A Break is as Good as a Rest

6 AM the alarm goes off and I roll over to read my Youversion devotional on my phone. Depending on how many times I doze off again I can usually steal out of bed and tip toe to the bathroom before the children wake up. I change into my workout clothes before heading down for my exercise routine of the day. Lately I’ve been favoring weight lifting, even though I don’t really enjoy it because I’m convinced that it will be good for me. I get through that and head to the shower, as the children, and hopefully my husband, are just beginning to stir.

That is how it goes maybe half the time. This past week has looked nothing like. I’ve struggled to drag myself out of bed much earlier than 8 and I’m usually greeted by hungry children who are already fighting with each other. School is often late to begin. I spend most of my day in workout clothes, hoping to eventually squeeze it in. (I usually do, eventually, though by then I’m often starting dinner).

I am someone who likes to have a plan and keep a general routine, but sometimes I just can’t keep it together. This usually means I need a rest, or a break or both. Last week my husband was traveling and I feel like I’m still recovering. I’m trying to extend myself the grace without ruining a habit I’ve worked so hard to build. Routine is meant to be a guide not a chain. Without one, I float through my day from task to task without direction, usually accomplishing little and finishing nothing by the end of the day.

Tomorrow we’ll do things a bit differently. I will still try to rise at 6 and exercise, but my husband will taking the day off from work and we’re planning a fun outing with the kids. Sometimes the best way to help get back on routine is to abandon it altogether. Just as at the end of a vacation I look forward to returning home, a break from the usual can make resuming normalcy all the more appealing.