“If You Have Time to Lean”
My sophomore year of high school I had my first real job working at Chick-Fil-A. I absolutely loved it. Sure, there were days that I didn’t feel like working but all in all I loved the job and loved the people I worked with.
If you have ever eaten at Chick-Fil-A, you know that they aren’t like every other fast food restaurant. The food is better, the people are kinder, and usually the buildings are cleaner. We had a motto at Chick-Fil-A that was repeated often throughout the day. “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” This would keep us working hard and was a good reminder to not just stand around. My busy body self loved the rhyme and it stuck with me even after I stopped working at CFA.
Fast forward 7 years later:
The rhyme still rolls through my head on a daily basis. Any time I get the chance to sit down, I am immediately thinking of all the things that need to be done. Chick-Fil-A came up with a motivating, catchy little phrase. And it was a great idea for at work! But with CFA, I had days off. I had hours of rest. Motherhood and being a wife is not the same. The job never has days off or hours upon hours of breaks. So while I’m thankful CFA helped grow my work ethic, I also need to remember that this does not apply to a 24/7 job.
Even if you didn’t work for Chick-Fil-A, I think all mothers have this problem. If we have time to lean, then we are neglecting something else. Rest becomes nonexistent. Energy is sapped from our bodies with no time to replenish. And I don’t know about y’all, but when I ignore rest it definitely takes a toll on my overall attitude.
Rest often translates to laziness in my mind. This is just not true.
Rest is necessary for my health, my attitude, my patience, and my family. My kids don’t notice the unfolded laundry or the pile of dishes in the sink. You know what they do notice? They notice when I am impatient or grumpy. They notice me listening to them intently, reading a book with them, or just playing with whatever toys are most interesting at the time.
Now don’t get me wrong, laundry does need to be folded and it’s always nice to have clean dishes. There is a time for these things, but that time does not need to be my entire day. If I have time to lean, I have time to pay attention to my family. I have time to drink a cup of coffee. I have time to enjoy those around me.
I’m still working on this. It’s hard for me to rest. But with lots of prayer and patience with myself, I know it’s doable. I’m thankful for my families patience with me and my God’s graciousness given to me. When I remember to lean on Christ it makes resting easier. It makes my attitude and my home feel fully in order even when it doesn’t appear so.
