Let’s talk about priorities. Balancing life as a wife, homeschooling mama, and a woman with dreams of her own takes a lot of grace and patience. As we juggle our daily schedules and goals for the year, interruptions to our plans and challenges often arise. These reroutes can be hard on our hearts as our time gets reallocated and our priorities shift.
Over the years, my priority shifts and reroutes have included: setting aside the dream of a photography business for homeschooling, adjusting a schedule for a sick child, rerouting when our home flooded, and learning we need to school differently because of special needs. I’ve set goals for this year, and I imagine you have too. What do we do then, when life throws us a curveball?
As I discussed this with a dear friend of mine, she reminded me of God’s provision for us. With her permission, I’d like to share with you a few of her thoughts and close with a few of my own.
“When I was at one of my lowest points after the biggest physical injury of my life, I’ll never forget what my physical therapist told me. He explained to me how God created our bodies intelligently and masterfully so that when in crisis our bodies know instinctively to prioritize problems and face them one at a time. The order is always the same with the heart and lungs always taking top priority. So in a case where there are many competing problems or injuries, our bodies only take on the top priority first. As each one is resolved the body takes on the next in line. This made so much sense to me at the time because my back, which has been a lifelong issue, became a non-issue immediately after my head injury. As my head healed, my back, which was silent for so long after my fall, suddenly made its voice heard again. Whether we realize it or not, I believe we prioritize things mentally and emotionally just like our bodies prioritize its different systems.“
This wonderful wisdom and insight about our bodies reflects a couple beautiful lessons for us as we set priorities for our homes and families. The future lies before us with possibility. Here are a couple thoughts as we walk forward in the days to come.
1. Make Some Plans
“The heart of man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his way.” Proverbs 16:9
Go ahead! Make some plans this year and dream some dreams with your family. As you do, though, trust God as He directs your steps. The path forward is rarely straight, but the winding path He leads you on is full of adventure, more of Christ, and a fullness of life that is perfectly planned and appointed by God for you. Ask Him to help you adjust your priorities as those curveballs keep coming.
What dreams do you have?
2. Trust His Timing
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in your will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6
Just like our bodies prioritize the greatest need of the moment, we must do the same. Tackle today’s challenges and trust God for tomorrow. This past fall, rebuilding our home after the flood became a high priority and took most of our time. I’m trusting God that we will catch up on school in time. Until then, we are savoring the lessons learned in this season.
As I begin the journey of learning about ADHD and Dyslexia, I’m trusting God for the dreams I’ve set aside for the moment. He will complete the good work He has begun in each of us, and we can trust Him for the path to that completion.
In what areas do you need to trust God for His timing?
3. Find Peace
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
Priorities and plans are often tied to our hearts’ desires, and when they are not met as planned, it hurts. We will all face disappointments and setbacks and challenges. However, that is not the whole story. In the midst of those times, God is still at work in our hearts and our homes.
Commit all your plans, dreams, and priorities for this year to the Lord in prayer. He will form them, ask you to set some aside, redirect them, and even, fulfill some of them. Even so, the greatest reward we receive in prayer is having more of God in our lives. He offers us peace to accept what He gives with joy – even when it is not what we expected!
In what areas of your life do you need God to guard your heart and mind with His peace?
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