Finding the Balance You Seek as a Woman
By Deb Graham Everyone has one, but most people won’t admit how much they have crammed in them. Some contain papers… some contain newspaper clippings… and some even have unread mail. Yes, I’m talking about junk drawers! But my junk drawer at home doesn’t contain what most junk drawers usually contain. Mine holds socks! Over the course of 40 years of marriage, there has been one constant in our home. Our washing machine eats socks. So what are you going to do with so many socks that are missing their mate? You create a sock drawer! At first, it was just Jack’s dress socks. I was fortunate that he wore mostly gold-toed socks, so I was able to mix and match enough to keep him well stocked. But then came the day we had children and little bitty socks with different colored stripes made their way into our world. Then I was introduced to an entirely new challenge when the boys started playing sports—as well as deadlines for having the matching socks. Game days were always challenging! What to do with such a large assortment of mismatched socks became a way of life. So in order to “complete” the task of putting the laundry away, I just created a designated sock drawer. Then, in time, I would sit down and sort out the mate-less socks… and have always been amazed by how many pairs actually matched! In life, I find that sometimes I get out of balance and “the socks just don’t match.” And instead of handling the mismatches of my life, I just throw the problem socks in the drawer out of habit. Sometimes I also throw the disciplines of my Christian life in a drawer. And then when I am spiritually sockless, I stop and reevaluate what should be matching and put things back in place. The Scripture warns us of being out of balance. Uncertainty, wrong priorities, and carelessness play right into Satan’s plan to destroy us and make us useless to God. And no matter how I try to hide my mismatched deeds, God knows my heart. He alone knows what I must have to live a balanced and victorious life. As we grow in years and gain experience in doing the laundry, there are some good practices that will help in keeping things together. Making sure that I have both socks before I wash and immediately taking the time to search for any missing mates have proven helpful. If one is missing, sometimes just waiting for the next load proves to be fruitful (go figure!). Keeping my life balanced is a daily offering or cleaning before the Lord. If I am deficient in any area, now is the time to find the time, discipline, or habit I need to be complete. I am striving to keep my socks together and my drawers organized spiritually so that I can be at peace with my life. The bonus is that my house is calmer and more fulfilled. The Scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 that God has a plan to give us this balance we seek. In verse 23 it reads, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a promise we have in Jesus. What a hope we have for tomorrow. May all your socks match, and may your days be filled with the balance you seek! |
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