Ahhhhhhhhh…finally they are in bed. Why does that moment feel so good? The kids are tucked in their beds. They are safe, sleeping peacefully, and it’s finally ‘me time’.
‘Me time’ means you can empty the dishwasher without anyone taking dishes out or dirtying more. You can go to the bathroom without little fingers poking under the door or screams of “Mama”. It means you can take a shower and actually stay clean for longer than 10 minutes. It means you can sit down and actually taste your food. It means you can do all the things that you wanted to do during the day without the demands of your kids. But it also means something more….
The other night as I noticed the peace and quiet after the kids’ bedtime, I did something a little different. I stopped.
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
I thought of my three things to be thankful for, which is a practice I adopted after reading Ann Voskamp’s 1000 gifts. Then I thought of things I wish I had done differently or could have done better that day. After all, I always have room to grow.
It was like a mini self-assessment led by the Holy Spirit. I felt an assurance that brought peace more than any other type of “me time”. Being grateful and being honest with myself allowed me to know His grace. It allowed me to celebrate the sweetness of the day and gave me room to grow from the sour spots.
In the midst of the chaos of raising kids, I never want to lose my ability to taste the moments of life. I don’t want life to just be scarfed down quickly (much like many of my meals lately).
I want to savor, to stop, to enjoy, and to be still. For it is in the stillness that I truly experience His grace.
Dear God,
When my home is filled with rush and bustle, lift the inner me to an island of calm.
When my home is filled with noise and shrieking, lift the inner me to an island of calm.
When my home is filled with fighting and squabbling, lift the inner me to an island of calm.
Then, from my inner calm, give me the courage to take a little of heaven’s quiet grace back into my muddled old world.
From “A Child’s First Book of Prayers” by Lois Rock and Alison Jay
What do you like to do in your ‘me time’? How do you find stillness in the chaos?
My “me time” sometimes starts off with ice cream! But the stillness in the chaos comes in the moments when I intentionally stop to watch my beautiful little ones and observe the new things they are doing as they grow. In those moments, I am reminded of how long I waited to be a mother, all the times I wondered if it would ever happen, and the times I prayed the Lord would help me to be ok with it if I didn’t have kids. This awareness always leads me to an unspeakable depth of gratitude, from which flows a deeper measure of grace and love for these precious gifts He has entrusted us with.
Oh boy, how I can relate to this one. That Psalm is the perfect verse for me today. It’s only 10 a.m. and I’ve already had one of those I’m-going-to-lose-my-mind days with the kids. And I too have been scarfing meals lately. I know I need to stop and experience some of that stillness that only comes from Him. Thank you for this lovely post.
Rachel, Sounds like you and I had similar days yesterday! Hope today is going better!
This is such great insight Kristy! I really needed it today as I’ve just come off of an hour long tantrum with my little girl. There was much chaos before 9am this morning. It’s quiet now and I am thankful. But I am very thankful for this revelation that you have shared to spend the beginnings of our “me time” doing something that invests deeply into our souls. Self-assessment is so important and it’s benefits go beyond surfing the web or even getting lost in a good book. Thank you for the reminder!