Babysitting, flexibility and life. If you can't bend you may just break.

I had a little revelation yesterday, nothing too profound, just a thought.  You know, life is a lot like babysitting!  

One of the struggles that we have encountered in our move this week is the fact that I am pretty useless when it comes to unpacking, moving things, and carrying anything around.  My crutches leave me rather helpless in the department where husbands normally excel...  So, my saint of a wife Megie has been bearing the brunt of getting us settled into our new home.  Together with that Little Liam has been rather unsettled for the last week and a bit.  It is quite understandable.  We have been stressed, and babies are quite sensitive to that.  But, over and above that, he has watched his whole world get packed into boxes, his movement has been restricted, his regular patterns and habits have been disturbed and he has had to spend quite a bit of time being told that he should not touch this or that, and not go here or there.  The long and the short of it is that I have done my best to keep him occupied while Megie tackles the boxes.  Liam doesn't seem to find me nearly as interesting (or useful) as his mom!  When he is with her he is quite happy just to be on her lap or hip.  When he is with me, however, he needs to entertained!

We have a number of 'props' and toys that keep him occupied.  However, I have come to understand that his attention span is about as short as that of his old dad.  Every few minutes the activity needs to change, or otherwise he goes off in search of his mom!  What keeps him occupied now will not necessarily keep him occupied in 5 minutes time.  Flexibility and novelty seem to be the keys to successful babysitting!

Well, that was the source of my revelation.  

Here I am a 36 year old doctoral graduate who has spent his adult life in ministry of one form or another (except for some time as a conscript in the South African Army, and far too many years at University).  Mid life for contemporary males is 36 years old (I'm not sure if you've ever done the Math on this!  They say that the average age at which a relatively healthy, white, South African Male dies, at this point in time, is 72 years old.  Divide 72 in half and you have 36, my exact age.  Mid life....)  Mid life is an extraordinary time!  It has caused me to reflect on what I spend my hours and days doing.  The previous 36 years have passed like a flash!  Sure, there have been very many incredible, rewarding, life altering, consciousness raising, Christ loving, moments... But boy it has passed way too quickly.  So, what shall I do with the next 36 years (which I hope to live to the full...  I should make it to 72 years old if I don't ride my scooter to often...)?

That was when I realised that flexibility and novelty are key to getting the best out of life and living.  Sure, one needs stability, and one must capitalise on what one knows (it would be stupid for me NOT to do something in theology, science, ministry etc.)... But, within those parameters one needs to have COURAGE to dare to do new things, and FLEXIBILITY to be able to role with the changes.

If you cannot venture with courage you will quickly become stagnant and stale.  And, if you cannot be flexible you will very quickly break under the pressure of an ever changing life.

How courageous are you?  How flexible and open to change are you?  These might just be two keys to greater fulfillment and blessing life!

Comments

[Beryl Donkin]

Flexibility is what you learn when you have children - especially boy children. And it's not just flexibility you learn from bringing up boys, but other creative solutions and risks as well - like how to make popcorn jelly. You may even bump into my son Allan who is an Intern at the Helderberg hospital in Somerset West. He was the author of popcorn jelly.
Blessings!
Beryl