Help! My Day Has Gotten Out of Control!

So what happens when the day starts without you? Frustration sets in at the beginning.

I woke at normal time this morning. I intended to get straight to my time with the Lord as is my custom. I got sidetracked. I started looking at Facebook and the blog and thinking about how to make it good and one thing led to another and before you know it, it’s time to do breakfast. Breakfast becomes a “do it quick” “get ‘er done” meal of cereal which leads to … I don’t even know what came next except another hour and a half went by and there had been numerous interruptions and everyone was frustrated and had done very little work. And to top it off, in one of the interruptions, I made too quick of a decision and caused something to be worse than it had to be. Whew.

OK, so what do I do now to get back on track?  This is about “Doing Life” and doing it transparently. I could only write when I’m having perfectly orderly, productive days where I get up doing my quiet time with God, everyone responds how they should, I cook the perfect healthy breakfast, we do our morning routines even getting the house cleaned while we go and are at our places for learning all by 8am. But that’s not life. It may be my ideal. It may be wonderful for me when it happens…and it does sometimes. Well, parts of it. But this is more about how to deal with life and learn and grow and forgive yourself and restart when necessary. How do I “reboot” and do more than salvage my day? How do I turn what I have into a great day, a productive day, a day of peace and living in the kingdom (of Heaven)?

Tell the kids we need to begin in earnest with our workbooks and get them started.  Throw in a load of laundry.  Move the trash cans back to where they’re supposed to be (trash day was yesterday).  Help with math. On some days in the past when I’ve been particularly stressed and knew that 20 minutes of downtime would recharge me more than 20 minutes of attempting to get things done under duress, I have put on soaking music, given the kids some instructions of something quiet to do and laid on the floor soaking. Twenty minutes later, I am ready to get back to my day refreshed. But today is not a day where I can do this.  I have had worship music playing in the background much of the time when we were getting off track, so that, in itself, does not guarantee refreshment.

What really helped most is that in the middle of that time I prayed with a friend about our day. That certainly started the process of getting back on track.

Today it’s a process.  My attitude cannot spiral downward into impatience because of household noises of children talking or grouchiness because of the piles of things to do surrounding me.

A wise friend says she preaches to herself continually. That’s what I need right now. “Be grateful. An attitude of gratitude flavors everything you do!” A little of this and I’m back on track for the day. My heart is right. Peace fills the home.  I realize deep down that the way I respond to life and it’s interruptions affects everyone around me. My response can determine the level of peace that is in our home.

Now I can put on my worship music in the background and feel the Presence of the Lord come in. There is joy in his Presence. Is there still work to be done? Teaching to do? Meals to prepare? Laundry to progress? Piles waiting for me? Appointments to be made? Yes. Life is full. But I am again full enough to move forward with the responsibilities that require my attention. Thank you Lord.

So Father, I lift up all who are reading this post. I pray you would release your peace over them right now. Your peace which transcends understanding. Please give us discernment to see what is really going on in our day and wisdom to know how to bring in your kingdom. Show us specific things about our day to get us back on the right track. Help us to bring peace to our homes, peace to our families. Draw us near to you, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.