Book Review: Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life – Keri Wyatt Kent

God often works in my life in thematic spurts. I’ll read a passage of scripture which “just happens” to coincide with the sermon a day later, and then a new book comes in the mail (through PaperBackSwap.com) which further supports the “coincidence” factor.

So it was no surprise a few months ago when I first heard a sermon from LifeChurch.tv (“God Will Never Give You More Than You Can Handle,” as seen in an earlier post.) The gist? Some of us are increasingly accepting constant stress and pressure as a normal way of life. This really resonated with me and the hats I was juggling of stay-at-home Dad, editor, novelist and podcaster.

A few days later in my LifeGroup we watched a NOOMA video entitled “Breathe,” which coincided perfectly with a book that had arrived a few days before THAT. And THAT is what I’ll be writing about today.

Breathing.

Even though the book is intended for MOPS groups (Mothers of Preschoolers), it’s still greatly applicable to my life as well. Because aside from my two macho testicles, the basic experience of stay-at-home parenting is relatively the same.

Here’s a few of the nuggets the book had to offer:

“Life is about more than productivity, more than quantifiable results.” – 26

Getting enough sleep, deciding not to hurry, saying no to what the world says you need to do so you can say yes to what God is calling you to do.

“We live in a society that’s focused on doing. That’s one reason so many of us wrestle with being a parent: time spent with our kids doesn’t feel like we’re producing anything.”- 45

This is an area that plagued me when I first started looking after Kyler. While I was somewhat comfortable with the idea of being a stay-at-home dad, I oftentimes felt like I had to try to explain or justify myself to others when talking about my life. Now I’m completely confident that what I’m doing MATTERS. I’m not just wiping butts and doing laundry and shuffling kids around – I’m setting an example. Even when I don’t think Kyler’s looking, I KNOW that he’s quietly absorbing everything I say and do, and will one day recycle it and internalize it as he figures out who he is and who he wants to be.

So I’m not just a glorified babysitter anymore. But I also don’t have to be SuperDad, setting up “educational opportunities” to enhance their minds and spirits, blah blah blah. I can just be me. I can just spend time with Kyler and Kaleb, and just spending time with them is a gift itself. (No, I’m NOT sayin’ I’m All That, but I AM saying that giving time to your kids is incredibly valuable to them. Being loved and noticed is what they’re all about, especially at such a young age.)

Anyhow, here’s a few of the other notes…

“We don’t focus on God or Christ by accident – we need to be intentional about it.” This especially applies to establishing a quiet time routine.

“Seek contentment, a simpler life. How many times do we buy things we don’t need? And then how much time do we waste maintaining those things we’ve bought?”

“We want to have time to spend with our neighbors, rather than spend all our time getting stuff, cleaning stuff, storing stuff and fixing stuff.” – 118

“Sometimes the best thing you can do for your kids is to say no to the needs of others, set aside some time to be alone with God, and pace yourself so that your family gets your best.” – 159

I’m a firm believer in that statement. Giving my family my best. When I was working as a freelance editor through PaperPolisher.com, I often found myself up against a deadline at nights. I’d have dinner with them and then have to disappear for the rest of the night to edit. And while I felt productive in terms of making money, it wasn’t worth the alienation I subjected Kim and Kyler to.

So when God started talking to me about relaxing a bit more and refocusing my priorities, He made it clear that my time at PaperPolisher.com was coming to a close. Which was a relief to me. I think the site was infinitely more successful than I anticipated, and God was able to put me in contact with a number of people who I both blessed and was blessed by. And as mentioned in the latest newsletter, I now have a co-author, Patrick, with whom I’ve grown especially close to. He’s not just a co-writer, he’s a trusted friend.

Now I’m in the process of drafting a new schedule for my life. Scheduling time for God, time to be with just Kyler, with just Kim, etc. Time to read, time to write, time to do nothing at all. I’m clearing my plate of all the other “stuff” that used to take up my time. There will be plenty of time to resume some things when the kids are in school and my days are free again. But until then, I think I just want to invest in their lives and development as much as possible. It’s a rare opportunity, and I don’t want to take it for granted.

“Prayer is essential to eliminating hurry and simplifying.” – 248

In keeping with the theme of slowing down, a similar book was just mailed to me this week from PaperBackSwap.com. It’s “Slowing Down to the Speed of Life,” by Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey. You might recognize Carlson’s name from his “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” series of books. I figure if God wants me to downshift, I might as well get a clearer understanding of exactly how to go about it.

I look forward to the next year and seeing how I continue to change as I strive to hear what He has to tell me. Honestly, I never thought I’d see the day when I’d VOLUNTARILY go to bed at 10:00pm on weeknights. That’s just crazy… but effective.

Kevin