Routines
A Matter of Life and Death
The summer is almost over, and as a parent, I cannot express how excited I am. In our family, we strive for consistency and routine. The summer makes this nearly impossible with all the different schedules, events, and changes in childcare. So, these next few weeks are a time for us to start prepping, buying school supplies, and getting into a solid routine. As any parent will tell you, this is far more difficult than it looks.
Routines are desperately needed in our household, especially for my oldest son, Judah, and my middle son, Knox. Judah has severe autism, and his world is made or broken by routines. Any deviation can cause significant distress and disruption for him. For Knox, routines are quite literally a matter of life and death. He requires medications at specific times and follows a strict feeding and water schedule due to his reliance on a feeding tube. Additionally, he must keep all of his appointments and therapies to maintain his health. When our routines get shaken up, things can become really hectic, and the stability we work so hard to maintain can quickly unravel.
As believers, God created us to work in routines—to work during the day and rest during the evenings, to work six days and rest on the seventh. While, unlike Knox, your routine may not mean life or death immediately, it will determine which path you choose each day. Will you choose a path of life by beginning your day placing your faith in Christ's word and work, or will you place your faith in yourself, leading to spiritual death? Deuteronomy 30:19 reminds us, "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." I want to challenge you, as we start this new month, to examine your routines and seek to incorporate prayer, rest, time in God's word, and time with God's people. Don't let the busyness of this next season distract you from where God is taking you. Find the best time for you to get alone with God and allow Him to give you strength to keep going.