Tired?

Having just returned from our first family holiday...which was soooooooo much fun......I have been reminded of the saying..."Divert Daily, Withdraw Weekly, Quit Quarterly and Abandon Annually." I'm not sure who said it first, but I do know Rick Warren said it was a good formula for surviving ministry.


I think it's a great formula for surviving life.

I don't know about you, but I have been feeling a little disaster fatigued lately.....every time I turn on the TV I am bombarded with terrible pictures of nuclear reactors melting down, people being shot in Libya, destroyed homes, farms and livelihoods and that's not to mention all the other snippets of 'good' news that gets beamed into our homes every evening.

I have also been feeling somewhat work fatigued. As the teachers out there know, it is a l-o-n-g term and with 3 weeks (4 for some) still ahead, it is difficult to maintain anywhere near that 'first week enthusiasm' we all had way back in January.

There's a little wife and Mummy fatigue in there too. Busy days and sleep interrupted nights.....housework, new house planning, yard work (that just doesn't seem to get a look in), numerous invitations and of course, the added challenge of preparing interesting baby meals all had me feeling like I needed a break.

Thank goodness my husband (who had been anti the idea of a holiday only a couple of months ago) came home a few weeks back and suggested we book a little break away. The anticipation of 'time out' proved to be almost as good as the real thing. And despite coming home to thick, long grass....mountains of washing (funny how that's the one constant in life!), steamy, warm weather and first days back at work, I do feel rested.

The TV news hasn't changed.....I still had to get up to a baby in the night.....and I am collecting student assignments from my class today....BUT I feel in a better head space. I guess that's one great advantage of a break.....you get to rest, relax, regroup.

And as I think about the "DD,WW,QQ,AA" idea mentioned above, I am challenged to do better in this area. Pace myself. Get a bit more balance. Realise that not everything needs to be done perfectly and NOW. And yes....I can say 'no.'

I can also, take a few seconds often during the day to just STOP! I can make sure I divert my thinking and my actions so that I factor in some down time. This week I can ensure that there is a little bit of 'me' time, an hour or so of 'withdrawing' from all that seems so pressing and urgent. I am already looking at the calendar for our next term's little escape....perhaps just a long weekend away as a family this time....and maybe in a tent?? And the annual abandonment for 2011....well that's still in the works, but it probably involves saying 'bye' to this house and 'hi' to our new place.

Of course this can all apply to giving ourselves a bit of space and having a holiday, but I guess it could also apply to dealing with problems or issues in our lives too. Or even commitments and routines.

Perhaps it means we all need to take just a little bit of time off or out to reflect on the 3 months that have just passed by in such a flash in 2011. Three months that have seen the world shake and change. Three months that have reminded each of us of our own mortality and the immense value of life.

Yes, maybe we all needed the reminder that life is precious and we need to enjoy the journey.