Fixing Busy!

Every Spring and Fall my wife and I gear up for our kid’s soccer season and by “gearing up” I mean we get our calendars out and start moving our life schedules around to accommodate practice and game schedules.  The schedule is ultimately exhausting and it kicks our tails!

My question is this: If you have kids who are in competitive, club or select sports or multiple sports – How do you do it?

Here’s why I ask, because my wife and I have noticed that every soccer season, we experience a real lack of communication, family togetherness and intimacy.  Perhaps it’s a combination of work and personal schedules that have caused this disengagement but regardless, it’s certainly real and it’s certainly not healthy.

Truth is – being pulled in 100 different directions detours you away from your priorities: the Lord, your spouse and your kids.  That is not good!   Oh and by the way…those should be your priorities!

Ask yourself the following questions:

–          Am I spending less than 10 min a day in prayer and/or reading scripture?

–          Am I spending less than 10 min a day talking eye to eye with my spouse?

–          Am I spending less than 10 min a day talking eye to eye with my kids (each)? 

If those questions hurt, just think about that fact that all three only add up to 30 min a day – double ouch!

So what can be done to fix it?  How do you fix “busy”?

1)      Re-prioritize and say “no” to some things!  It will be hard but you and your kids will get over it.

2)      Take a Sabbath! A real day off to focus on God, your Spouse and your Kids.  – Spoken by the biggest non-Sabbath taking hypocrite of all time!

3)      Don’t let “screens” steal the show!  Turn off the electronics more than you turn them on.  Your God, your Spouse and your Kids are more important than what is on that screen.

If you can’t say no, or if you can’t take a day off or if screens are too important, then remember this:

–          Jesus didn’t heal everyone and He often withdrew from crowds to be with God in private – see Luke 5:16.

–          God created the Sabbath as a Gift for man, not a suggestion.  See Mark 2:27

–          Screens are a serious threat to your family! See my thoughts on that here.

Ok – Now that I have preached to myself, I’m going to need to read this blog again a few more times and start working on Fixing Busy in my own life.  Hopefully this will help you too!

God is so good!

Brian