A half hour lunch would be nice! Guest Post: Lisa Alexander

Today's post is a guest post by my good friend, Lisa Alexander. One of the reasons I am such a kindred spirit with Lisa is that like me she wears a lot of hats. We understand each other's worlds very well. Lisa is a wife, mom, minister, student, business owner, marketing guru (she wouldn't call herself that, but I'm just speaking truth) and lots more. She creates the WOW factor for her clients and does it like no other. If you need help with web launches, advertising campaigns, social media marketing, book launches and the like, she's your gal! We first met many years ago online but our relationship has transcended to an in person one as well. I've had the privilege of being in her home and meeting her family. She's the real deal, ya'll! Here's what's on her heart to share with us today about half hour lunches and so much more...

I am a wife.

I am a mom.

I am a minister.

I am a student.

I am a business owner.

I am also a few me’s short to get done everything I need and want to get done.

I remember when I worked a 9-to-5 I would scoff at a half-hour lunch break. I lamented, what in the world can you get done in a half hour? Then I changed jobs and got an hour lunch break and you better believe I thoroughly enjoyed this luxury. Now as a business owner who works out of her upstairs loft, I think a half-hour lunch break is the epitome of luxurious living. 

I know how I would operate my business if I were a single woman but that’s not my reality. The wife, the mom, the minister, and the student must all be gently juggled with the business owner who needs to earn a living. 

There ain’t no way

When I was younger, I would read the story of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31…yea, you know her…and wonder how she got it all done. I felt less than adequate as a woman and a wife. But on further inspection of the scripture, the virtuous woman was smart enough to solicit help! There is no way she could care for her house and run a successful business by herself. There’s just no way. 

I’ll do it myself

But trusting other people to help me has been a learning process. Let’s be very honest and very real, the reason some us do many of the things we do is because extra funds simply do not exist to pay someone to help you. 

Then we believe the lie that no one will care for or perform a task as you would. And your kids reinforce this belief when called upon to ask with the household chores. We tell ourselves it’s better to do it ourselves than waste time redoing work that was haphazardly done. And your kids know this. Do a crappy job and mom will release me from the chore altogether. Ideally, you instruct your children, set the standard and reinforce the standard when they miss the mark. But honestly, who has time for that most days! There’s a client project to work on, an eight-page marketing paper due, a bible study lesson to prep for and a husband who needs your attention.

Let somebody help you

I recently blogged about a photo shoot and how I was prepared to style my own hair and apply my own makeup. A few things I’ve learned to do well over the years. So when my stylist asked if she could do it for me, my knee-jerk reaction was to say no. But her fee was reasonable and it would save me time and stress so I let her do it. Needless to say the shoot was amazing and her work was incredible! 

There are skilled, affordable and qualified people who can help you get everything you need to get done. God told Moses, look, you have the overall blue prints for the Tent of Meeting but I’ve got some folk who I’ve given the details too and they are skilled and qualified to do what I’ve shown you.

Pray God connect you with these people and then don’t tell them no when they ask to help.

Dear one be encouraged.

You’re not alone in your struggle to accomplish many tasks with limited resources.

Some things may have to wait…I didn’t try and go back to school until both my children were old enough to fend for themselves in the kitchen. I’ll graduate this year so that’s one less thing I have to do. 

And it’s ok if laundry doesn’t always get put up right away. If your kids and hubby have to pull clean underwear out the dryer at least it’s clean right?

Don’t believe the lie that no one can do it as good as you. Train, allow for mistakes and don’t allow yourself to dismiss people from their responsibilities. They have to learn just like you did.

Finally, know when to release your inner do-it-yourselfer. There comes a time when skilled and qualified, God-sent help arrives because it’s time to move full steam ahead with what God has assigned to your hands. 

Be blessed everyone.