Jimbo's Jots

Average is not always bad. Average could also mean a sense of routine. We like our routine. Psychologically, routine creates a sense of comfortable rhythm in our lives.

I connect to music. There are certain styles of music in which appears as if there is no sense of comfortable rhythm. I also choose not to dance much because I feel there is a disconnect between the music in my head and my rhythm in my feet.

In our house, and having a teacher in the household, we have a “school year” routine and a “summer break” routine. School year routine means an earlier bedtime and earlier wake up. School year routine means knowing the prep work in the morning that needs to be taken care of in order to get the teacher out of the house when she wants to leave.

Summer break routine looks a bit different. There are no alarms really with a few exceptions several times through the summer. There is no need to rush around getting tasks done to get someone out the door by a certain time. The time to “go to sleep” is a little more relaxed. There is a routine, just not as structured.

What happens when the routine is messed up a bit? It’s been 14 years now since we experienced a really messed up routine in our family. In March of 2009, I spent a week in St. Louis with family as we saw a sister pass away from her earthly life to her eternal life. After a brief trip home, turned around a week later to attend her memorial service. Then, in July of 2009, it was eerily a similar story – this time with Dad.

The external changes in the routine could have produced some tremendous anxiety within our family. However, we were able to adjust because the desire to be together and support each other far outweighed the tension we may have experienced in the circumstances.

Psychological studies have shown that in moments where tension and change have caused a break in a routine, we learn to adjust to a new routine. It may take a bit of time, but we learn to adjust. With our family, celebrating Christmas was different. Family closeness and contact was different. For me, I had become my mom’s financial manager.

If anyone didn’t really have a routine, it was Jesus. Several weeks ago, we talked about interruptions we experience. Jesus embraced the interruptions – the ones where people needed him. But Jesus also took time to be away to refocus on his relationship with God the Father. Jesus has his intention to fulfill what God wanted him to do. Maybe that’s what his “routine” was all along!

Be blessed! Be a blessings along your way!