“Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of His making.” Proverbs 16:11

If you have not heard me talk about my wife, please say fantastic. Back in 2005, we decided that I would change professions. I went from a stable but busy job that featured a regular check to a job highlighting zero guaranteed income but a much better schedule. It was a bold choice, but we knew it was a God-guided decision. She sat me down before making this move and made me promise her that I would not fill up the time gained. She said there would be demands and opportunities, but she wanted me to go an entire year without saying yes to anything extra. I try never to break a promise to her ~ challenge of time management.

I am so glad she did that. There were opportunities to be involved in many activities in the community. I love our community, but it was a wise piece of advice. We ended up with an excellent opportunity to reset the clock. I ended up being a more present father and husband. I learned that the outside world did not need me near as much as I thought it did. Even better, I knew that my inner world needed me way more than I realized.

It struck me today that we all have that opportunity right now. What is your biggest challenge of time management? I heard one friend today say that they were going to the grocery store more often. They are eating out less and eating dinner together more. I have seen families figure out activities at home. People are working less; prior distractions are closed or unavailable. We have more time. Hear this; I realize that some of this is a hardship. Yet, people do need to work. I am aware that some struggles are genuine. Some situations are difficult.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM1hI6eM2T0

But what I want to encourage is this, we will all end up facing an opportunity much like Mary and I had. Maybe we should promise each other not to go back to maximum schedule overload. Maybe our kids do not have to be signed up for every activity. Perhaps the backyard is more beneficial to the family than other previous options. Perhaps not every available hour of work should be taken. Margins are a good thing. It can be uncomfortable at first. We think we should be busy all the time. But we should remember our creator established a day of rest, even for Himself.

We have a trial period tailor-made to establish a better place; Not a more productive pace, but a pace with more time spent with our spouse, children, friends, and God.

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