A Small Plate

No, I'm not talking about dinner - I usually prefer a big plate! I'm talking about life. At staff retreat back in the fall we talked about managing everything on our plates, what we give our time to. I told the crew that I have a small plate. They teased me about it and Bryan said that somebody needed to get me a platter - but teasing aside, it's important to know the size of your plate. A healthy self-awareness is very important in plate balancing. I know from experience that God has just given me a small plate. I have tried to pile it full to keep up with the people around me who seem to be able to "do it all" many times over the last ten years or so, but it always goes awry. I mean, I can't even cook multiple dishes at once without having a disaster of some sort! I focus on one thing, maybe two, and whatever else is up in the air comes crashing down.

So, I have learned to only take what I can eat and not let my eyes be bigger than my stomach - okay, so I'm still working on that! But I have learned that I can only do a few things well - and I no longer (usually) feel like I am not as "good" as all those crazy people who take on the world all at once. I have to remember that God has put me in my own journey, my own adventure, and all that matters is following him as far as he directs me, a step at a time.

This last year has been a whirlwind for me, almost a year to the day since Bobby proposed to me. It was Superbowl Sunday, the Sunday before Leslie left for Kenya, and he came up with a good reason to go to the farm after lunch with Leslie and her family, and he got down on one knee in the snow by the lake and asked me to be his wife. That crazy man! I didn't even get to watch the Superbowl because I was trying to call everyone and show off my beautiful ring! Eight months into marriage I finally feel like we are "settling in" to life together. But this year has been crazy stressful for me - my plate has felt very full and some days I'm afraid I'm going to drop it and make a big mess. I'm thankful that God is bringing a little peace into our lives and we are able to spend some quiet evenings together at home.

My plate is going to get rearranged again this year - no, I'm not pregnant. (I know some of you were thinking that!) I am planning to go back to school to start my master's degree in social work. I believe God is leading me get a degree that will help me use the gift of listening that he has given me, and have something of value to add to the conversation.