This last week has been interesting because of the lack of things that I have had to do. A little over week ago, I dropped my wife off at Nashville International Airport to go on a 2 week vacation to see our family in New Jersey. I had been scheduled to go to a conference in Minnesota for a degree that I was working on, but since I switched schools I no longer had to go to the conference. So, I am for the first time I can remember not taking classes from June until August 24. In addition, I had already taken off of work for the week of the conference, so I really did not have to work much either.
When I was young, my favorite thing to do was to have quiet time to read. Now that I have had quiet time in spades, I have had some time to reflect. There is much less personal time when married than when single. Now that we have a baby as well, I find that most days I get 10-15 minutes for my Bible reading, and that is often the only personal time that I get during the course of the day. When my wife and daughter are home it is rarely quiet because the house is filled with life. It usually revolves around the playing and babbling of my daughter or conversation with my wife.
I have lost most of the ability to relax. I ran out of things to do after about the 3rd day and while I kept making things up that I could do, it just felt like killing time. This time for reflection has made me appreciate once again how much I love spending time with my wife. I find myself missing our conversations, our walks, the things that we do together. I try to go for walks or rent a movie by myself, but it is not the same. I also miss playing with my daughter and watching her grow and learn. My wife tells me about how much she has changed in the last week alone and it truly is amazing.
More than once, during the craziness of daily life, have I wished for a few moments of peace and quiet; however, this experience has taught me anew to realize just how wonderful my family is. I will remember this and I hope that you appreciate your family as well. They are a gift of God that we can care for and be supported by. When we lose sight of that due to time constraints, frustration, or other worldly cares, it hurts both us and our family because we lose precious time together. It is not enough to be with our families physically; we need to be with them mentally and spiritually as well. We cannot take mental vacations from our family; they need us and we need them. We cannot get back any time that we lose so we must guard our time and heart so that we can make the most of the time that we have. If we do need some time to ourselves once in a while to recharge and be able to be more fully committed to our families, there is nothing wrong with that. It is not a sin or something to be ashamed of. Just be honest with your partner and be patient if your partner needs the same. We all need time with ourselves and with God each day. Getting up a few minutes earlier than everyone else for this very purpose helps us to find our purpose for the day and better serve our families.
