How to Balance Marriage, Motherhood, and Everything Else...Even When It Feels Like You Have Too Much on Your Plate!
Marriage can bring with it joy and excitement as well as challenges, especially when you don't expect the unexpected!
In 1999, when I married my husband, I was confident that this was the man I was to spend the rest of my life with. I knew that as long as we had Jesus, that was enough. After all, how bad could it be?
We both knew Jesus, we had the support of both our physical and spiritual families, and yes, we did undergo pre-marital counseling, (which I strongly you suggest you take before saying "I do.")
But what I didn't understand was there would come a time when I wouldn't always have my cheerleaders around me to encourage me. And for this reason, Dexter and I had to try to figure out how to function and remain in oneness as we followed God despite life's circumstances.
This is what some would call "The Middle." The marriage day is "The Start" and "The End" is until death due you part.
So the question is, "How do you function in 'The Middle' without feeling overwhelmed and overtaken by life?" Oh, and did I mention the kids?
As beautiful as they are, (and BTW they do grow up, so cherish them!), kids can change the whole dynamic of your marriage. In a good way or bad way? That really depends on how you handle it.
As time progressed, I have learned how to balance God, marriage, motherhood, ministry, and all the other responsibilities placed on my life. I had to understand the key to what was a high priority, what was a mid priority, and what was a low priority.
Here are some suggestions. I encourage you to take what works for you and apply those things, but don't try to duplicate everything because everything may not fit into the dynamics of your life.
My first key would be start your day off with God on a daily basis. Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you."
Seeking God first looks differently for everyone. What does that look like for you?
That could mean you getting up a few minutes earlier to spend some quiet time with God or do a devotion or pray before everyone else gets up to start their day. One of the things that has helped me in addition to that, has been writing lists.
While I don't I don't normally write my list based on categories you may want to write a list of high, mid and low priorities. For instance, if those low priority activities don't get done immediately, or that day, then you won't feel like you're neglecting anything.
So it's very important to realize that what may be a priority to you may not really be a priority to God or even to your family. It may be important to you, let's say for example, on a Monday if you were going to work, but going to get a manicure on that day may not be a big priority for that day. That may have to wait until Saturday morning.
Or maybe getting on Pinterest for that day is not a high priority. Maybe you may be taking a day or two off for work just to regroup and think about what priorities are truly important to you.
One of the biggest priorities for any woman of God is taking time to be still and hear from God about what is important to Him. He's waiting to hear from you. And He will lead you on how to get your day started and check off the most important priorities for the day.
Ladies, please comment below and share how you maintain your balance between God, marriage, relationships, and everything else you're juggling in life.