Kairos vs. Chronos

I recently read an article that hit me like a ton of bricks. You know, one of those articles that you think, "If this girl and I lived near each other, she and I could be BFFs." Yep, like that.

Every single word is so perfectly...me. Her article addresses those feelings you feel when sweet older women tell you, "to enjoy every minute and the time is so precious."

Does it make me a deadbeat mom if I don't? Well, according to her, I have at least one other person who feels the same way.

She goes on to write that, "There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It's regular time, it's one minute at a time, it's staring down the clock till bedtime time, it's ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it's four screaming minutes in time out time, it's two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in. 

 Then there's Kairos time. Kairos is God's time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them."

Like this...

or this...

  And this? It's like kairos on steroids.

  

"Like when I'm stuck in chronos time in the grocery line and I'm haggard and annoyed and angry at the slow check-out clerk. And then I look at my cart and I'm transported out of chronos. And suddenly I notice the piles and piles of healthy food I'll feed my children to grow their bodies and minds and I remember that most of the world's mamas would kill for this opportunity. This chance to stand in a grocery line with enough money to pay. And I just stare at my cart. At the abundance. The bounty. Thank you, God. Kairos."

 

"Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard. Why is it that the second a mother admits that it's hard, people feel the need to suggest that maybe she's not doing it right? Or that she certainly shouldn't add more to her load. Maybe the fact that it's so hard means she IS doing it right...in her own way...and she happens to be honest."

 

But my favorite quote of the article is what she hopes she's going to say to a young mama in line at Target gritting her teeth when she becomes that "older woman".

"It's helluva hard, isn't it? You're a good mom, I can tell. And I like your kids, especially that one peeing in the corner. She's my favorite. Carry on, warrior. Six hours till bedtime." And hopefully, every once in a while, I'll add -- "Let me pick up that grocery bill for ya, sister. Go put those kids in the van and pull on up -- I'll have them bring your groceries out."

 Amen, Sister.