Balanced Life over a Lifetime

People speak of having a balanced life. I'm not even sure what that means.

A concept I once heard helped me. A balanced life is a balance over a lifetime. You will have times that are not balanced, and that is alright.

There are definitely times when I was not balanced. When our first daughter Sara was born, she consumed our time and energy. I remember Bev crying on the first Saturday we had her. Bev said Saturday is no longer a day off. I will not have a day off for years. As the eb and flow of life comes, we now realize that was an unbalanced time, but it was essential for our growth individually and as a family.

Another unbalanced time for us was Seminary. Bev took over much of the house function. I made the kids a priority in the afternoon when I got home from school. Bev and I only talked early in the morning. When those two years were over, it was time to redesign the way we functioned.

Bev let me know it was time to reenter the family and take on more of the responsibility.

My encouragement. Realize life is temproarily out of balance at different times. Don't let yourself live under a guilt cloud. Just make sure that the temporary does not become permanent.

We all must grow vocationally, socially, spiritually, and personally. We trust, by God's grace, that God gives us wisdom each day to do what is necessary.