Balance!!!

Balance has so been on my mind. Not just physical balance of things in my life like keeping everything floating perfectly on my particular plate of life; but balance of my time and energy. I’ve been paying attention to what has been occupying my time, my thoughts and my energy. I decided to take a break from checking my Facebook account; even thinking I would bolt off the web based friendship status all together. That is so like me striving to find a peaceful place to rest…swinging from one side of the pendulum to the other. Praise God that He is so patient with us!!

I read in 1 Chron 13 and have journalled this past week some deep thoughts and reflections as I’ve researched and prayed about all that God was communicating in His Word to me here…one theme was the Israelites neglected the Ark of the Covenant which reflected their neglect of God…neglecting to keep Him at the center of their lives they failed to do what God asked them to do.

It made me think about my desire to keep Him at the center of my thoughts and actions and realizing that even doing too many good things can over fill our schedules and crowd out the time God so desperately desires to have with us!

This week while contemplating balance, and talking to a girlfriend who was working through her own balance issues (I love how God brings friends into our lives who are working through some of the same sort of issues from time to time); and my eyes came across three newly potted plants.

My boys had made grass heads that week at church. They decorated the Styrofoam cups to look like heads with glued on googley eyes and planted grass seed in the soil-filled cups. My Kindergartener decided that his needed extra water…actually lots of water and he filled the cup to the brim with water. Definitely disturbing those newly planted seeds and drenching the soil. The other potted plant was only given small amounts of water by my 2nd grader.

I instantly thought of how water is good for the seeds…even very much needed but when given too much of a good thing it can be destructive and cause imbalance. This was so illustrated in the next couple of days when the grass was in beginning to grow. My 2nd grader’s grass head began to sprout and grow much more abundantly than the sprig or two which came from the other watered cup.

I couldn’t help but think about how this applied to us in life and my recent conviction of balance. It really doesn’t matter what it is…even if it is something good and healthy like water…too much can be destructive or in the least throw us off balance.

This picture from Family Fun magazine depicts my heart’s desire to seek balance…and my heart echoes what I sang with the church yesterday morning…I desire to love God with #1all of my heart, #2 all of my mind and #3 all of my soul!

Father please help me...and praise You for Your New Covenant!!