Get To’s, Not Have To’s

My good friend shared her devotional from the other day. And man- it hit me like a ton of bricks. The book was not published within the last few days or weeks, but it was spot on. Love how God does that. All. The. Time.

It was based on the verse Colossians 3:23:

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

I admit that I had not been doing things with “all my heart” and to honor God lately.

For those of us with school bound kids, this last week has been an adjustment, no doubt. We went from amazing long break, to holy cow, we are “crisis schooling”. Our kids (or us) might feel sad or frustrated, missing friends and activities that were to come. Mourning things that will not happen.

So I’m changing my way of thinking from “have to” to “get to”, inspired by the devotional. I honestly believe God is giving me/us a chance to “reset”.

We need to cherish the time we have with our kiddos home. And I have a school age child, so I am right in the trenches with ya. I’ve failed big time starting virtual school with him. I’m not great with technology. Some things spilled out of my cup last week that I’m not proud of. And still, my gut tells me that we will look back on this time with fondness and feel that our family grew closer together. I already feel it. And we figured a lot of things out for his school stuff in just a couple of days (with help from the hubs). We’ll get a new groove. And my attitude and staying focused on God will have a lot to do with that.

We still will have times we’ll need a break from each other. We’ll call it in home social distancing. But I’m shifting my mind to see this as a blessing. Set a joyful tone for your home, friend. And do it with all of your heart.

Now the kids and I “get to”:

Go on a hike.

Go on a nature walk.

Learn the names of plants.

Plant flowers.

Play outside in the sand.

Roll down a grassy hill.

Learn to catch a ball or throw a frisbee.

Learn to help cook and bake.

Play a game. Play another game.

Snuggle on the couch.

Listen to music and color a picture.

Do an art project.

Sing songs.

Have PJ day, any day.

So here’s to new ways to think about our days. Attitude is everything. We’re all in this together and we CAN come out stronger.

Embrace Life