• Books
    • Chaos to Clutter-Free
    • 101 Time-Saving Tips for Busy Moms
    • 28 Days to Timeliness
  • Start Here
  • Sign Up

Davonne Parks

  • Room by Room Organization
    • Bed and Bath
    • Kid Spaces
    • Kitchen
    • Laundry
    • Living & Family Areas
    • Office and Art
    • Storage and Outdoors
  • Cleaning Inspiration
    • Homemaking Encouragement
    • Cleaning Tips and Tricks
    • My Fixer Upper
    • My Messes (Before & After)
    • Reader Q & A
  • Home Management
    • Crafts and Decor
    • Easy Recipes
    • Finances
    • Holidays
      • New Years
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
    • Time Management 101
  • Self Care
    • Book Recommendations
    • How to Care for Yourself
  • Caring for Others
    • Friendship
    • Jesus
    • Parenting
    • Marriage

Fill Your Cup: Resting When the To-Do List Isn’t Complete

Self Care is Not Selfish

18 Jul

{Special Note: This is part 1 of a 4-part series about filling our cups – sneak peeks of the upcoming topics are at the end of this article!}

I tend to go, go, go, always productive, rarely stopping long enough to take a breath. But a few months ago, I got sick. My body was ridden with flu, and miserable aches shot through every inch of me. Showering became so strenuous that I napped for hours after. Fitful sleep overtook me as my body tried to shiver the fever away. For five solid days, I was down, my mind too exhausted to read, write, or speak. Silence filled my time, causing me to live inside my mind.

Then, my fever broke. Chills slowly subsided. And I noticed. The birds chirping. The glorious orange sky as the sun sank lower and lower, bidding us goodnight. Dishes clanking in the kitchen while I lay quietly.

sun-1274583_1280

As my strength renewed, my children’s faltered. They took their days on the porch, sleeping and laying.

Friends and relatives sent their love, telling us how sorry they were that we were so sick.

But I wasn’t sorry. Not one tiny bit.

I never would have given myself five days off, but those five days were the best kind of gift.

Snuggles, soup, coloring books, stillness, tea… they filled our alert moments. And our physical strength wasn’t the only thing being renewed. Our spirits were restored as well.

The sick days reminded me that, even when I’m not the one doing, life goes on. The 5 days made me realize that slow, savoring, is the way I want to go through life.

So this summer, I’ve been slowing enough to catch fireflies and chase sunsets. The neighborhood kids hop on their bikes to join my daughters and me as we ride together, determined to discover the best vantage point for witnessing the brilliance. We find a grassy spot and watch, the ants crawling onto our legs. Cold water from a public faucet drips down our faces and quenches our thirst. The wild berries we’d never noticed before stain our hands purple.

blackberry-214754_1280

There are still chores. The laundry doesn’t stop piling up. The business finances don’t take care of themselves. Kids bicker, the schedule overflows, I have a long way to go. We all do.

And when I became sick, my to-do list was still a mile long. But it was there – in the midst of the undone – that rest occurred.

Because if we wait until every item on the to-do list is crossed off, the kitchen sparkling clean, and every sock matched neatly in the drawer – if we wait for life to be perfect and neat before we rest and embrace the moment, we’ll spend our entire life waiting. Never embracing. Always rushing, exhausted, on fumes.

And friend, my house is not perfect. But cleaning it up doesn’t feel like such a terrible chore when I know that a good sunset-chasing bike ride is waiting as soon as I’m finished even if I’m not finished.

I’d love to hear: What fills your cup?

**********************************************************************

Tidy Up Friends, learning to live in a state of rest has been a challenge for me. I’m very task-oriented so I’ve needed to spend time contemplating how to incorporate rest into my home. I’ve also read books that have helped me tremendously.

This topic deserves some time so I’m writing a 4-part series about filling our cups. I’ve been mulling over these ideas for months now and I can hardly wait to share with you what I’m learning! I pray you will be blessed and filled up by implementing the words you read.

Here’s a sneak peak of topics that I’ll be sharing each Monday morning for the next few weeks (I’ll add links once the posts are live, so pin this article for future reference!):

Part 1 (Today’s Post): Fill Your Cup: Resting When the To-Do List Isn’t Complete
Part 2 (For the Homeschool Moms): 5 Books that Will Help You Slow Down, Savor Your Kids, and Rediscover Your Love of Homeschooling
Part 3 (For Every Woman): 8 Books that Will Help You Break Free from a Too-Busy Schedule
Part 4 (Now Live!): How to Care for Yourself Without Being Selfish

Don’t forget to share in the comments about what fills your cup – let’s all encourage & inspire each other!

9 Comments

You May Also Like:

  • When You Want to Read Your Bible But Keep Falling Behind…

    When You Want to Read Your Bible But Keep Falling Behind…
  • Q&A: How to Manage Your Home When Life Gets Chaotic

    Q&A: How to Manage Your Home When Life Gets Chaotic
  • How to Care for Yourself without Being Selfish

    How to Care for Yourself without Being Selfish
  • House Keeping Tip #1: Know Your Why

    House Keeping Tip #1: Know Your Why
  • Dear Messy Housekeeper {There is Hope for Your Home}: 5 Tips from a Fellow Mess-Maker

    Dear Messy Housekeeper {There is Hope for Your Home}: 5 Tips from a Fellow Mess-Maker
« Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer GIVEAWAY
5 Homeschool Mom Books that Will Help You Slow Down, Savor Your Kids, and Rediscover Your Love of Homeschooling »

Comments

  1. Hannah says

    July 18, 2016 at 11:40 pm

    I needed this SO MUCH MORE THAN I CAN DESCRIBE! Thank you! My husband is always listening to me lament how long my to-do list is, and his response is always, “Why don’t you take some time to relax?” But I never feel like I can–until it’s all finished!

