What We Do With Our Time...
Have you ever wondered just how much time you spend doing what you do in a day? I often think how much time gets wasted away sitting at the computer which can eat up precious time that should be spent in our homes and not on this thing! Computer time is something that our mothers did not have to worry about but I'm sure they had their share of things that took their focus away just like we do now. This age old dilemma is one that all wives, mothers and homemakers have struggled with over the years long before computers came on the scene..
How we spend our time can be a great indicator of our priorities and where they are placed in our day to day lives. I understand that there are days we just need what I call "mental health holidays" from the sometimes monotony we face. Those breaks are fine as long as they do not become a constant habit and take us away from what we should be doing. If we could measure the time spent like we measure our money spent in a checkbook...I wonder what we would find written over and over in the register?
It is easy to justify why we do what we do but to really examine the heart of it and why can be tough to look at because it shows us a side we may not want to see. God does that with us doesn't He? He examines our hearts. Sure we can give excuse after excuse but He sees right through it all. Our priorities are important to God! Think about the priorities He has placed in our lives - some very precious blessings - blessings that He gave to us, specifically, to care for. It may be just yourself and an apartment to care for but He gave that to you! For me it is a husband, children and a home that He will one day hold me accountable for the way I took care of them all.
So, how are we doing with that?!
I know that I myself have to do a check and double check on my time and refocus, re-prioritize and then make the changes necessary. Sometimes this means putting those distractions as arms length (computer, television, friends, shopping, etc.).
What got me to thinking about time spent was in a book I just finished reading by Miss Read. The book is called Village Diary (see book below). I have absolutely enjoyed reading her books and her descriptions of village life and the people within. Here is a snippet of what got me to thinking so much about how much time I do spend or I should say how much time I waste in a given day compared to the Mrs Willets of this world...
Mrs. Willet was busy making sloe gin when I called. She sat at her kitchen table, pricking the sloes diligently with a stout darning needles, and dropping them into a bottle half-full of gin.
'Ready at Christmas!' she said proudly. 'I do a bottle every year, and sometimes wine as well!'
She opened her larder door and displayed the riches inside. It was as well-stocked with jars and bottles as Miss Clare's, and I was struck - not for the first time - with the versatility and energy of the average countrywoman.
Mrs. Willet can tackle a hundred jobs, without having been specifically taught any of them. She can salt pork or beef, make jams, jellies, wines, chutneys and pickles; she can bake pies - with all manner of pastries - cakes, tarts and her own bread, which is particularly delicious. She makes rugs, curtains, and her own clothes. She can help a neighbor in childbirth and - at the other end of life's span - compose a corpse's limbs for decent burial. She is as good a gardener as her husband, can distemper a room, mend a fuse, and sings in the choir.
She is, in fact, typical of most countrywomen, and with them she shares that self-reliance which is the heritage of those who have had to face tackling daily jobs of varied kinds.
Mrs Willet is small and pale and yet she is 'always on the go,' as she herself will tell you. The fact that she can do so many things, and takes enormous pride in doing them well, is, I think, the secret of this apparently inexhaustible energy. There are so many different activities to engage her, that when she tires of one, there is another to which she can turn and get refreshment. From turning her heavy old mangle in the wash-house, she will come in and sit down to stitch a new skirt. She will prepare a stew, and while it simmers on the hob, filling the little house with its fragrance, she will practise her part in Mr Annett's new anthem, ready for the next church festival. And - this perhaps is the most important thing - she sees a satisfying result from her labours. The clothes blow on the line, the skirt is folded and put away in the drawer ready for next Sunday; Mr Willet will come in 'sharp-set' and praise her bubbling stew; and, with any luck, Mr Annett will congratulate her on her grasp of that difficult passage just before the bases come in.
It is a creative life. There is something worthwhile to show for energy expended which engenders the desire to accomplish more. Small wonder that the Mrs Willets of this world are happy, and deserve to be so. ~ Miss Read - Village Diary~
Mrs. Willet reminds me of my dad's mother. Miss Mae would zip about the house and amaze everyone at how quickly she could have a wonderful meal for all of us to eat in what seemed a matter of minutes. I think that Grandma, like Mrs. Willet, had a larder with already prepared food for such occasions. Her home was spotless and she could whip up an afghan or two in no time. When Miss Mae was on a task - she was on it and gave 110% of herself to whatever it is she was doing. The fruits of her labor definitely showed. I don't think that there was a moment my Grandmother did not have something to do in it. What I love about the description of Mrs. Willet above is not only how she uses her time wisely but that she gets her energy from doing things well and that she sees the fruits of her labor as a satisfying thing. Her life is creative...never dull...why is that?
