In my ideal world, I would sit next to Ish during his 20 minutes of computer time, using the educational games as jumping-off points into fun learning.
In my real world, Ish chooses between disneyjr.com, pbskids.org, or legos.com. I set the timer, make sure the volume is high enough that I can hear what he is playing, and then am off to keep the baby from playing with electricity and to make some progress in the kitchen.
In my real world, Ish chooses between disneyjr.com, pbskids.org, or legos.com. I set the timer, make sure the volume is high enough that I can hear what he is playing, and then am off to keep the baby from playing with electricity and to make some progress in the kitchen.
In my ideal world, my family and all of the families of the world would eat foods that met organic and ethical standards - while still meeting budget boundaries.
In my real world, I buy fair trade coffee, try to wash the mostly non-organic produce extra well, and watch the monthly totals grow higher than I would like. I know I *should* buy better meats and dairy options, but we cannot justify increasing the grocery budget and consequently decreasing the amount we give to those who are dying to eat something, anything - even if it is GMO, pesticide-laden, etc.
In my real world, I buy fair trade coffee, try to wash the mostly non-organic produce extra well, and watch the monthly totals grow higher than I would like. I know I *should* buy better meats and dairy options, but we cannot justify increasing the grocery budget and consequently decreasing the amount we give to those who are dying to eat something, anything - even if it is GMO, pesticide-laden, etc.
In my ideal world, all six of us would end each night with 30 minutes of family time - reading, praying, loving each other.
In my real world, I have nights when I am on my own, standing to keep the baby in one place and relatively happy, craning my neck to see the words, beeping like an audio book when I need a child to turn to the next page for me. Squabbles are always a millisecond away, and any hopes for deep discussion or prayer disappear as soon as I realize the baby wants to go to bed last.
In my real world, I have nights when I am on my own, standing to keep the baby in one place and relatively happy, craning my neck to see the words, beeping like an audio book when I need a child to turn to the next page for me. Squabbles are always a millisecond away, and any hopes for deep discussion or prayer disappear as soon as I realize the baby wants to go to bed last.
* * * * *
Bridge-building brings the danger of making the ideal world seem achievable. If I just get up earlier every morning to get those tasks done before the day even starts, I can have endless time with my children. If I just read another forty-seven internet articles on how to buy real food cheap, I'll hit the magic balance of ideal food for my family while still taking care of those I have been blessed to bless. If I manage my children better, we can have kum-ba-yah moments every evening.
The reality is that the real world is all we have here. I can build bridges that help make the most of my realities, but spending time trying to create ideals is another definition for futility. Longings for my ideal world are just misplaced longings for heaven, for Jesus having His way in me. So when, even though I have walked the bridge for quality time, my kids still fight and I struggle to find one happy quality moment in the day? Instead of claiming failure for myself or hurtling myself into rapid bridge construction, I must stop and evaluate my heart. These bridges are simply to help me adapt well to my real situations, so I must pause and take stock of my target - keeping in front of myself not the impossible ideals but the Hope of Heaven.
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