Slow down and Simplify

Sometimes in the normal days of life, I wonder how to hear God.  Yesterday I went to a great adoption course with lots of helpful ideas and stimulating thoughts.  Wonderful people there too to help support and to learn from.

At the end of the day, just a couple of thoughts came to my heart as I was quiet.  I think those were God's words for me today.

Slow down and simplify.

We all hear those words often.  Days are full.  Activities are starting.  How do I slow down and simplify?

 There are so many great and good things to do.  Especially in the fall,  I always get excited to help with projects, to connect with others and to take courses and workshops.  I cannot do it all.  We all have to be intentional in our goals and say "no" to many good things in order to say "yes" to the priorities on our hearts.

Connecting with our children and partners takes time and energy.  Especially if our children are adopted and  have not had easy lives, our relationships with them will take more time.  I may not be able to have as many friends.  Our children need to be with us and not in full time daycare.  Most likely, I will not be able to do all the most interesting projects at work.  I probably cannot work full time. It may not be the best to enroll for that Master's degree just yet.  It may look like others have more exciting and stimulating and effective lives and can do it all.  I will let them live their lives, but I must carefully listen to the stirrings in my own heart.

For me to slow down and simplify means just that.  My life may not look as interesting, but if it is my priority to connect with my children and my partner, then I have to have time to do that.  Adopting children is a very significant and time consuming endeavour in itself.  Relationship building especially in adopting takes time and commitment and is much more demanding than building a family through birth.  We must not gloss over that fact.  Our families are different.  We are like the car on the highway with our hazard lights flashing.  We are slower and over to the side.  We can try multitasking, but it is not as effective.

Slow down and simplify.    Take time to take our kids out of school for the day and play on the beach. Time to cook nutritious meals and sit down for supper together.  Time to go for walks together.  Time to listen to hearts and to see beyond behaviour.  Time to repeat instructions over and over and still stay calm. Time to read and hug before bed.   How we take our time is an active choice.  Relationship building and connecting is not flashy and dramatic.  We are in this for the long haul.  None of our friends and neighbours may completely understand, but do it anyway.  Slow down and simplify.