Finding Your Rhythm During Seasons of Uncertainty.

Anybody still trying to find balance while working from home or distance learning? Good. Me neither because I am realizing more and more that balance is almost unrealistic. I would like to think that I am trying to find my rhythm in this season. Here is why I threw away the concept of balance and adapted the idea of rhythm.

Balance is defined as a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.

Based on this definition it is so hard for all of the elements of my life to be equal or in the right "proportions" at the same time. One minute my work tasks are going well then suddenly ministry stuff starts falling apart. Vice versa. Life is full of uncertain moments and I am convinced that the only thing that is consistent is change. Something is always shifting and changing no matter the season. Sometimes it feels like everything is changing at the same time. What do you do then? Try to find balance in the chaos? Just one tiny shift and boom, the balance is off again.

It almost drove me crazy to put all this effort in finding balance in my life. Something always took a different turn than what I planned. I found myself depending on my own strength and logic just to find and keep the balance between ministry and everything else. God had to remind me that he is God and that he is sovereign. I may not know what is coming next but he does. If balance can be mastered, the only one who can do it is Jesus. lol.

Rhythm is movement, fluctuation, or variation marked by the regular recurrence or natural flow of related elements.

I like to think of my life as an orchestra with different sections full of different instruments. The woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings all make up a complete 4 part symphony orchestra. All of these instruments have different sounds and shapes and they sing on their own rhythm. Even though they have their own rhythm, each part's rhythm has to compliment the sound of the entire group. There is more of a flow when it comes to rhythm and it changes depending on the composition or mood.

The seasons of our lives are constantly changing. There are so many moving parts within each season that as time evolves you just have to adapt to it. Nobody saw quarantine coming so soon, so fast. Our lives were changed in a literal blink of an eye. Schools closed, working from home, malls closed, churches closed. No one saw this coming but God. We just have to flow with it and govern ourselves accordingly. I feel like the days on this quarantine are all mashed up together. Friday has lost its juice and holidays are just another day. 

I began to just go with the flow of my days. If all I felt like doing was lying around on social media, I did that. If I wanted to be productive and get stuff done, I did that. I made sure I did not put pressure on myself to be something I could not be at that moment. There are a lot of people saying a lot of things, telling you how to be and what you should be when we emerge from isolation. I suggest you silence those voices and listen to the only voice that matters. God has already set a pace, a rhythm. We just have to find it and follow along.

Here are some quick tips to finding your rhythm while in self-quarantine:

1. Go with the flow. So you plan out your day. Nothing seems to be working together for your good. Nothing. It's ok, expect things to change. You may not get to that to-do list and that is still ok. You are still doing a phenomenal job. Where you are weak God is strong!

2. Keep the main things, the main things. Prayer and reading the word are the main things. do that first and then proceed with your workday. It makes a difference.

3. Create a loose schedule. So that can look like however you need it to look like. I do suggest that you stick to a bedtime and wake up time. Also, I would schedule a prayer time and stick to it as much as you can.

4. Get in tune with yourself. When you feel anxious about something, instead of continuing with the workload take a brain break. Find the root of your anxiety or whatever you are feeling. journal it out, paint it out, find an outlet. Then you can go back to your work with a refreshed mind.

5. Don't beat yourself up! Don't feel bad if you don't get the house in order in a week. Don't condemn yourself if you spent the day doing nothing. You don't always have to be busy.

while still adjusting to this rhythm, I am consulting the one who conducts my life and makes things make sense. The conductor keeps everyone on beat. When God is not the center or he is not sitting on the throne of the heart, who is? Who is making the parts you can't control come together? Maybe balance is a nice goal but just not attainable. Maybe balance is not what we are looking for, maybe it is finding the rhythm of the season. Sometimes it's a bop and sometimes it's not what we want to hear right now. We listen to the Holy Spirit anyway and follow His rhythm.