Choices, Choices....

I have to admit that the craziness of this season gets to me each year.  So much to do and so little time to do it! But this year I have taken a step back and I am seeing that so much of me being so busy and stressed is brought on by my choices.  MY choices.  When I have sensed myself becoming overwhelmed and feeling like I can't keep up with the rat race, I have actually thought, " Life IS a rat race if you CHOOSE for it to be.  It's YOUR CHOICE!"  I can choose to be apart of every activity and committe, I can choose to search and search for the perfect gifts for each person in my life, I can chose to wrap every gift perfectly and with great care, I can choose what activities my boys will be apart of,  I can choose not to assign projects that take a lot of time to grade just before a holiday (took me too long to understand this choice).  The point is... yes, life can come at us at a hundred and forty thousand miles an hour, but we can make the choice to make a stop at a rest area anytime. 
Can you imagine being Jesus and having hundreds, or thousands, of people at a time wanting, begging, pleading, for your attention?  And we think we are busy and stressed!  But  I love His example of getting away....stopping at the rest area, if you will.  Luke 5:16 states, "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."  I believe He recharged, sought guidance, and talked over the happenings of His day with His Father.  He was then ready to continue on his journey.
While I still don't know how to say "no" very well, I am learning to make choices that help me and my family stay balanced in the rat race.  I'm seeing that trying to lead a life that is about more than me, means taking care of me.   I don't mean this in a selfish way.  I mean that by taking time to nourish my mind, my body, my soul, and my relationships I am able to give more of myself.  Daily quiet time with just me and my God makes it much easier to run the race.  Of course, a manicure every once in awhile, or dinner with "the girls", or even just simply watching a movie with my hubby after the boys are in bed help to slow the pace.  If you're feeling the stress of running the "rat race", are there any choices you've made that are making your race harder and faster? Are there any choices you can change?  Maybe it's time to cross four lanes of traffic to make an emergency stop at a rest area.

The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat....Lily Tomlin