Since I moved to Nashville 7 weeks ago, I have spent nearly 3 weeks of that time in Fargo, ND. I just arrived back from my second Symphony week of the year. (For those who may not know, I am planning to play every Masterworks Series concert with the FMSO, as my schedule will allow.)
Upon touching down in Minneapolis on Nov. 2, I spent the rest of the day hanging out with my older brother, driving to Perham, MN, having an amazing dinner cooked by my sister-in-law, playing with my niece and nephew and driving the rest of the way to Fargo with my mom. The next day began at 7:15am working alongside my dear friend, Melinda, and chaperoning a group of students at a music festival all day. Friday through Sunday were completely filled with preparation and production for the Reilly concert and worship at my church in Moorhead, MN. Sunday through Friday I had rehearsals with the FM Symphony Orchestra for concerts on Saturday and Sunday. Not to mention, I also worked a few days at Great Harvest Bread and taught several violin lessons, and I still managed to meet up and hang out with a few close friends. Monday around midnight, I was back home in TN.
One night, my mom mentioned something to the effect of "Oh, of course you are busy," and within hours of her comment, a friend from Symphony remarked that coming back to Fargo meant essentially stepping back into the same exact routine I left. I couldn't help but agree.
Much of my life has been defined by busyness. A carefully crafted schedule. If you wanted to meet up for something as simple as lunch or an hour-long coffee outing, I might have to schedule it weeks in advance. Oftentimes, I would hear people say two things about me: 1) Kelly is really nice and 2) Kelly is a very busy person.
Reflecting on this is fascinating because of the stark contrast my Nashville life has at this point in time. While I have a calendar, it is no longer filled with more notes than I can hope to keep up with. The one thing I seem to have in abundance is TIME - something I can't recall ever having before.
This time thing, while I often feel a bit awkward dealing with it (It is sort of like winning a million dollars when you are used to sacrificing and budgeting every penny carefully to pay everyday bills), is wonderful and perfect for this stage in my life. Three things come to mind: 1) Time to develop solid friendships and connections with others. 2) The ability to say yes to serving opportunies, both at home and elsewhere. 3) Freedom from the strict schedule and time to refocus on my walk in the Lord. I can practice violin, clean, cook, attend a small group, read and catch up with people. There are no barriers to these things- I can do them to my heart's content.
While I do not intend for things to remain as they are indefinitely, schedule-wise, I see God working through the time to redeem it for His purposes. Good things- sometimes unexpected things- have come about simply because I had the time. I desire greatly to lift up those around me, to encourage them, guide them, walk with them. Now I can do that better.
I feel I am living a double life, but I am alright with that for now. I know things will get busy soon enough (it tends to follow me), and while that is a gift, I will gladly receive and use the gift of "free time" effectively how I am led today. I may need to remember this blessing in the future.
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