This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16 NIV
Get up, exercise, catch up with email & Facebook, get kids breakfast, make sure kids are awake, clean, teach preschool, maybe make a phone call...the list goes on and on. Some days there is more to do, other days a little less.
I begin to think if I can only make it to the weekend then I can rest, take a minute to catch up with things. But no the weekend can be even crazier then my week: two trainings in one day, a birthday party, get things ready for church, fix food. Then the last day of my weekend comes around and it's just as erratic.
The Lord commands us to have a sabbath day, a day of rest. So how exactly am I suppose to take this day of rest? I mean every day is filled to the max. I know my week goes better when I do get a chance to rest, but taking that nap will just put me further behind. Could it be I need to put a nap on my schedule or I just need to do it?
As the end of the year approaches, I know my days will get consumed with even more things. There are more church events, more home school events, and more at home events. How can I manage to rest and get it all done?
I guess I need to step back and look at what's worked in the past or what didn't work in the past. Pray about what really needs done (priorities) and seek to find rest. Then I can breathe a sigh of relief and know I did my best without the extra stress.
Diana, I can totally empathize with your busyness! In a recent women's group at my church, it was suggested that we plan our schedule out on paper for the week, and then pray over it. As we ask God to help us plan our week, He will help us determine what is necessary and what isn't. If we plan for everything, we leave no room for God to "enter". It took me some time to do as I kept thinking I could "do it all!" But I, like you, know what it's like to be restless by Friday and pray for the weekend, only to not have any relief and begin another week still tired. I am learning this new technique and also the art of saying no to certain things. What I can handle, I plan for, what I can't, I admit that I don't have the time and may not be able to do something. It's not a weakness to not be able to do everything. It's a gift to be able to see the difference in what really matters and what doesn't. May you lean on God and His timing, see the need for what works and what doesn't, and continue to grow in His grace.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great advice. I also learned to pray over the next day's activities when I go to bed, asking God to organize my day. The addition of a prayer over my week would be a great help as well.
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