What if work life balance a myth? Actually, I hope the whole work life balance thing is a myth because right now it feels like my rainbow colored unicorn – clearly mythical and unattainable.
There are days when the job that pays the bills is all consuming and the 40 hour work week stretches to 60 plus and I get push back from my home life saying I work too much.
It was during one of these extreme work week stretches that I attended quite a few night meetings in a short period of time and my youngest, then a precocious four year old, said as I walked in the door one night, “I never see you anymore, Mom.”
Ouch.
Double ouch.
This high demanding job is one of the reasons I’m working hard to get the blog, my writing and my coaching business to succeed, but the short term sacrifices are tough.
There are times when my focus is completely on my home life such as when our kids are sick or have school performances I need to be at and work falls on the back burner. It seems there is little time to find balance in all my roles.
What is a busy, working mom to do?
Take a deep breathe and understand that there is a season for everything. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 it says,
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
Essentially, there are seasons to our lives. I believe this means whatever season or situation we are in, we need to focus on and be fully present in that moment.
Trust me, I know this is easier said than done.
While we need to focus on the task at hand, our ultimate focus needs to be on God. He is the one to show us perfect balance in our lives.
God knows and plans the seasons of our lives. There is a time to grow and learn. Then there is a time to share those life lessons and teach them to others. I do believe the idea of balance is skewed in our winner-takes-all culture. If we keep our focus on balance, instead of staying in step with God, we get more frazzled and fall farther behind in our quest to create the life we want.
What if we let go and allow God to direct our balance? Do we trust Him with our situations when work or home are tying us up in knots or with the challenges of being full-time working parents or caring for elderly parents? What if our balance isn’t about giving each other equal amount of time, but about giving the person in the present moment our full attention, while keeping our heart focused on the still small voice God provides us?
Going with the flow God provides and allows seems like the perfect life balance.
Is there a way you keep your life in balance? Share it in the comments below to give ideas and encouragement to others.