though I consider myself to be fairly balanced with all the things we have going
on,;life;was;getting;the;better;of;me.
If;my;life;was;a;baseball;game,;the;bases
were loaded—and the pitcher was about
to throw another ball . . . then something
a dear friend said to me several years ago
came;to;mind.;“You;don’t;have;to;swing
at;every;pitch.”; I;thought;for;a;moment
and;said;it;out;loud.;“You;don’t;have;to
swing;at;every;pitch.”
Now,;I;don’t;play;baseball,;but;this;little
analogy works for me. I understand the
imagery of swinging at every opportunity
that comes my way. I know what it feels
like to swing at a pitch that was really
meant for another mother.
If you’re tired—think about the things
you;are;“swinging”;at;right;now.;Wisdom
knows when to swing and when to wait.
I realized I wasn’t being wise with my de-
cisions.;I;was;saying;“yes”;out;of;fear;or
guilt rather than taking the time to pray
about what pitch to swing at and which
ones to let go.
I wish moms didn’t feel so much pres-
sure to be “Pinterest Perfect” because
frankly,;I;think;it’s;wearing;us;out.;You
don’t have to swing at every pitch.
If you’re struggling to decide which
opportunities to take and which ones to
pass;on,;try;this;simple;strategy;for;de-
ciding which pitch to swing at and which
pitch to let pass:
•;Look;at;your;calendar.;If;you’re;strug-
gling to get the things done that you’ve
already committed to: PASS on the pitch.
•;Pray.;Commit;to;quieting;your;heart
before the Lord and ask for His peace.
If you feel peace to move ahead (even
if others have counseled you not to)
SWING at the pitch with all your might!
•;Look;at;your;current;commitments.;Is
there anything you are doing that you
can let go? Maybe you can swap an old
SWING for a new one!
• Take time to recharge. It’s amazing
what you can do when your body and
spirit are renewed.
•;NEVER;“swing”;out;of;guilt.;Guilt;is
almost always a reason to PASS on the
pitch.
What’s on your plate today? As you
look at all the opportunities in front of
you,;with;a;new;year;of;homeschooling
and mothering ahead, keep this little
thought in mind: you don’t have to swing
at every pitch.
You’ve;got;this,;busy;mom!
Heidi St. John has been married to her
husband Jay since 1989. Together they
have seven children from toddler to
adult and have homeschooled all the way
through high school. A favorite conference and radio speaker, Heidi approaches
marriage and parenting with humor and
grace. Her passion to encourage moms and
set them free to be who God has created
them to be will bless and encourage you.
www.thebusymom.com
Take time to recharge.
It’s amazing what you can do when your body and spirit are renewed.
