Rest

My home is a whirlwind of dishes and clothes and old birthday decorations.  Christian left for school, door-slamming mad, and Ellee walked into school teary, because we were late.  She hates being late, and on days when mornings are crazy, she gets this panicky tone in her voice asking if we are going to be late, while I then echo her panic, driving down the road to try to get her there on time.  If I’m totally being honest, On top of it all, I’m tired.  It’s been an incredibly busy week since I’ve been filling in for our church secretary, adding a full morning and afternoon of church work to my schedule.

I haven’t gone grocery shopping, and my laundry is overwhelming.  I have sessions I need to edit and when I look at our calendar and every day is something, I feel a little overwhelmed.  And I know I’m not the only one.  Who out there is feeling tired?  Who feels overwhelmed and panicky as life keeps throwing curveballs and laundry piles keep growing?  Who else is treading water, barely able to stay afloat on some days?

I don’t have all the answers.  But I do know that there is hope.

When I finally got to the church this morning, I took a deep breath.  I opened my Bible up to Psalms 37, and I read.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.

Do not fret.  (And then again, a few verses later)  Do not fret.

And finally,

If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;  though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

And it helped to put it all into perspective.  Because sometimes, that’s all we need.  Perspective.

My home will get clean.  And then it will get messy again.  And it’s okay, because it really is this endless cycle.  Because life is full of good things and a messy house is okay.  And even though my kids had a rough morning, they will be okay too.  Sometimes when Ellee is devastated, because I’ve been upset with her (because sometimes she is) I tell her that it’s okay.  Because I love her and Jesus loves her and even if it’s a hard morning, nothing changes that.

 And filling in at the church is good too.  I have a greater appreciation for the people who work here every week.  I’ve been working on a new church website which is always fun.  And I’ll earn a little extra money, which will cover the fun food we will eat next week for Thanksgiving.

Life can be overwhelming, but Jesus promises rest for the weary, and so much more.  The truth of my morning, is that God is good and working good and getting to be a part of that is what is most important.

Thanks for stopping by this morning, and hope this can be an encouragement to you today.