by Amy
Sleeping in on a Saturday morning. Having quality time with my Bible and journal. Trying new teas. Fresh flowers. Watching classic movies. Enjoying the rain on a front porch. Talking to my mother. Trying new recipes. Baking for no reason. Reading articles in home magazines. Grocery shopping.
These are a few of my favorite things.
Yes, that last one is one of my favorite things. If you are like my brother, you might have cringed reading that - he hates going to the grocery store. He's mentioned a time or two how he would like to pay me to do his grocery shopping for him! My reply has been the same: give me the list and drop me off. I love going to the store. I like taking my time going through the aisles, reading labels, determining which fruits and vegetables are the freshest, finding rare ingredients...I could go on and on. When I find the opportunity to go buy my groceries for the week I get so excited that I usually call my mother right as I get there just to tell her the good news! I'm thankful she humors me for a moment.
Lately life has been beyond crazy - in what seems most every area of my life. Between my work and personal life I haven't yet felt like I can take a breath. In the midst of deadlines and pressure I find myself agitated, overwhelmed and just plain sore. You would think going to sleep would come a little easier with those long and busy days, but lately mornings have been greeting me with droopy eyelids and an aching back. The day goes on, though, and not a moment to stop and consider how I got dressed and all the way to work. Really, though, how did I get to work? Somebody, am I making any sense?!
Earlier this week I realized I would have the weekend to myself; nothing on the schedule and no one around. On Thursday my boss told me to work from home on Friday due to all the graduation ceremonies in the area; traffic would be a headache. I could feel my entire body taking a big sigh of relief - eager to start the weekend.
Have you ever been asked what your perfect day would look like? Well I'm not going to ask you that question now - I'm going to ask you a different question:
What are some of your favorite things?
Many of us have been working long days and nights getting "the job" done. Whatever that job may be (at the moment I'm thinking of all you mothers out there) you find it is a rare opportunity when you have a moment to call your own. Maybe you can't remember the last time you had nothing to do. Well, maybe not nothing - maybe it was more that you didn't have some things pressing and simply more of the things that could wait.
Perhaps you laugh a little when you hear or read the words, "Be still and know that I am God." Who has time to be still when the kids are making messes and constantly asking questions, when the boss has come to you half a dozen times in one day asking you to "start this today," when the pressure of friends or family needing you to show up or be there seems persistent, or when you realize you said yes too many times and not enough no's?
I once wrote a piece on some advice from my parents regarding marriage. I compared it to the safety guidelines you hear when getting ready to take off on a flight. As the flight attendant goes through the usual speech of exits and seat belt directions there is the portion about oxygen masks that I find interesting. The directions they provide remind adults that they must first place the mask on themselves and then, if they have children, place the mask on the child. It may boggle our mind a little when we hear this because our first reaction may be to think it should be the other way around. It should be the child first, right? Actually, the airline has it right. If the parent chooses to put the needs of their child ahead of their own the ramifications could be extreme - if not fatal. In order to ensure the child's safety, the parent must first ensure their safety.
Spending quality time to do something you enjoy is just like those safety guidelines. It is needed more than you may realize. In marriages you often hear it is vital that the parents go out on dates to keep that romance and communication alive and thriving. In a job we are often told in workshops and evaluations that there are times when "no" is a must - not to overload. Even families and friends will be the first to tell us it is time to say no to making unnecessary commitments.
Think of all your favorite things. Maybe going to the movies or sitting alone and reading a book is your favorite thing. Maybe you only have an evening or half an hour - just remember quality is better than quantity. Giving yourself a moment is a beautiful thing; it makes you stronger, joyful, and provides clarity and peace.
If we gave ourselves permission to have a moment to enjoy one of our favorite things we may just see how it will not only help us but help the people around us.
It is more than being deserving - it is a necessity. And yes, we can take a moment to be still and know that He is most definitely God. He is, after all, jealous for us. That itself is enough permission to stop and smell the roses!
