HOW DO YOU DO IT ALL?

You may envy Luann.  Her house is always spotless.  She’s a young mom with a one year old, and she babysits her toddler nephew.  She’s active in her church, takes voice lessons, goes to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), and finds time to encourage friends.  If asked, “How do you do it?”  Luann’s answer is simple.  “I never leave the house without doing three things:  I make the beds, do the dishes, and put in one load of laundry.  I always get up at least two hours before I have to be anywhere.  That gives me an hour to get ready, and an hour to straighten the house.”

That seems simple enough to do.  You might choose three different things to do, such as vacuum, iron, and get supper ingredients together.  And if you’re a morning person, you might choose to do these things before you go to bed at night. But it makes sense to get into the routine of doing three specific things every day.  It gives Luann a sense of being in control, gets the housework started, and lets her return home to a neat house.

Luann also faithfully heeds my tips – thanks Luann!  But, before you start thinking that Luann is some kind of super woman, listen to her second thought:  “Think what would happen if I tried to do everything everyone expects me to do:  Serve at church, keep the house and closets clean, have personal devotions and memorize Scripture, spend quality time with the kids and my husband, cook three solid meals a day-don’t forget tasty fruits and vegetables, cultivate friendships, read to keep myself current and stimulated, oh, yes, and take time to do something for myself.  When do I sleep?!

I think Luann is trying to tell us that no one can do it all.  Be realistic.  Set your priorities, find the best way to accomplish them-then relax, and accept yourself as you are.