Routine Both Scares Me and Secures Me

Posted on by tclaytor

Routine both scares me and secures me.

It scares me because routine has a habit of numbing the mind. When we go through our usual tasks, our minds disengage. We aren’t as connected and time passes quickly. All of a sudden, you come to and realize you haven’t been paying attention for several minutes. Routine makes life go by too quickly. Routine closes my eyes and deadens my senses.

But routine also does the silent work of putting down deep roots when I’m not looking. The routine of daily life, of work and play and preparation and cleaning up, lays a foundation of security that brings rest to my soul. And, though I might not observe how this everyday stuff accomplishes this, all I need is a break and a return from this routine to understand how routine makes me feel at home.

So routine keeps me slightly uncomfortable—scaring me with the brevity of my time here but giving me glimpses of what it feels like to belong somewhere. This discomfort makes me look forward to a future where time is not something to be feared (in eternity will we even notice it?) and security will not be synonymous with same old. Instead, excitement and home will be intertwined into something new and ancient at the same time.

*Written as a response to the Five Minute Friday prompt

Published by tclaytor

Tatyana Claytor is primarily a lover of story and truth. As an English teacher, she is surrounded by the stories of the ages, but as a lover of God, she is enveloped in the Story beyond all ages. Her desire is to know the Author of this story as clearly as possible that she might help others see God’s truth in their lives and His plan in their stories. She currently lives in Cocoa, Florida with her three story-loving children and her husband, Lead minister. She has a Master’s degree in Education from Nova Southeastern University and a Master’s degree in Professional Writing from Liberty University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate from University of Central Florida in Rhetoric and Composition in the Texts and Technology services.

2 thoughts on “Routine Both Scares Me and Secures Me”

  1. Wow. Tatyana that is beautiful, and way deeper than my mind was able to go so early this morning. The disengaging routine of life can be so off putting, like when you get in the car and next thing you know you are home but you can’t really remember the drive. Eeek. This is definitely reminding me to pay extra attention to the moments where I tend to turn on auto-pilot and live in the moment, particularly with my kids. This time is precious and I’ll never get today back. Thanks for sharing today, I can’t wait to check out more of your posts!

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    1. Thank you! To be honest, I wrote it last night! My brain isn’t so clear in the morning either.
      I need to remind myself daily to live intentionally and not just get my tasks done. Every moment is a gift!

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