Recharge to Serve

A few weekends ago, my husband and I watched the movie “Date Night” with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey. It was the story of a calculated couple with kids attempting to have a date night out, only to have mistaken identity take them on a wild journey they least expected. The two above mentioned comics are some of our favorites, and we knew this would be a movie we could laugh at (and hopefully) learn something from.

One scene in particular grabbed my attention. Carrell and Fey are sitting in a car talking about their marriage and some of the insecurities each has about it. Carrell fears that she’s bored with him and their life they’ve built, and asks if she ever fantasizes about leaving him for someone else. Her response: An emphatic “No.” Instead, she says, she fantasizes about having a nice, quiet, adult lunch – a salad, I believe – instead of the mac and cheese or chicken fingers she eats from the kids’ plate. And she would like to eat her lunch quietly, in peace, without being interrupted by the kids. In the end, she would love some time alone. And, don’t forget a Diet Sprite to top it off.

Can you relate with this? As Fey continued, it seemed to be the cry of so many moms out there….just a little bit of “me” time to recharge. Nothing fancy, nothing glamorous. Just a meal with a drink I enjoy, and some quiet time to gather my thoughts.

By communicating something as simple as this need to our husbands, I firmly believe our husbands would be happy to provide this for us. A quiet time at Starbucks with my bible can do wonders for my need to recharge. I’m a happier mom, more ready to serve and think less of myself, and I’m being encouraged by the Word, which gives me hope for each day. What can you do to help yourself serve your family and your kids more joyfully?