Out of focus

The VOICE of Inspiration

By Don Lindsey

With the kids on summer break, life has slowed down around the Lindsey household and I couldn’t be happier about it. Not only do the kids have some much-needed rest and fun time, but it also gives me a lot more time in my day by eliminating the taking of children back and forth to school process and opens the opportunity to stay up later and to sleep in... which I am loving.

I wouldn’t have thought that having extra time to do nothing would be a bad thing, but as it turns out, it can cause some issues, namely to my daily schedule and sleep pattern which is apparently important when you start getting older. At 44 years of age, I’m not one to say I’m old but I’m learning that my excitement about staying up later isn’t matched by my ability to accomplish said goal. I’m also learning that when I do go late into the night, I generally won’t roll out of bed until late in the afternoon which isn’t conducive to having folks in the house that depend on you the way that my parents and youngest daughter do.

Another big issue with living all willy-nilly with my time management, and one of the most important, is that I’m finding that I am not praying and communing with God, which never does my soul any good. When you add to the fact that I’ve been struggling a bit spiritually into the mix, you get me trying to control every aspect of my life which only leads to unnecessary worry and stress. As I’ve mentioned before, I alone do not function that well in stress except when I feel connected to the Lord, and with that connection not there, I have been spiraling.

My wife always says that she finds the most success on days where she’s started with prayer and Bible reading, and I’ve witnessed it. Maybe getting to sleep a little earlier and starting out with some meditation/prayer time in the mornings will help me to get a bit more centered.

It’s been great to have so much free time as of late, and I am certainly not saying that I will keep a strict schedule over the summer, but I am realizing that I’m not getting nearly enough out of my days because of the hours that I’m keeping. There are some wonderful things ahead in the next few weeks, such as my brother visiting at the end of the month and time in Fort Pierce towards the end of the break. I want to make sure that I have the energy to participate and the awareness to recognize the special moments as they happen. As of right now, I’m a bit out of focus, but through prayer and rest, that will change. God Bless and have a wonderful week.

Don Lindsey is a follower of Christ, son, husband, father, and a survivor. Originally from Dayton Ohio, and resident of Apopka for six years, Don sees his life as a dedication to his wife, parents, children, and community.