by Jeanni Ritchie
Most of my life I had things out of whack.
Too much of one, not enough of the other. I was full throttle or sputtering out. I’d focus intensely on one area of my life while neglecting the others.
One of the most humbling and heartbreaking moments of my life came when I thought I was thriving in Oklahoma. I was teaching in an incredible school district while maintaining a 4.0 as I got my master’s degree. I was proud of myself.
Playing charades with my teenagers one night, they started an impromptu “guess which family member this is” game. Going through the family and their trademark quirks, we roared with laughter.
Then my son did his impression of me.
His fingers typed on an imaginary keyboard while shushing the world with cries of not nows. They all laughed and shouted, “Mom!” in unison.
I was devastated.
I never told them what a failure I felt like that day, or how I tried desperately to change after that. I tried to be more present but the truth is, until I finished my grad degree, it took precedence over family time.
I tried balancing my life without God as my fulcrum for years.
Once He was firmly in the center, I no longer had to try to balance everything. I simply started walking in the path He set before me and the journey became seamless.
It is a balanced life now, one with career aspirations being achieved while familial relationships remain center stage. My “me time” is found in writing, because I’m doing the things I truly love to do.
Ministry is vital. I love people, and helping them is not a burden but a blessing. I have lived the life where I had nothing to give. I’ve discovered that the more I give, the more I have to give.
It’s not a life where the trials have been removed or a life filled with ideal circumstances. There are struggles and times of sorrow. But because I finally surrendered my every thought and action to the One I owe my life to, it is a race run with ease.
Follow my faith journey at www.faithunfaded.com.