    One really tough but much needed change I started recently was how I spent my lunch breaks. I work super close to our apartment, so every day I would come home and do housework or meal prep or errands during my break. One day I noticed how unusually fast my heart was beating when I got home from a stressful morning, so I went to lie down for a few minutes. I quickly fell asleep–and that nap did so much more for me than anything else! Now each day I try to lie down during my lunch break for at least 15 minutes and breathe deeply. I felt guilty at first, but it makes me a much calmer and focused person when I return back to work!

    Another thing that helps is cutting back on my interests and commitments so that I’m not spread too thin when it comes to the things I need to accomplish. This is so tough for me, but something I’m in the process of working on as we aim for a simpler, more focused life.

    Also, I love that you chase sunsets. 🙂 you’re a great example to me!

    Reply
    • Davonne Parks says

      July 19, 2016 at 12:19 am

      Hannah, I love that you lay down on your lunch breaks! Those 15 minutes, whether asleep or awake, are incredibly refreshing.

      You’re so right about cutting back on interests and commitments – I’m still trying to do a better job of that as well. I’d love to hear about what interests really refresh you!

      Sunset chasing fills my soul 🙂 And tonight my family found the most amazing one yet. I can’t wait to share more about it in the upcoming months! (And if you’re ever in my area, I will show it to you. You will love everything about it.)

      Reply
  2. Molly says

    July 22, 2016 at 7:20 am

    I’ve only just seen this article — our family has been filling our cups while on vacation for the last three weeks. (Our last get away like that was over five years ago!)

    I was just trying to think of the things that I do on more of a daily basis to fill my soul… Quiet cups of coffee. Bible study. Exercise with a friend. Bedtime snuggles and reading a story to my children. Nature walks with the family. Choosing joy in the everyday. None of which happen *every* day, but it’s the little things in life that add up to make the beautiful.

    I’m looking forward to this series. And may your cup always be filled!

    Reply
    • Davonne Parks says

      July 22, 2016 at 8:25 am

      Molly, I’m so glad you’re here for this series! Your vacation sounds wonderful! It’s a blessing to get away with family ❤

      It sounds like you do a great job of finding ways to fill your cup with little pockets of time!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 5 Homeschool Mom Books that Will Help You Slow Down, Savor Your Kids, and Rediscover Your Love of Homeschooling says:
    April 6, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    […] I am currently writing a series about filling our cups. Because when we run on fumes, then our homes, our children, our relationships, our jobs… […]

    Reply
  2. 8 Books That Will Help You Break Free From A Too-Busy Schedule says:
    April 6, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    […] Note: This is part 3 of a 4-part series about filling our cups – read part 1 here and part 2 […]

    Reply
  3. How to Care for Yourself without Being Selfish says:
    April 6, 2017 at 7:32 pm

    […] we need to refuel. This is the final article of a 4-part series about how to do just that – read part 1 here, part 2 here, and part 3 […]

    Reply
  4. Top 10 Posts on My Blog in 2016 says:
    May 4, 2017 at 2:26 pm

    […] 5. Fill Your Cup: Resting When The To-Do List Isn’t Complete […]

    Reply
  5. What Do You Want? - Davonne Parks says:
    January 12, 2019 at 10:40 am

    […] Resting when the To-Do List isn’t Complete […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

FREE Email Course

Make Your Home a Haven

Making your house a haven   cover   vs35

    You’re only 10 days away from a haven at home. This FREE email course will help you get there.

    During our time together, I'll teach you how to implement specific processes and systems so you can make immediate progress.

    If you want to stop feeling stuck at home so you can be ready for whatever God has in store for you, sign up now.

    Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

    There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

    I won't send spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Powered by ConvertKit

    Search this Website

    A Note from Davonne

    Hi! Are you weary from accomplishing the same, seemingly invisible tasks every day and wondering if what you do really matters? I was. If you need to believe, deep in your soul, that your role at home is valuable, then you've come to the right place. Read More

    Connect on Social Media

    Featured Freebies

    • 101 Time-Saving Tips for Busy Moms eBook
    • Making Your Home a Haven email course
    • Printable Encouraging Notecards
    • Printable Verses to Teach our Children
    • Printable Snowman Soup Poem
    • Reader Q&A
    • Tidy Up Club on Facebook

    Instagram

    • If youre hurting right now if you have a dream
    • Jessica Miller is one of the sweetest people I know
    • My weekend was supposed to include a 90th birthday celebration
    • GRADUATION HELP FOR HOMESCHOOL PARENTS This is different than what
    • Are you staying safe at harbor even though you know
    • There is growth that takes place and its a constant
    • If you or a loved one has ever suffered from
    • Every day I fall short of loving well in some
    • This may be the absolute best thing I do as
    • Are you feeling discouraged because youve already dropped the ball
    • Do you ever feel invisible?  In my most real
    • Whether you love or hate Valentines Day this year I

    Copyright © 2019 · Refined theme by Restored 316