What Am I Choosing to Do?

Margin- that empty space around the page with nothing filling it.

I have had my book so long, there is a different
cover. But since 175,000 people have bought this
book I guess I am not the only one who needs
some margin!

There is a book called Margin the uses that illustration to describe how we should live our lives with empty space in it.  That every single moment of our lives should not be filled with activity but there should be room.

I know about this book because I have owned it for about 14 years. I have never read it. But I own it. I have, however, read the back of the book and have been told about the book and have put it on my bedside table intending to read it, so I am highly qualified to discuss its merits......maybe I will read it this summer.

I was thinking about it yesterday for the very same reason that  I bought it 14 years ago. I think I need margin in my life. Maybe if I had more "margin" in my life I would have time to read the book!

Yesterday morning, as I was "running" I was thinking about how long it had been since I had written on this blog.  I had THOUGHT about writing several times, but a window of time never seemed to open up. Last week I helped out with a huge wedding- I have a blog post roaming around in my head, just waiting to get out about that one.  There are few other blog posts trying to elbow their way to the front of the line as well.

But the crux of the matter is that unless I take the time, sit down and write, these posts will always just be ideas in my head and never words on the page.

Which leads me to one of my major sayings of life:

Every time I choose to do one thing,

I am choosing to not do several others.

Rocket science, I know.

But, seriously, this saying has been very liberating to me.

I have NEVER been able to get everything done that I need to get done.  NEVER. 

That simple fact has caused a great deal of guilt and consternation in my life, because I have always had the sneaking suspicion that there are actually people who DO get it all done.

But not me. I am, after all, a two-handed, finite, bi-ped with many faults and short comings who can only get one thing at a time done...

Um, okay, who am I kidding.  What mother EVER gets one thing at a time done. I can M.U.L.T.I.T.A.S.K with the best of them. But honestly, when I get in Major Multitask Mode (or MMM for short) the people around me seem to become hindrances or obstacles.  They tend to muck up the works, don't you know. So for the safety and emotional stability of my children it is probably safest for me to limit my major moments of MMMing to a minimum.

But back to my saying- which I am not sure who to attribute it to...

Even this morning, choosing to write about....something, I am not really sure what....I am choosing to do one thing and not to do many, many others. For instance, we have company coming in today. Maybe your house is always company ready, but ours tends to need to be brought up a level or two when visitors are on the way.

In fact, when we are having trouble getting the house clean we have been known to invite people over just to force the issue!

So, right now, I am CHOOSING to sit here and write, instead of scurrying and cleaning the last few remnants of our life so that our guests have No Idea how we really live! 

Last night, I chose to read a Christian historical fiction book (a summertime indulgence) rather than trying to finish painting a coffee table I have been working on. 

And even earlier, I had chosen to go to a Bible Study (there is sooo much I want to share out of what I am learning in Daniel) instead of staying home and mopping the kitchen floor or hanging pictures in our rearranged son's/guest room (which is a nice way of saying, when the guests come in he has to move out!)

Martin the Warrior!

Yesterday, when I had no time for it At All, I chose to sit down on the sofa with my two youngest and read Mossflower with them. We love the Redwall series of books, and while I have read them out loud to my older children- with great gusto and many voices and accents of course- I had never read them to the youngest. But sometimes snuggling with your girlies and diving into the life of a warrior mouse is the very best choice of all!

This makes me thing of Jesus and His admonition to Martha after she fusses at Jesus about her sister Mary who was sitting at the feet of the Lord instead of Getting Stuff Done!

Martha, Martha,  you are worried and troubled 

about many things, but one thing is needed. 

Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”

 Luke 10:41,42

So what will you choose today?  What will you choose to do and what will you choose not to do?

I am going to try to chose "the best part"- want to join me?