Do the Next Thing

With the school year finishing up and all of the activities going on lately, I feel like I've been running from one event to the next. The weekends are the worst! Don't get me wrong, they're a lot of fun but they're very, very busy. Once Monday hits, my house is littered with clothes, shoes, and toys, and the laundry is just begging to be done. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. One thing that has really encouraged me lately is not thinking about ALL of the major things that need to be done (because when I do, I want to hyperventilate) but simply thinking about the next thing on my list.

Elisabeth Elliot, whom I've been reading a lot of lately, talks about simply "doing the next thing." Okay, what comes next? Feeding the baby. Okay, I can do that. Done. Baby is laughing and playing. Do the next thing. Switch the laundry. Washing machine is humming. Done. Do the next thing. Send the older boys outside to play. Boys are outside "killing" gophers with their guns. Done. Do the next thing. Start dinner. It's simmering away. Done. Do the next thing. Smile, you're very blessed. Done. Do the next thing...

This has been my little ditty lately and has really helped me to be diligent and efficient without feeling totally overwhelmed and panicked. Some seasons are faster than others. One way I can attempt to get through them with a good attitude is by focusing on what's before me and not on everything else. Do the next thing. Even though it seems that there's always a "next thing", I can get through much more graciously this way. So when you feel like you're not going to make it through the morning, look around, smile, find the first thing that needs to be done and get moving...once it's over and you're feeling so accomplished, smile again and simply do the next thing.