What I Can Control

To say we are living in uncertain times is certainly stating the obvious.  It seems there is a new shut down of some sort with every passing hour.  For a girl who really likes control, it is very hard to watch so much of my life changing around me without anything I can do about it.  I can’t control what is or isn’t going to happen with the rest of our school year, I can’t control the events I was looking forward to that are now cancelled.  I can’t control the lack of inventory at the grocery store or what is or isn’t going to happen to our economy when this is over.  I can’t even control the number of these dumb orange beetles that CONTINUE to accost my house (is there EVER a season that finally kills off those crazy things??)

So while I can’t control the world around (I really never could), I’m choosing to focus on what I can control…

I can control the amount of screen time we spend.  Both for myself and my boys… too much time watching the news and social media feed will breed anxiety, too many movies will kill our creative play time. So we are working very hard for a healthy balance of books (for me and them!), play time, crafting, dance parties and a movie or cartoons here or there.

They really are enjoying some play time together! <3

I can control the perspective we look through. I would be so easy to focus on all the things we are missing out on and all the things that have been cancelled.  Instead, I am trying to focus on what we have gained… I’m getting time with the boys that I would not usually have this time of year.  I’m getting some rest that my body was desperately crying out for.  I’m accomplishing some tasks that were LOONG overdue (such as the Christmas tree in the basement living room that FINALLY came down yesterday after being up for four months).

I can control my body’s response to stress.  While I am tempted to want to bake cookies and spend all day eating ice cream to cope, instead I’m choosing to watch what I put into my body, and using some new found time for a little extra at-home exercise. (Besides, we eat a ton of eggs and I can’t afford to ration any of them for baking junk food!)

I can control how we still reach out to love on people.  We may not be able to see many people in person right now, but that does not stop posting pictures or video, dropping the results of our craft time in the mail, texting friends to check in with them, reading aloud to my students over social media each night, or attempting to call people we love (that is a little tricky as (a) often doesn’t want to talk on the phone and (b) just wants to touch the buttons resulting in hanging up on people).

The Cowboy has already made several requests to take silly selfies.

Most importantly, I can control who I lean on.  While I am not in control of the world around me, thankfully I know the one who is.  I know He is faithful, I know He works all things for the good of those who love Him, I know He loves us and has all the uncertain in the palm of his hand. 

“What I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.  When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Psalm 94:18-19