Finding Balance

Yesterday I took the dogs out for a much-needed walk. Since it had been a little while since they had been out, I decided to do a pretty good hike (about 4 miles). The day was a mixture of rain, sun, and wind. At times I was sweating, while at other times I rubbed my arms to ward off the chill. It was strange.

From the moment I opened the truck door to let the dogs out, Mitch was on the run. With the emergence of spring, there were so many critters darting about, daring him to chase them. . . and he did. I walked four miles, but he probably ran eight. He was having the best time exploring and chasing. Tippy, on the other hand, was not so thrilled about the longer hike. She loves to get out but prefers the shorter walks. She is getting older, and her strength and stamina just aren't what they used to be. She lagged behind, huffing and puffing.

As I watched the two of them, I realized that they each represented a part of me. Mitch represents my motivated, goal-oriented side. It's the part of me that wants to go and go and go. It wants to accomplish all the things on the "to-do" list. It has big dreams and lofty ambitions. Tippy represents my unmotivated, need to rest side. This is the part of me that screams for a break from all the work. It's the part that would much rather sit and read a book than do anything else. It's the part I have to poke and prod in order to get it to keep up.

As I thought about these things, I remembered the verse in Psalms, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." God, in His great wisdom and loving mercy, gave me both sides. The side that wants to accomplish things and the side that knows that the flesh is weak and needs to rest every now and then. Imagine if I only had one side. The Mitch side of me would soon grow very weary in well doing. I would burn out. The Tippy side of me would never get anything done because it's easier to just plod along at a steady pace. Either would be a catastrophe.

Often I still have to seek the balance between work and play. Many times Jason has to tell me to slow down and take a break. What he doesn't know is the number of times I have to tell myself to get out of bed and do something. I haven't found the perfect balance, but I'm so thankful that God granted me a double-sided personality. What traits are you thankful for today?