What's a girl to do?

As I've mentioned previously, I've been kid-free during the week since this school year began. Sure, I've had appointments or sick kids or work thrown in the mix occasionally, but for the most part I have several hours to myself every day. It is, in a word, bliss.

But it really has me thinking about how I can spend my time wisely.

When I left my full-time job and primarily took on the role of stay-at-home-mom three years ago, I wrongly assumed I'd have tons of time to keep the house clean and go on playdates and adventures and so on. In reality, it was all I could do most days to get everyone dressed and to encourage them to keep those clothes on for the remainder of the day.

And again I've found myself battling similar erroneous preconceived notions about how much I can get done even when I'm unencumbered. Really, it's the fact that I only have about three hours a day instead of what seemed like seven, when you take away time spent dropping off and picking up and lunch with my husband home every day. And then, there's a myriad of things I COULD do but don't really know where to begin to prioritize, and yet still have a little downtime too (read: Netflix streaming is my time-kill du jour).

I've thought about getting a part-time job to maximize my time and earn some much-needed extra cash, but there are few jobs that can work with my hours requirements (not too many employers have a 9 to 2 shift), though I think I've found something where I can fill in on an as needed basis--more info to come if that materializes.

During this time, I've actually found that I have a longing to make a difference outside my little family. They are my priority, of course, but while they are safely off to their respective jobs and schools, I can impact others in a tangible way by volunteering my time.

When I began looking to the great needs that exist, I quickly became overwhelmed. How can Little Ol' Me even make a dent in all those poverty-stricken, dirty-water, fatherless-kid troubles we have in the world? Well, I can't. I'm finite and limited. And I'm okay with that. Because I'm learning that, as Max Lucado wrote in his new book Outlive your Life, "None of us can do what all of us can do." So I will jump in where I can and hope that others will join me as they become aware of the needs all around them too. Kind of like the New York subway logo: "If you see something, say something." Or in our case, If you see something, do something!

For me, it's the children. My passion has long been children. Did you know that there are an estimated 147 million orphans in the world right now? That number is staggering. It's not just in third world countries either. I learned recently that there are 175 kids in the foster system in my local county here in Arkansas and only 62 open homes, and another 175 kids in the adjacent county for 20 open homes. That math is awful, and there are real, live children behind those numbers. I want to do something about it. And I will.

I learned last week of an organization that is focused on promoting and supporting foster/adoptive families in Arkansas, partnering with local churches; it is named The CALL (Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime). There is a new chapter starting in NWA, and I have reached out to the director about how I can plug in. I'm writing this here not to pat myself on the back but to hold myself accountable. There is also an orphan care conference that will happen right here in NWArkansas in February that I hope to help with as well. I will update as things progress.

♦