I mentioned to a friend of mine before the start of September that I wanted life to slow down this month, that I wanted to have more free quiet time to read, and just be alone. I didn’t want to feel obligated to say yes to every invitation, opportunity, or favor asked. My dear friend decided to hold me accountable, and she took the TIME out of her busy schedule in order to do so, frequently sending me emails or text messages asking me how I was doing, or simply to encourage me. She was even so understanding as to not get upset when I didn’t answer as promptly as I may have in the past. She’s a keeper 🙂
Yesterday, my friend asked for a full account of my month of September, and I had planned to spend tonight blogging something about that, but I’m just not entirely sure my month of September is of interest to anyone, or really worth documenting. But on my way home today, I thought about what I would include if I did decide to blog it, and really the most meaningful part of my September was that I was always early to bed, and always early to rise. I set my phone to go on “Do Not Disturb” mode at 9 p.m., and that was so helpful (even though I did frighten a couple of close friends when I didn’t respond until the following day) – sorry ’bout that gals. I made a to-do list of things to get done, and accomplished 18 of the 19 of them (19th to be completed in the next two weeks or so). Most importantly, I did not feel obligated to say yes to every invitation, and even forced myself to say some, “no’s” without giving any explanations for my “no’s.” My time management skills in September were off the charts, if I do say so myself.
But wouldn’t having spent a month trying to slow down and spend time quietly alone be a waste of time if I hadn’t learned one or two things as a result? I think so.
I remembered that I like fall, and love stopping at vegetable stands, and that even though I will miss the summer months, I really do love this time of year. And, I really love Michigan. I realized that driving around on old dirt roads with one friend, no map, and no plan is an awful lot of fun. And when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, nobody really cares if you stop in the middle of the road and get out of your car to take a picture. I was reminded that friends come in all ages, and that it’s important to have some young ones, and some older ones too. I really don’t need half the stuff I own, and it’s good to purge frequently. Sometimes, God just really needs you to sit down and be quiet for a good long while, before He starts giving you ideas and plans. I realized that I don’t need to keep pursuing friendships whose season seems to have ended. I remembered how much I love a good home canned dill pickle – and hate to admit this, but they are better than gummy bears.
My friend wants to know – will I continue to guard my time in October? What’s the plan? Oh yes. I’m determined to get better and better at this!
Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” And since this scripture keeps coming up over and over for me, I’ll just see where it takes me in October 2023…  I hope to learn and share 31 different things!
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
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