Most days, my house resembles something from Barnum & Bailey; I have a front row seat to my three-ring circus. With two German Short-Haired Pointers (who are indoor and outdoor) and a Tabby cat, the entertainment never ends. Truthfully, I’m not sure how the house is still standing. There should probably be a “Pet Clause” written in my homeowners’ policy. So this picture is basically a normal day. Sonny was acting as if she’d been given IV-catnip and ran from room to room, jumping as high as she could on anything and everything. Before she realized it, she had jumped on the back of my office chair and found it was NOT the steady and firm base that she was looking for. Instantly, her front paws attempted stabilization to avoid a “cat”astrophe. (Sorry. I couldn’t resist.) I was actually sitting across the room doing my daily study, which meant I had the ideal opportunity to snap a picture. This was one of those moments that kinda clung to me like a wet coat.
I’ll be the first to admit that my life often resembles that same three-ring circus. Monday night I’m in the garden picking green beans. Tuesday night I’m sorting through email lists, trying to slam out a few more paragraphs for my book, maybe working on another blog post, and responding to email questions that I “kicked down the road” last week. Wednesday night is teaching Bible study. Thursday night will be a trip to Franklin for the DePauw vs Franklin football game (my nephew, Max, plays for DePauw). At this point, I’m clueless about Friday. And I just remembered it’s a holiday weekend! Someone please push the “pause” button.
Seasons like this can be invigorating or depleting. I’ve felt both. Jumping and landing in that place that suddenly doesn’t feel safe. Maybe it seems unreliable or shaky. You stop for a split second and say, “God, I thought you were the one who told me to do this?” Or the opposite; everything you do just seems to be life-giving and fulfilling. Even in the busyness, you experience contentment and peace; finding joy in unexpected moments.
When I’m entrenched in the Word each day and I’ve maintained my priorities, the circus doesn’t seem so “circusy”. (That’s a new word I just came up with.) I can land on the back of the office chair and ponder my new vantage point instead of freaking out. Although my days and weeks might look more like the clowns during the intermission, I feel more like a well-rehearsed trapeze act. That doesn’t mean there aren’t mistakes. And I assure you, I’ve improvised more than a few times. But I’m relying on the One who wrote the show. It’s his name on the banner.
Psalm 32:8 ~ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.