This past weekend we did a lot of sitting!
Saturday morning we sat for several hours and played UNO with friends at Starbucks.
Saturday afternoon I (Paul) sat in the garage with the door open, listening to Johnny Cash, sipping my favorite drink, and watching the rain.
Sunday afternoon... we took a nap (that's kind of like sitting).
Sunday evening we sat with friends around the neighborhood pool... then we came home and sat some more... around the campfire.
That's a lot of sitting and doing nothing... right?
Except that we weren't doing nothing...
...we were restoring our souls.
Of course we still had six of our own kids, plus their friends in and out of the house throughout the weekend...
of course we still did some conflict resolution...
of course we did some food prep...
of course we did some basic "parenting"...
but even with all that... we still did a good deal of sitting!
First Half Parents know something...
you cannot be a good parent if don't make time to sit and restore your soul!
Burned out parents burn kids! Stressed parents create stressed kids! Angry parents hurt kids! Tired parents ignore kids! Parents with worn out souls give their kids what's left... and that's not much!
So, how did we sit so much this weekend?
We met the necessary minimums for our kids... and that was it!
We made sure they had food, and we made sure they were relatively safe... but that was it.
When they wanted to join the "adult" conversations we were having with our friends, we told them "No." We did not allow them to interrupt, distract, or derail our time of restoration. And guess what... today they are still alive... they still love us... AND they have a healthier, happier Dad and Mom because we sat a lot this past weekend!
Dad and Mom! You do not have to invest all of your available time, energy, and resources into your children! You MUST use some of those resources for yourself!
Make sure the "necessary minimums" are met... then go sit!
Can I give you some homework this week? Yea? Good!
Make some time to read and think deeply about Psalm 23. See what it has to say about rest in the middle of chaos (First Half Parents know a thing or two about chaos).
Make some time to download and read our e-book that tells you why and how to care for yourself! We call it "Baby Step #1" in the First Half Parenting process. You can get it here!
Think about and write down the "necessary minimums" for your children. Once you have established what they are... feel free to meet them then go sit with a friend!
Reflect on this statement: "If you can't find twenty minutes to sit and reflect, you had better take two hours to figure out why!"
Dad and mom... do this! It will set you free and equip you to be a better parent!
Remember... YOU'VE GOT THIS!