Life has been a bit of a whirlwind lately. We typically keep a pretty slow pace, but ever since Sunley got sick in June, things have been so incredibly nonstop. The two oldest kids started soccer and Derek is coaching both teams, the house build has been “quite messy,” and I’ve been getting organized (well, trying) in preparation for next summer’s fundraiser. Oh, and there’s the whole open heart surgery thing coming up in April.

I don’t think we are meant to be so incredibly busy, though I know this is just for a short season. The house will soon be done, the surgery will be behind us, and our commitments to sports will reduce again — all in time. I have found it to be so important to keep space in my daily life, AND have found it equally important to be wary of what I put in that space (I’m looking at you, Tik Tok). One thing that really helps me to keep on keeping on is a little ritual I started several months ago.

I have to share a disclaimer first: This is all very “flowery,” and is much easier said than done. I do not do this on a perfectly consistent basis, but I’ve stopped considering that inconsistency to be a great failure. Several months ago, the kids and I were going through the days of Creation, and I was noticing yet again that “there was evening, and there was morning: The First Day.” I’ve always thought it was interesting that evening is listed first.

I have a VERY hard time staying “on” for the kids in those last hours before bedtime. As soon as we finish dinner, all I want to do is crawl into bed, scroll on my phone, and detox from all the noise and all of the “Mom, do bats have feet” remarks and questions. I know those whole-family minutes are precious and fleeting but after a day of homeschooling, cooking, and laundry (which I definitely do every day, and don’t ask Derek), I am in need of a refill. So, I took a note from Genesis, and I have implemented a routine of starting my days in the evenings. I have an alarm on my phone that goes off as the sun is beginning to set, and I make a point to go to my bathroom while Derek takes over with the kids and wash my face, change clothes — start my day. It’s nothing more than a change in mindset, and it really does make a huge difference for me. If there’s time, I will read my Bible, listen to music, or just sit on the porch swing as the sun goes down. I do not let myself fill this time with anything that does not lead my mind to Jesus. We don’t always have a magically perfect evening after this, but it at least creates space for me and my Lord to be together, just the two of us, before I jump back into the service role where He has called me to work.

With the crazy-busy seasons of holidays, family vacations, and school activities coming up, I really wanted to share this little routine. I wonder if other people may find it helpful as well.

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so…There was evening, and there was morning — the fourth day.”