Count all the DID's

I usually don't post a lot of just me photos, but Mister James took this the other day of me napping on the couch. I have some weird sleeping habits: my lips always pucker, my arms are either above my head or stuck out funny and I have to have a good head tilt. He caught all three! Do you ever just feel capooped at the end of a day? Of course you have! We all have days that are exhausting.

Sometimes I feel like I get nothing done in a day as I see dishes piled, to do's I didn't get to, being exhausted and wondering when I'll get caught up. But then I'll pause at the end of my long days and think, "Well actually you did get lots done today." I have high expectations of myself and what I can do and oftentimes that means I look at all I didn't do or get done. Today as I lay my head down on my pillow I had to reflect on the day as those thoughts crept in:

- you're pregnant, that's a full time "to do"

- you DID play and feed and take care of baby Jane all day (24/7 job)

- you DID made the bed

- you DID take clothes to the DI (thrift shop)

- you DID have an outing at the library with baby Jane

- you DID make 3 meals

- you DID plan and have a church meeting to prepare for a large activity coming up

- you DID go through all baby Williams clothes

- you DID mow the whole front lawn

- you DID play with Jane in the sprinkler and helped her up and down on the slide and read her lots of books

- you DID get Jane ready for naps and bedtime

- you DID help get a shelf prepped for Mister James' tools

So, yes, that looooooong to do list that haunts me as I think about having a baby in a month gets me a little anxious. But I'm doing ok, I'm getting good to-do's done and working hard each day. When you get down or have those same awful "didn't do" feelings really think about all you accomplish in a day cause usually it's quite a lot! There's much to be done in life but taking it one day at a time and enjoying the ride is so important. I learn so much about slowing down the pace and lowering my super high expectations to more reasonable ones every day. Remember to always be grateful for all the "DID's" you did do!

I have thought a lot about the story of Martha and Mary lately and how important it is to really focus on the important to do's. We can do dishes all day long but were we fed truth or goodness by doing them? It is important to clean, accomplish goals, work hard and be busy in good causes, but it is also important to delegate duties and take time to just be still and take in life. I am grateful that I can learn, by being in a family, the great DID's of life. Each day is filled with purpose and true meaning when it is lived for those you love. Make sure you count your DID's at the end of the day, cause I bet there were many! :)