Photograph Credit: Flickr (Laura Crowell)
Balancing hospitality, family responsibilities, and ministry opportunities is truly a juggling act. Seeing all the needs and assuming you are the answer to their problems will overwhelm you.
WARNING: No matter what activities, events, and ministries you undertake, there will always be more to do.
So, how do you choose what to take on and what to let go? That answer lies with you as you consider your priorities, time, and abilities.
Priorities
What are your priorities? Five years from now, where do you see yourself? Who do you want to become? Answering these questions to find your priorities will help in answering your question.
Five years from now, I want to have a close bond with my husband and my children. Being involved in their lives through school and church programs is investing my time into their lives. Staying available to help with field trips, science fairs, and programs keeps me connected with my children’s activities.
Will participating in this event deter you or draw you closer to your priorities?
Sometimes choosing to say “no” to a good activity frees you up for another opportunity with more flexibility.
As I stay involved in our school, I have learned to say “no” to a room mom position. Would being a room mom draw me closer to my priority of a close bond with my son? Yes, but when my daughter starts school, I would have to choose.
Instead of room mom, I choose to serve on a committee that stays involved in all the events. During class related activities, I am free to roam between classrooms without conflict.
Time
Considering your current family, work, and home responsibilities, can you take on another project? Be realistic. Taking care of your family with clean clothes, meals, and special moments with you consumes your time. Be careful about adding other opportunities to your hectic schedule. (Ahem. *Speaking to myself here*).
Abilities
Will this task be difficult for you? Substituting for our music teacher would be very difficult for me. I do not play an instrument, sing solos, or read music well. Though this opportunity would keep me close to my son and I could spare the hour, I would struggle with the task. However, overseeing recess would be easier for me to stay close to my son while fitting within my schedule and relying on my mothering skills to watch the children.
When taking on an event, responsibility, or opportunity, consider your priorities, time, and abilities. Filter your question through these channels, consult your spouse or friend, and either accept the responsibility or choose the freedom found in learning to say “no.”
Question: How do you choose which opportunities to accept and which to reject?