Pieces of Pie.....Monday

I felt like she had just punched me in the stomach. The ache in my heart flooded through me as I forced myself to finish our conversation. I had just dropped by my close friend's house to drop off one of my children and pick up one of hers. I commented on how great she looked and she crossed her arms, looked at me intently, and pronounced, "100 sit-ups every day," in a tone that if she could make it happen, then everyone could make it happen. And by everyone, she meant me.


Why did it hurt me so much? Because I felt like she was judging me. She was a homeschooling mom of 3 children, a husband who traveled more than he was home, she assisted in the public school, volunteered at church, managed her household, prayed every day, and so on. I was homeschooling 5 children and had a visiting step-child but my husband came home every night. Yes, I was involved in all sorts of other activities just like her.

So was I just feeling sorry for myself because I didn't seem to have the same perseverance and self-discipline it took to make a 100 sit-ups happen every day? Perhaps, I felt guilt about a lot of things during those busy years, so that could have been just one more.

But it could have been about pieces of pie. I learned about the importance of 10 minute increments years ago when my husband and I took a life balance management class (when we only had 3 children). The leader encouraged us to keep track of what we did every day for a week in 10 minute increments. He gave us a cool time sheet and I thought - finally I'll be able to figure out where I am wasting time, and be able to start exercising, writing letters (pre-internet), and planting a garden before July. When you do those worksheets, you may be as surprised as I was to discover all of the things you are doing each day but didn't notice because your eyes were on the unfinished list.

We all have 24 slices of pie each day. We slice those 1 hour pieces into smaller increments trying to get more out of each day. For all of our similarities, we are still unique women, each on the path God has for us. We all live differently from each other based on lifestyle, personality, situations, and relationships. Two working mothers of 3 year olds do not do everything exactly the same.

Now when I feel pressure from myself, or am asked by anyone else to be or do something, I don't answer right away. Instead, I look at my pie and see if there are any slices I am able and willing to exchange for this new activity. I will answer to God for how I spent my time and used my energies during my life. And as my grandmother would say, "To each her own."

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who
don’t see things the way you do.

And don’t jump all over them every time they do
or say something you don’t agree with

—even when it seems that they are strong
on opinions but weak in the faith department.

Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced

that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background,

might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly.

But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude

if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat?

God, after all, invited them both to the table.

Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list

or interfering with God’s welcome?

If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned,

God can handle that without your help.

Romans 14: 1-4 NLT

Dear Lord, Please forgive me for every time I have looked at someone's choices and judged them. Please forgive me for comparing myself to others and for thinking even for a moment that I know the best way something should be done. Do I even know the best way for me to do a thing? Please help me to accept other's when they slice their pie differently than me. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins