Was that the Recess Bell?

Whatever happened to recess?
That's a question I ask myself often as an adult.

Today is the first day of Back to School and as I've driven past many school playgrounds lately, trying to familiarize myself with all of the new neighborhoods, I'm saddened by the apparent loss of one of my most favorite childhood recreational fixtures.

The seesaw.

Whatever happened to the seesaw?

I suppose due to safety mom precautions and numerous law suits they have had to be dismantled.
But I still loved them.
That wonderful feeling of gliding nearly effortlessly, up and down, up and down.

Over time, we became brave enough to ride with no hands, no feet, backwards or even semi-standing.
Seesaw surfing I think it was called.

Anything we need to know about life, we can learn from the seesaw.

For example, be careful who you trust.
Haven't we all gotten on, with a sibling or a "friend", who suddenly and unexpectedly jumped off just when you were enjoying that wonderful, glorious moment in the sky?

Up in the air, smiling and laughing only to suddenly be plummeted to the earth with an unexpected crash to the ground.

It takes your breathe away.
Literally.

Of course, you are always hesitant to ride it again with that same friend for fear of not knowing if they will jump off again and leave you dusting off your new red shorts and plucking gravel out of your backside.

As I've been thinking about the seesaw this past weekend, God has been reminding me of something important.

We have to stay balanced.
Too much of anything is not a good thing, even if it is "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe in the whole world.

But also, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

We are given instructions to work six days and rest on the seventh.
Summer slacking aside, of course.

Spiritually, emotionally and physically, balance is important.

I can tell when I'm tired because I start to get a very short fuse, or yes, even cry over ketchup on my Big Mac.

There is a lot going on right now with many of us.
Natalie and I have completely changed our lives in the last month.... and not in a 'summer lovin' had me a blast' kind of way.

But everything is new.

And with back to school, comes the welcome routine and a fresh start.
A chance to better organize my day and practice better time management.

So, I pull out my new organizer and start to schedule the day.

I try to figure out how and when I am going to get my God time in, (though he's forced to listen to me ramble on and on all day long) make breakfast for Natalie, walk the dogs, get to the gym, avoid a massive traffic jam, put in a full days work, get back on track with my writing, pay bills, prepare for an important speaking event this week and um, perhaps breathe somewhere in between.

I'd also like to squeeze in learning to speak Spanish and play guitar better.

My lazy couch time is really going to suffer if I plan to live a purpose filled and new, more balanced life.

One of my favorite Go To books in the bible is the book of Proverbs.
Everything you really need to know is actually there, and not on the seesaw.
If you're like me....it too will leave you picking gravel out of your backside.

I do that a lot.

I can also get really out of balance if I think too much or try to figure things out that only God knows the answers to.

This morning, I stumbled upon Proverbs 3, "The Message" version which really just tells it like it is in language that I can clearly understand. Sometimes it will go so far as to say, "Are you stupid?" :)

"Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them. They will keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive. (does this mean I can skip the gym?) You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip. You'll take afternoon naps without a worry, you'll enjoy a good night's sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; he'll keep you safe and sound."

I guess this means, contrary to my crybabyness lately, God is actually NOT going to jump off the seesaw of my life and I can just enjoy the ride...hands free!!!