Balancing Act: Family, Working, Training

This week, I have been thinking about balance.  There are many new things happening in our lives right now and balance seems to be what we are always seeking.  Just when we get comfortable or at least make peace with the balance we have, it seems like we shake things up.

For years, I was the working parent and Julie was a stay at home mom.  With 5 kids, that only makes sense.  This usually made it so I worked too much and Julie complained about it.  I would try to not work as much, Julie would say thank you and inevitably I would go back to working too much.  If people asked me my priorities, I would tell them that God came first, then family and work in the number 3 spot.  If you looked at my life and how I was living, you would see clearly that work was number 1, family in a distant 2nd and God was somewhere on the list.

I really wanted my priorities to line up with how I was presenting myself and how I was living.  When we got called to our new home, and new job, I told Julie that we were going to make significant changes.  I made sure that the new church understood what my priorities are and that I would do my best to live them out.

It worked well for a while, but then Carson passed away.  Everything changed.  Now, Julie has 2 jobs, I am working full time, the girls are in daycare, the boys are both in school and I am training for an Ironman.  To say that things are different is an understatement.  It's like we have gone a complete 180.  We have new balance issues, for example, it is more difficult for Julie and I to deflate and chat after the kids go to bed because I am usually ready for bed between 9 and 9:30 since I am usually up at 4:45 to train.  So I am going to make sure that I am intentional about making time for us to chat, for us to hang out and for us to be happy around each other.

This morning, during my shower, there was a spider that climbed down the wall from the ceiling.  He was very diligent, doing everything right, making sure he felt everything that he was going to walk over, a piece of dust here, some water spray there, the top of the tiles, you know, spidery things.  Well he was so very diligent and very focused on what he was doing.  So focused that he did not see my hand coming to squash him.  It reminded me that I can't get so focused on on thing that I ignore everything else.  Something else will come and smash me while I am not looking.  I really don't like that.

Remember, if you would like to be part of Team Crusher, your child's name will go on my bike and I will remember them whenever I train and on race day.  I will also pray for your family each day.  If you want to be part of this, send your story and a picture of your child to 2220 W D St  North Platte, NE 69101.  You can also email me at thedadwhodads@gmail.com