutter in your heart. What things in your life keep you from being available to the Lord? What is keeping you from your priorities? Have a child chose one sport and one activity per semester. If you can pare it down to just one thing per semester that is also great. In the meantime, pare down your obligations and involvements. Your main ministry is to your home. Whatever is keeping you from that needs to go. If you need to earn an income then by all means do so but then drop something else which is not benefitting your family.
Go through your curriculum and prioritize based on the needs of your children. I have a struggling reader so I have suspended some other subjects and lessened the load on others to make reading and math a daily priority. She is in first grade so if she misses a history class or science class I am not going to beat myself up over it.
Take each aspect of your lives and decide prayerfully what stays and what goes. Remember your calling to homeschool your children and be a godly wife. If you are stressed and need to cut something out then cut out anything that does not align with what you know God has called you to do. You will feel less stressed and live with more purpose once you do.
Christian Character Curriculum: We Choose Virtues
Bible Study: Beautiful Girlhood