I feel like one of the number one phrases I hear these days is “I don’t know how you do it all.” My first thought when people started saying that to me was, ” me either.” Because I do do a lot of stuff.
I am the administrator of the food pantry at my church. I’m a board member of my MOMS club. I am a member of the outreach committee and the bell choir at church. I am a child ambassador, actively trying to match children around the world with sponsors. I am taking continuing ed classes for my teaching license. I am the mother of two young boys. I drive them around to preschool and swimming lessons and play groups and awana and rec classes and all sorts of other things. I manage the finances and cook and go grocery shopping and take care of the house. I write letters to our sponsored kids and plan and host parties for many different organizations. And more. And more. I do do a lot of stuff.
But after I thought about it for awhile, I realized that while I do do a lot of stuff, I don’t do it all alone. The only reason I am able to do all this stuff is the amazing support I receive from those around me. There is no way I could do all of this stuff if my parents weren’t so willing and available to babysit for me. My mother-in-law babysits as well every Thursday night so we can be in the bell choir. I have the most supportive and encouraging husband, who helps out around the house when I need it or stays with the boys for a whole weekend so I can go pursue one of my passions at a conference in Seattle. He lets me go have nights out with the ladies and is an excellent example for our boys.
I also realized that I wouldn’t even be involved in a lot of these things if I didn’t feel God’s call so strongly. I was created for these things. Created with compassion and patience and skills I need to make it through the day and to help others whether it be middle schoolers in the summer or kids across the world or my own two boys.
Really, the fact is that I don’t do it all. On the outside it may appear that I’ve done a lot of stuff recently, but our power bill? It was about fifteen dollars cheaper this month even though it should be getting higher in the fall and winter. Why? I did so little laundry that the dryer hardly ran. I had poor Nathan digging around for clothes to wear. I’m not always so behind or disorganized, but in at least that aspect of my life, I was this month!
For me it is not really about doing a lot of stuff. It’s about living life to its fullest. Just because I am a mom of two young boys doesn’t mean my life as a person is over. Thank you to everyone who makes it all possible!