Routine
- rickhirschmann
- Jun 12
- 5 min read
This is something new. This is not routine. Yet.
Louie came in just before 7 this morning for no other reason than to wake me up, to tell me to get out of bed. I am convinced of this, as when I did get up to let him outside, he had no interest at all and simply took to the couch.
The mantra of this season, as mentioned in episode 59, Routine, is "it won't always be this way," and so, in that knowing I went back to lie down and let my mind wander for a bit. I glance up to see the small sign posted just over our closet.
Live by grace.
Not perfection.
Just over the sign, there is a stick that very much resembles a staff, which I pulled out of a bush several years ago while on a walk. Around the staff/stick is a blue string also found on a walk. It reminds me of a season spent with Beth Moore while she taught me to Believe God.
I began to speak Psalm 23 as a reminder of who holds me and this day. I don't memorize things easily, so when I can recount this chapter in its entirety, I feel what it must feel like to go to the gym. I have lifted mental weights, quite literally.
And then I let myself steep in the spoils of ideas. Today marks 1 month since we moved into this tiny little space, where we have spent the better part of 6 months making it our own.
I am going to do it. I am going to order the Big Buckle Birkenstocks that are not the ones I truly want for the long haul, but they are the ones my birthday gift certificate will cover, and with this wonky ankle, they really help. But then what about the shower bench and my supplements in the Amazon cart? Try taking my hormone supplements away, and my ankle will be the last of my worries, or let's be honest, Rick's worries.
Growing our podcast . . . I wonder if I can tag Tapestry in photos and posts on my personal page. I haven't been as good about staying current as I would have liked. Seriously, Facebook? How about a little Instagram grannie? We do have a website.
And then a brand new and fresh idea comes. Inspired.
Letters. I love writing and receiving letters. For whatever reason, writing bigger things is overwhelming to me in the moment, but a letter? I'm down. I think about our time after recording when we say, "Well, we didn't even mention this or that." And as a stream with rings encircling the stone dropped in, I know. This idea is a gift, and I am going to receive it as an answer to a prayer. Uttered only this past week, "Help me to see new ways to connect with others while growing this work called Tapestry." Amen
So this is a first of what I hope to be a quick word to give a small glimpse behind the episode. Thank you for taking the time to listen. Thank you for taking the time to visit this site. Thank you for taking the time to read this thread. Thank you for your kind words, support, and love. We appreciate you.
Routine
Rise early, quiet time in the word and prayer, and a good novel, take Louie for a walk, pack lunches, take a shower, and get ready for work, where I loved my job; this was my routine for a good long while. Following the day, I would come home, where Rick and I would have a cocktail on the patio and then make dinner for 2 or 7 or 10 of us, all depending on who came to the table. It was so good.
There was a current in constant motion flowing under this scene.
"What if we moved?" And if you have listened for a while, you know. We sure did move.
Every routine was changed up. Every habit was challenged. Every idea was fresh. Now, celebrating 1 month of sleeping in the same place every night, finds us settling.
We are looking to develop new routines, and it is welcome.
To do this season right, we know that we cannot get ahead of ourselves, but remember the scripture that has stood beside us and proven true for 2 years now.
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 and just above that in verse 3, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Not everything has worked out as we expected. Not everything has gone according to our plan. Not once has God failed to show up and provide a way for us to keep going. So, as for us, we will stick with this plan.
I hope episode 59 finds you challenging your own routine, maybe seeing something new in your day. Rick said he remembered a consultant telling them to take a new route to work at some point in the week in order to break the monotony of the trip back and forth. He then followed it with, "Most people didn't. It's hard to get people to do something different." Don't I know it.
It was Niki who once casually dropped into a conversation after introducing me to the concept of the Waterpik, "You should really floss AFTER you brush your teeth." First of all, there is a learning curve to using a Waterpik. Keep your mouth mostly closed and watch out for fresh batteries, but what was she even saying, after you brush?! "Think about it," she said, "what order does your dentist follow? First polish and then floss." Well, obviously, I had a new routine except when I don't floss and then feel like a loser and begin to recall the countless lies I have told my hygienist about my oral care habits. Left alone, I can hop right down the rabbit hole of the times I have looked my doctor straight in the eye to say, "Yep, that's right. 1 to 2 drinks per week." Really, who am I?
I am just a girl standing in front of a listener, holding hands with this man I have loved for quite some time, as we sum up our experiences and try to see them through God's Point of view. And yes, trying to develop a new routine.
Cheers,
Cheri
(In no way will I use AI in creating content. Please forgive the blunders accordingly.)
I'm sure she would agree that while her hair and wardrobe do not stand the test of time, her message does. Below you will find a link to the first audio session of Believing God, the bible study mentioned above. You can find the entire series, along with others, at lifeway.com.
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