Where will you be...

We went to church on Sunday and our priest asked a question that really made me think. He asked "where will you be when you get where you're going?" in reference to our Lenten journey and our journey in life.

At first I was thinking, what is he asking? What does that mean? I'll be where I want to be of course. But as he talked I started thinking more and more about what he was asking (well between the times I was pulling Madeline off of the back of the pew or out from under it and handing Owen his stickers...going to church with kids is not as religious as it should be!). I unfortunately missed a lot, due mostly to kids under pews and sticker issues and snacks and such. Sometimes I really wonder why we go to church. But that is another post for another time.

I started to think about Father's question on my own. Where will I be when I get where I am going? Where will I be at the end of Lent? Will be I where I want to be? Or will I just need somewhere else to go? And this can be applied to the time outside of Lent as well. It can be applied to goals in my life. Or even this pregnancy, I am going to have a baby at the end but where will I be then? What am I doing along the way?

I think way to much about the future. I plan for everything, where we are going, what we are doing, who we will see, what we will do. I always need to have a plan. But what about now? What about today?

For instance I plan on activities that I will do with my children through the week but I don't always just enjoy the simple playtime. I allow them to free play, which is something they need, but I don't involve myself in it often enough. I have found that I spend too much of that time on my computer. For that reason I am not allowing myself to use my computer before noon each day during Lent. I originally had said that I would not be giving things up for Lent, rather I would do things for others and involve my family. But after losing an hour on Friday to the computer because my kids were quiet (and boy what a mess they quietly made!) I realized that this is something I need to change. So for the rest of Lent I will not touch my computer before noon. I won't add things into quicken, I won't check email, I won't check my blog or anyone other blog until I have spent the morning with my family. I am even including the times Jon may take the kids and let me sleep in.

My kids are young but they grow up so quickly. Madeline is going to preschool in the fall, seriously how did that happen? Owen is almost 2 and no longer the baby! And number 3 will be here in a few months. My family is growing and they deserve my attention. I hope at the end of Lent I will be more balanced in both the planning and the spontaneous play with my children.

In addition I am going to try and grow by reading to Madeline and Owen from their children's bible and involving activities and crafts for them to learn from. I am also going to try and set aside time for me to read my bible each day. This is something I have never made time for. And my goal for Lent is to set just 10 minutes a day aside for bible reading and reflection.

Where will I be when I get where I am going? Hopefully I will have a better balance in my life. And hopefully I won't have missed to much along the way in pursuit of my goal.

Where will you be when you get where you are going?