Surviving times of Lower Activity
We talked about what to do if your simple life suddenly gets tossed into high activity, now let’s explore what to do if you’re highly active and you suddenly face a lull.
First, Don’t React: It’s always unwise to be reactionary. If you find yourself bored, twiddling your thumbs, or watching what you consider too much TV, don’t just start signing up for things, or filling your social calendar. Don’t start shopping to fill an emptiness, or go out and buy more pets, plants, or get a job. It’s never wise to do anything in a moment of panic.
Second, Evaluate: Are you at the transition point between phases? Has a short-term, high-demand activity been recently completed? Have you passed through a time of upheaval: job changes, moves, health issues, or caretaking? Are your children transitioning from babies to kids to teens? Or even something like completing a home project or getting a new puppy who is finally housebroken?
It’s so important to clearly see what is going on in your life in order to make wise evaluations. You need to look back and look forward. If things were busy, but you find yourself with too much downtime, it may be just that - the downtime between. It would not be wise home management to misjudge what is only a short-term lull, quickly fill that space, and then turn right around and realize you’ve created a chronic-franticness situation because you failed to look ahead.
Calm your sense of “I’m not doing enough,” or “times-a-wasting” and make a wise and honest value judgment about why you find yourself in a low-activity time.
Third, Redeem the Time: You’re already a driven woman. As you deal with this pocket of slowness, be it because you’re nursing, your kids are suddenly more independent, a major project is completed, your service to the church is finished, caretaking is concluded, or your nest is empty, make sure you evaluate what you can do from the home out. Don’t just run off to get a job. Consider the needs of the home first. What are your husband’s needs? Are there burdens you can relieve for him or maybe just give him some focused tending? Your kids may or may not need you to handhold them, but they still need you. Are you available? Are you prepared and ready for the stage they’re entering, whether that’s high school, college, or marriage? How is your actual home? The physical place and things? Could it stand to have repairs? Does it need a major deep cleaning? Does it also need to be transitioned into a new phase of life? Make sure, as you wisely redeem the time, to start with the family God has given you. Use the drive and energy God has blessed you with to serve them first. After that, look to your church. Don’t look for a ‘ministry.’ Look for people who might need an extra hand. Do you know your shut-ins? The women struggling with health issues? New moms? New homeschoolers? New public schoolers? The pastors’ wives? The deacons’ wives? New members? Newly married women? Our churches are full of people to tend, get to know, and serve. Consider joining in what church activities your church does offer.
Also part of redeeming the time is resting. Resting and recreation are restorative. If you are in a lull, maybe you’ve been given some providential rest-time and you need to use it to learn to be quiet and content and thankful. Use the time for more reading, prayer, to deepen your relationship with God in your private studies, to grow your theological understanding, and just sheer enjoyment of any hobbies you love. Hobbies grow us as people. They’re good for us and a good use of our time.
Fourth, Reset: A lull is a great time to reset. It can be a good time to reset kids or cleaning or marriage or faithful church attendance if these things have gotten sloppy, lazy, or just a bit out of alignment.
This can be a great time to correct conditions of chronic-franticness and set some boundaries before you jump back into activities. It can be a great time to explore things you’ve always wanted to do but have never gotten to, or even just declutter, build up a pantry backstock, practice some new skills, or even polish the silver. Resetting what you are already responsible for is a wise use of your downtime and your energy.
God has gifted many women with drive and energy. You are the doers! The goers! Yet even you face times of transition, health struggles, or lulls that might make you feel like you’ve lost your value. Before you run out to start a ‘ministry’ or get a job, I challenge you to think through where you’re at in life, what you’ve just finished, and what is coming next. I challenge you to look to your family and your brothers and sisters in Christ, your church family, and see the many needs you might be able to assist with. Remember, the opposite of laziness isn’t chronic-franticness and the opposite of a simple life isn’t being a busybody. Set your priorities of service correctly, wisely, and generously to use the energy God has given you.
With all that, you can assess your situation and decide whether an outside-the-home job may be the best use of your time. If it is more power to you! Work is good and profitable. Simply do not overreact to lulls and don’t lose sight of your husband, home, children, and church attendance. You are a homemaker, a housekeeper, the tender and nurturer called by Christ who loves you to serve your home. Start with what He has told you is good and move out to the other good things. Those of us with the love of, and necessity of a more simple life are so thankful for the women God has peppered His kingdom with who have massive amounts of energy. You are a blessing!
