Priority Tetris

It’s funny how a disruption to routine, well… disrupts your routine. For several years now, I’ve blogged in the wee morning hours, in relative quiet, with a cup of coffee by my side. I’m an early riser by nature— not to mention an introvert— so this little habit suited me just fine. Come downstairs. Put on coffee. Read Bible. Pour coffee. Check social media. Write. Blog.

Nowadays, my mornings are decidedly different. Alice is not yet an early morning girl (though I know that will change), and I follow her rhythm. I wake up to her happy little grin each morning, and I wouldn’t trade that for all the solo coffee hours in the world. We awaken, chat with one another in the bed for a bit, then roll downstairs to a house already fully in motion.

The up side of this is that my coffee is almost always ready before my feet hit the steps. The bad news? Not a lot of writing or blogging going on, and zero chance for any time alone, ever.

While I’ve made room in my days for other things that matter to me— like that aforementioned Bible reading— there’s no space where writing or blogging seems to fit. I’m not worried. Life keeps happening, and I will tweak and twist until the things I want to invest in have breathing room again.

It’s only been four months.

That sounds like a long time, but you and I both know it’s just a blink. Four months is nothing in the life of a family. Except, of course, when it’s everything. And these past few months have kind of been both, to be honest.

Our house is full this summer. Full and busy. You know that annoying line people always lob at large families in the supermarket? “You’ve got your hands full!” Well, I actually feel that right now. For the first time in parenting, yes, my hands are full. I’m not sure I could juggle one more ball without dropping everything. Except, here I go again, sounding like the Cheshire Cat (or maybe the Caterpillar?): I can’t handle one more thing, except I also know that if I the Lord spooned out another helping of whatever chaos He had in mind for this season, I’d find a way to do it. I know I would. Motherhood is crazy like that.

God has been so, so gracious in the midst of so much activity this summer to give me two tangible proofs that the seeds I am sowing are bearing fruit. In less than a month’s time, we celebrated not one, but two Bible completions. John Mark finished his very first read-through. And one night, Christopher challenged Mathaus to spend his work day listening to the Bible on audio instead of music and… he did. So two weeks later, we had our very first listen-through party. How good is our Heavenly Father to use this season to remind me that what I am doing matters, and that He is faithful? So very good indeed!

And of course, the adorable block that all the other bits of life must accommodate as they slide into place: Flannery Alice Carole. Oh, she’s a feisty one. She loves to play now. Her smile is the most adorable thing ever. She grabs everything in sight. She has big, deep belly laughs, but yes, she still clings to much of her suspicion of the world at large. She absolutely adores her siblings. She thinks her Daddyman is pretty great, and she’s right, of course. I’m her favorite person, though, and that makes me giddy. She exploded my routine, robbed me of my precious alone time, stole every ounce of my creative mojo. She makes it nearly impossible to do any of the things I thought I’d be doing this summer or this season in general. I can’t even manage a meal without her fuse being lit.  And… I could care less. I find myself happily surrendered to this familiar role. My early morning routine will come back. This won’t.