I wonder...
...if we were to look at life as not dull but full of opportunities how we might see our current situations differently. Creative opportunities to add our own hearts into whatever it is we are doing. Like adding your personal signature to it. Just imagine the impact we could have?!
...if we looked at what we did and took some pride in what it was no matter how big or small. I'm not talking about shameful pride here but the kind that you would not be ashamed to say that you were the one to do it. I mean how often do we really take the time to do something and do it well instead of just rushing through it and stamping it's approval as 'good enough' and let it go?
...if we got rid of the silly distractions that take us away from things...things that really won't matter after your children have grown and left the house and all they will remember is how much time mommy spent on the computer and not with them. We would have to face the realities of our lives instead of hiding somewhere else or in the doing of something else that won't mean a thing when all is said and done.
...if we were to just clear our plates off a little and see what it is that really matters that we might just enjoy what we do. Imagine that! I think most of our rushing around (like chickens with our heads cut off) is due to our over scheduling. Some of the things we have on our To Do list should not even be there - not yet anyway. Can you imagine finding joy in the day to day tasks?
...how many of us sit and wish we could do this or that but don't or can't because we haven't managed our time wisely? It is funny how we manage to make the time to do what we want to do but can't find the time to do some of the things we should or could be doing! My New Year's Resolutions are not like most that are made. Mine are that I will learn a new skill or learn about another culture or something...anything but new each month. Broadening your horizons is what we call it around here. The children hate when we say that because it requires e-f-f-o-r-t! It sometimes requires giving up what we "want" to do vs. what we "should" do in order to accomplish the task or goal.
Now obviously we all can't be like Mrs. Willet or the Mrs. Willets of this world but we have to start somewhere! Most of us did not have moms who were at home or who taught us how to do this or that but please don't let that be your excuse to not at least try! Because if that is your excuse...than it is only you who is keeping you from accomplishing the things you need to be doing and not your momma! That excuse only goes but so far!
Some of the distractions I have taken out of my life in the past few years and still continue to work on...
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Clutter...clutter...clutter!
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People who needed to be placed at arms length for one reason or another.
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Tasks or Activities that can take me away from doing what I need to be doing.
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Time Online.
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Foods that only slow me down.
Instead of having clutter in my home, I now only have those things around me that mean something to me and to my family. They are items we love and you know what? I now love taking care of them.
Instead of having people around me that can be hurtful, I place those around me that I love being with and enjoy their company...people who respect me and love me for who I am...warts and all!
Instead of filling my To Do list or Calendar with extras that take me away from home too much...I have replaced it with now spending the time taking care of what I love the most.
Instead of spending hours online, and I know this can be a touchy subject for many, my time is spent getting the information I need or sharing what I need to share and signing off and signing in to real life.
Instead of eating all the convenience foods which are supposed to free up more of my time (ha!) I spend the little extra time it does actually takes to make something real and nutritious for my family. My family loves it and I love that I can do that for them!
I want us to look at the time and effort we spend doing what we do or not doing and looking at the fruits it brings.
At the end of the day...are you seeing what it is you accomplished? Did you find joy in what you did knowing that you gave it 110% and added your personal signature to it? Did you put your heart into it so much so that it shows the love you have for those around you? Does it show the joy you have in what you are doing or does it show the opposite?
It is up to you to put that joy and passion into whatever it is you are doing. Everything you touch...think of it as passing on your heart...your love right on to it. I know that there are days where we are just not feelin' it! Not one...little...bit. We all have those days! Those are the times I save up the things I really want to do and just do them in order to fill my cup back up. But what I'm trying to say here is if we all would just think about the things we do and touch in a given day and the effect/affect we can have on those very things...you will see the fruits of your labor...a labor of true love...but we have to rid ourselves of some of those distractions that become obstacles. You will find joy in what you do and like Mrs. Willet, find that you get more energy when doing them.
I pray that God Bless you all in the efforts you make in your homes and that you find that joy in doing them for Him!
My Love to You All,
Mrs. Catherine
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