For more than a decade, someone in our family grew a garden and I put up vegetables every year. I canned acre peas, cream peas, pink eye purple hull peas, and zipper peas. I even canned squash (not worth the effort), potatoes, and corn, but my favorite is green beans. This year no one in my family grew a garden and I was running low on green beans from last year’s canning. So, I bought a crate of fresh beans from the farmer’s market and canned them.
When I sat in the living room snapping the beans, I realized I wasn’t tired. My back didn’t hurt from staying out late picking. My arms weren’t eaten up from mosquitoes or ants. I didn’t have to adjust my afternoons to make sure we got all the beans picked before they were too far gone. And yet, I had the same result: enough green beans to get us through the year.
After this experience, I’m considering other ways I can work smarter, not harder. While growing our own garden has always been a blessing, it also takes time, seed, fertilizer, water, weed pulling, picking, and more picking. We just aren’t in that season right now.
Grocery Delivery and Pick-Up
Another choice I made this year was ordering items online and utilizing store pick-up options. The first time toilet paper showed up in the mail, my kids made fun of me. “You’ve reached a new level of lazy, Ma.”
I laughed. “Lazy or not, it’s better than getting stuck without it.”
So many items are available for same or next day delivery and pick-up. Why not utilize that option on days when the tired is huge and the energy is gone?
The older I get, the more my “rememberer” fails. Instead of depending on my memory or keeping up with a list, I immediately add the item to my upcoming pick-up or delivery. The stress caused by forgetting necessary items has virtually disappeared and once the item is ordered, I can stop trying to remember.
Front Porch Swing
Another smarter not harder choice this year was my front porch swing. I’m perfectly capable of building a swing. There are tons of free plans out there and we have wood left over from building our house. But I haven’t had the energy to make it happen. Working extra this year wore me out, so I saved a little each month and asked a carpenter friend to build us one. I didn’t have to stress about cutting things wrong or carrying heavy boards. But I get to enjoy the benefits of a beautiful swing.
Trusting God
My biggest smarter not harder choice this year was trusting God. He made it abundantly clear that I was to take on an extra part-time job at the school. And he also made it clear that I was to write six lessons a week for a devotional Bible study for educators. Being that I knew these assignments for certain, instead of worrying how I would make it through physically or find time to write, I defaulted to God. Let me explain.
There were many days when fibromyalgia seemed to win and I was struggling to make it past lunch time with my students due to pain. Instead of feeling defeated or wanting to quit, I immediately prayed. “God, I know you led me to this job. And since you want me here, I need you to be my strength. You tell us when we are weak, you are strong. I’m taking you up on it. Please help me.” And every time, he showed up.
When commitments happened and time to write dwindled, I responded the same way. “God, you placed this assignment in front of me, and you know how mentally exhausted I am. I can barely find the words to speak, much less write. This is your study I’m writing. Please let your words fill my pen. I can’t do this without you.” And every time, he showed up.
Smarter Not Harder Faith
While the physical exchanges of smarter not harder were beneficial, the faith element changed my life. When we surrender without putting up a fight and lean on his strength because we know he’ll show up, our faith grows. Our dependence is natural. And the fruits of our labor are in his hands. If he leads us to it, then he will continue to guide us through it.
Do you trust God enough to completely trust that he’ll make a way?
For more on faith: When Faith Demands Everything – Inspire A Fire