31: Skipping Class

I'm a few days behind the ball, but given the recent events of this week, I'm pushing forward with the words and deeds God has laid on my heart.

The Nester is hosting a "31 days" blog-something.  I'm still relatively new to blogging, so I'm sure there is a technical term for whatever it is.  I just don't know it.

My 31 days are 31 days of Margin.  I think I may have made a cute button for the sidebar (one that I copied from Nester).  I'm having technical difficulties getting it to load, though.

Regardless, Nester challenged us to do something and blog about it for 31 days straight.  Given my start to October, the revelation I had yesterday from Rachel Anne, and God continuing to nudge me gently to listen to His plan for my life, I chose 31 days of margin.

I'm totally counting yesterday's post as Day 1.  Today is Day 2.  So far, so good.  I may actually have the hang of this thing.

For the past couple of weeks when I take my children to church on Wednesday nights, I have opted to not attend a class.  I sit in my car and relax, breathe deeply, meditate, listen to music, catch up on Instagram/Twitter/facebook, read, pray.

I've gone to classes in the past.  I've greatly benefited from them.  This time around what I realized I needed was time to be alone with God, time to be alone with my thoughts, time for margin.  I went to a class the first week.  I felt so completely overwhelmed getting everyone to their classes on time, and still have the presence of mind to not be a total zombie in my own class.

Mind you, the first week I did it, my motivation was not very pure.  It was self-preservation.  It was pride.  I had stopped to ask a friend about the health of another friend and that conversation went a little longer than anticipated.  By the time we finished, my class was already under way, by at least 15 minutes.  There was no way I was going to walk in late.  No thanks.  Not my style at all.

I headed to my car to wait it out.  I had a book, so I read.  My entire disposition changed during the next 60 minutes.  My heart rate slowed, my brain slowed.  I could breathe.  I could think.  I could hear God.

I'll skip class any day if it means I get to hear God's voice over me.