Today’s guest contributer is Brandy Walker.
Brandy Walker is a digital pastor, and copy writer. On her blog, brandyglows, she plays with words to inspire real change and help creative entrepreneurs.
You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. When she’s not working, she and her husband laugh until they cry, homeschool their 4th grader, and bake cheap, yummy sweets.
——————–
For the past month, I’ve been sculpting my to-do list. My action steps. My things-that-need-to-happen-before-my-water-breaks plan.
Last weekend, contractions started to flow. I couldn’t tell if they were merely Braxton Hicks or something more. But one thing was very clear. I wasn’t going to finish that list.
It was Go Time. And I could almost feel my head clearing. Irene fast approaching, the storm in my brain dissipated at a remarkable level. I was not ready to give birth in my home. Yet. With a few simple steps, I knew I could be.
I looked at my husband, ”I don’t know if I’m going into labor. But in case I am, we need to do three main things to prepare and set my mind at ease.”
He took a deep breath and waited, apprehensive. I wasn’t sure if it had to do with the birth or what I might be about to propose (he’s wary of my fantastical schemes). I cleared my throat and continued, “First, we need to create a birth plan. Then, we need to make a list of the essentials for the birth and go to get them as soon as possible. And finally, we need to clean up this house.”
It was simple, a plan, the supplies and a relaxing environment. That’s all I needed. Everything else could wait. How freeing.
As the evening wore on, my contractions subsided. It didn’t look like we were having a baby that night. But still, he kindly helped me prepare for a peaceable labor. We constructed a birth plan that includes candles, quiet, prayer, the movie Chocolat (for early labor), what to do with our puppy when I reach active labor, and placenta encapsulation. We journeyed to Target the next morning and picked up cheap clear shower curtains, black trash bags, popsicles and the other things on our homebirth list. We’re still in the process of cleaning up. I organized the laundry room, washed all the baby clothes. Our daughter dutifully shined the dishes.
It’s Monday. No baby yet. And we may still have a couple of weeks. But for the first time in this pregnancy, I feel ready. And that is a gift from God.
###
I really thrive on productivity. I love the feeling of scratching everything off my to-do list. Problem is, I often don’t hesitate to add new tasks. Eventually the list becomes so large I can’t hope to finish in a day, a week, or even a month.
I am a digital pastor and I write a lot on my blog about participating with God restoring Shalom – peace and wholeness – on earth and within ourselves.
Tara asked me if I would write this guest post more than a month ago – and I was thrilled! I have such deep respect for her – both as a Productivity Maven, and as a dear friend. I promised to get it to her much sooner than I could deliver. As a result, I’ve been racked with guilt. She’s been very gracious, but I feel very bad.
When I didn’t go into labor last weekend, I allowed myself a (slightly) longer list. And I included this piece, realizing how important it was for me to keep my word. Her request meant a lot. Finishing this was one small way I could restore Shalom inside my being.
###
This pregnancy has taught me a lot about being gentle with myself. I am an anxious soul; I need frequent reminders that God loves me; that it’s going to be okay; that I don’t have to cross everything off my list right now.
Prayer, meditation, gratitude, hot bubble baths, reading to my daughter: these are some of the many Shalomy tools I use to put peace in my heart. Just taking a moment to breathe slowly and intentionally can do wonders to brighten our day.
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you love productivity as much as Tara and I do. For the sake of our wholeness, may we all take a few minutes to figure out what we need for Shalom today. And then, let’s do that. When we return to our work, we just may find our lists seems much more doable.
Connect With Me