Fighting the need to be busy

Am I the only one who hates to feel left out? I'm not talking about hating to be left off the invitation list (although that could stink!) - I'm talking about the feeling that you are missing something because you aren't involved in everything.

That's where I'm at right now. Sometimes it's hard to balance the desire to be busy - to be involved in LOTS of activities - with the desire to just be simple. I know people who are busy 6 days out of the week with playgroups, lunch dates, parties, activities, etc, and sometimes I feel this need to make my own schedule more packed. That I'm "missing out" if I say "no" to an invite.

But, then I try it - I pack our schedule full and I say "yes" to everything. And for me, it just doesn't work. I feel exhausted, the kiddos feel exhausted, and those two together don't make for the cheeriest combination. ;)

For us, being home and moving at a slower pace works best for us. I know this. Yet, I still allow myself to get caught up in the feeling that I should be busier. That I am somehow missing out on the fun if we are home more than we are away.

I am learning, albeit slowly, that what works for others doesn't have to be what works for me. And while I know this, while I truly understand that what makes our family "tick," it's not always easy to just settle in to our life.

God has really impressed upon my heart lately two verses that are helping me see that (for us) it's not about being busy; it's about trusting Him and following His will for our family at this specific season.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders."

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I'm not saying that it's not in God's will to be busy. It's just not in God's will for us right now. And I'm having to learn that it's OK.

My fear is that others will view me as "standoffish" or not wanting to hang out and be friendly. I can assure you that is not the case at all. This girl loves to have fun! But, I am having to trust that God is molding me through this season, and that I simply have to trust His guidance and trust that He is calling me to be home more than He is calling me to be busy.

Can anyone else relate to this?