I'm Going Soft
Written By: Margie Davis
My husband, Rick and I live in a neighborhood that is right next to the trail in Franklin, so we get to see lots of walkers, runners and bikers. I work in our yard quite a bit and one couple in particular always waves and sometimes comments on our yard as they go by. Occasionally they stop and holler “there’s the hardest working woman in our neighborhood!” As a person who tries to go hard on most tasks, I take that as a very great compliment!
That mentality likely came from a childhood of Vtrying to be noticed in a family with 5 kids. And though I had 4 built-in best friends, sometimes it was hard to get noticed amongst my 3 older siblings and baby brother. I felt like the forgotten 4th child.
So, I tried to stand out. I went hard at everything I did. I went hard with being the life of the party. I went hard with doing my chores, pleasing my parents, and getting good grades. We all took piano lessons, but I was the one who practiced hardest. We all played instruments, but I wasn’t satisfied until I made 1st chair. You can see the pattern. Going hard has just been who I am.
It's a mindset that has served our family well I believe. Rick and I both worked hard at our jobs for years so that we could be debt free with some savings before we retired. We went hard at blending our families when we got married in 1996. We wanted to create as many experiences and memories as possible with our 5 children and all the grandchildren God has blessed us with. Rick went hard at full time vocational ministry at Victory for 24 years (after retiring from both the Army and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs) retiring January 1, 2025 at age 73. We have loved the season of going hard at everything.
But there is a sacrifice.
Josh recounted the story of Joseph and the years of abundance followed by the years of famine. To be prepared for the years of famine, sacrifice was necessary during the years of abundance. “Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years…This food should be held in reserve to be used during the seven years of famine, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”
Preparation for our family never meant that we lived like paupers and didn’t have any fun at all. But we also don’t believe in a “play now, pay later” mentality. We save for trips if we want to take them. We don’t buy new clothing, cars, appliances, carpet, furniture, etc. unless we really need them. We budget for Christmas and birthdays. It is important to us that our financial future is as secure as possible.
Those years of going hard truly mean something to us. And we would still love to go as hard as we did when we were younger.
But alas the Senior Citizen Train made a stop at our house! My mind still says “go hard” but my body is not keeping up! I now realize that this is exactly the time that we had the wisdom to plan for during all those years of abundance!
Yet sometimes I need to be reminded of that. A “GO HARD” mentality doesn’t retire easily!
Rick and I have come up with a new catch phrase that helps us remember our need for margin. We have decided we are ready to live a soft life. Instead of going hard, we are intentionally going soft. This means we sleep in when we want to. It means we say no to social events sometimes. A soft life means there is no expectation of a big meal to be cooked every night. A soft life means that we go to bed at 8:00 if we’re tired. We let ourselves and each other off the hook. Do you need to cancel your plans with us? It’s ok and we really mean that. Creating margin in our lives frees up time to rest when our body needs it, to dig deeper into God’s word, serve Him, and to truly invest in the people God has given us as our personal circle of influence.
The abundant years were so good. These years, in many ways, are so much better, because God directed us into creating margin in preparation for such a time as this!
Does the soft life sound good to you? Are you ready to create a little margin in your life? “Register now for Victory's “Freed Up” environment here: https://www.victorycc.life/freedup