all the things

Our school year has begun with quite a bang!  This fall turns out one of the busiest yet for my little family.  There is a lot happening on our schedule each week, and I keep thinking to myself, “Who in the world planned all of this?”

Oh that’s right.  me.

There’s mounds of school work to manage for my younger two and instruments to practice, as well as Emily’s high school work to keep on track. And there’s my housework to contend with.  There’s my own work which has several moving parts, including but not limited to three separate choirs with their own schedules and locations, along with piano students to give attention, not to mention a wedding to play this weekend. There’s my husband’s schedule to contend with at work, in the shop, and home improvement projects.   Then there’s scouts for Isaac.  Let’s not forget my own desire for our family to be healthy and exercise, and of course somewhere in there I might need to prepare a meal or two so we can eat…

I like to think of myself as capable. Intuitively, I’m a multi-tasker and handle more than one thing at a time.  Most women do, I suppose.  So, over the summer, when I planned all the things, I was comfortable with the schedule.  I did pray about it – and I can’t think of one of those things that I should drop- they are all necessary for our children and home schooling, or for our family.

The problem is, I believed that because I prayed about them and put them on the schedule that indeed, I am in control of all the things.  In theory, I know it isn’t true.  But- it typically takes something I didn’t control, something happening that’s not on my schedule, to remind me I am not in charge of all the things.

For instance, last weekend, I fell down our stairs while doing laundry.  Nothing major came from it – no broken bones, or concussion or ambulance tour.  But man, I came back to reality with a jolt:

All the things don’t fit in my hands – they never did – and they never will.

And then I remembered the verse from Colossians which I recently drew on my own kitchen’s chalkboard:

…and in Him all things hold together

Friends, I know there are responsibilities that I have before God  – as woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister and friend- things He asks me to do as His follower.   And there are things I require of myself, that are possibly even necessary,  like a clean home or folded laundry, or a little exercise.  Then there are unexpected, unplanned moments to respond to as well.

It takes only one small event for me to remember all the things aren’t in my hands anyway. At the end of each day, I can be grateful for this: regardless of what I manage to accomplish, He is holding all the things in His hands.