How do I do it?

I’ve already established that this fall will be crazy. No doubt about it. The standard response I get from my friends is, “I don’t know how you do it.” I don’t know, either, I just do it.

I do miss things, though. I miss being around to put the kids to bed. I miss helping them with homework (except for geometry, who could miss that?) I miss having time to read a book for fun. I miss having a clean home. I miss serving regularly with my church family.

This fall, between work and school, I imagine that I will nearly disappear from gatherings at Soma. And there will be those who say my priorities are skewed, that I’m not relying on God, that I’m drifting away. They’ll tell me I need to pray about what is really important and trust God to take care of it, that I need to think about the rhythms I have set for my life.

I’m glad I have a family who cares enough about me to worry about my priorities and my faith. My answer is that I am doing what God has called me to do. This is not a permanent change, it is a temporary means to an end. And while I may not be gathering as regularly, I will still be the church. Whether I am at work helping someone through a trying time of illness, or at school working hard to gain the knowledge and skills I need, I am still part of the body. I will still be finding ways to love my neighborhood, teach my children the truth of the gospel, and invest with my missional community. It may look a little different, it may require more help than I’m used to accepting, but it will not change who I am called to be.

That is the secret. That’s how I’ve done it so far. That’s how I will do it again. Before I know what happened it will be Christmas. I’ll be looking back at the fall and ahead to 2009, making more plans for the practical day to day living of the life I am called to.