Finding Rest When Life Goes Too Fast

“Come to me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”

Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Let’s just be honest- I’m tired with a capital T.

In addition to just everyday life, in the past few months we’ve been burning the candle on both ends- we’ve been running around with our heads cut off, we’ve been trying to finish writing our story, we’ve catered a few large events for family and friends, we’ve watched our son graduate from high school, we’ve travelled around the country filming our documentary.

All of these events have truly been a blessing. We’ve loved getting to serve, and getting to walk through these big life events together. But in the sweetness of this busy season, I’ve gotten to the point where I’m just D-O-N-E.

I’m wanting to throw in the towel, wave the white flag of surrender. It’s a physical, emotional and spiritual kind of tired I’m talking about. Have you ever been there?

I’m so tired that my heart’s having trouble processing all that’s going on around me and that’s left me feeling emotionally flat. I don’t have the energy and vibrancy that I once had. If I sit down, I find myself dozing off. My mind wanders aimlessly, as well as my conversations, because I’m constantly thinking about what I have to do for the next big thing and I can’t seem to focus on what’s right in front of me.

It needs to change! I need to change!

I’ve been hinting to David that a nice, relaxing vacation full of sunshine, lounging in the sun with lots of good, unread books would be the best fix for how I’m feeling, but deep down I know that a vacation won’t fix the restlessness inside of me. When that realization hits, it prompts me to search for what’s really going on. For a year or more, I’ve felt like we needed to slow down but we haven’t been able to determine or agree on what activities we should cut out of our lives. They all seem like good, worthwhile things.

So how do you figure it out? We love to serve alongside each other in ministry and the pure thought of backing out of one of them breaks my heart. People depend on us. We love the fellowship that surrounds these events. We usually look forward to these occasions on our calendar but the craziness has to stop.

So how do we try to figure out what to cut out of our schedules so life can be more meaningful?

• Just because it’s a good thing doesn’t mean it’s what God wants me to do.
• There’s a time and a season for everything- just because I’ve done something in the past doesn’t mean I’m supposed to keep doing it. God might have something new or different in mind for me now.
• More than likely, there are other people who will step into this role and that might be exactly what God wants. I might be robbing somebody else of the opportunity to be a blessing.
• Some things might get too comfortable- if we settle into a role for too long we might not have to rely on God as much and we might not be growing. We might start relying on our own skills instead of jumping out in faith that God will equip us for the role He’s called us to.
• My desire to please other people should never get in the way of my desire to please God. It’s hard to back out of a role or say, “No” to someone but if it’s not what God wants me to do then I’m only pleasing people and not God. I should always evaluate if this is what He wants of me and I should revisit this question often.
• Don’t let my busyness get in the way of my time with God, my prayer life or my ability to hear God. When our lives are too crazy we can’t even hear God amidst the demands of life.

So, in the next few days, I have the hard task of trying to determine what God wants from me in this season of my life. It might mean that I have to back down from some of the roles I’ve taken on. But I know that my relationships, my health and my sanity will suffer if I don’t take a closer look at this problem and come up with a solution!

I’ve let it go on this way for too long. I have to change something or else it won’t get any better. I’m looking forward to some time to enjoy the simple, little things each day has to offer. I might have to learn how to form the difficult two letter word- NO- into my vocabulary. I need to cut the craziness back a notch so I can enjoy the people and things God has placed right before me. But even though these decisions will be tough, I’m looking forward to just being still- still enough so I can hear what God has planned for my future.

And if that stillness happens to come in the form of a lounge chair, sand and sunshine, so be it!