It’s been a busy few weeks for our family. There have been birthdays to celebrate, shows to perform, tournaments to compete in, and we have managed to keep moving with daily life. Now, I feel like we have come to a brief pause. And it’s a welcome moment!
Busyness in itself is not a bad thing. When you are active as a family, you make a lot of memories together, and that’s wonderful. At some point, however, there must be a reprieve from all of it. Some would call it margin. Making space to restore your mind and body.
The fact is that I have become so dependent on this “white space” to function in a healthy way. It’s okay, and actually good, to set aside time to rest. God gave us this in the Sabbath.
“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.” Leviticus 23:3 NLT
God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh. This example of rest shows that I will be at my best in life when I give myself permission to rest so that I can be at my best for whatever God is asking of me.
The other thing I have learned over the years is to give myself small successes that lead to feeling accomplished and like my time has been well spent. For example, in my profession, it’s easy to become overwhelmed in the small distractions that occur during the day. If I don’t have some small triumphs that I can clearly show for my work, I will feel defeated and like I achieved nothing. So I make a to-do list, and I mark off items as I complete them. If interruptions occur, I even deal with them and then add them to my list as a reminder that I accomplished something unexpected. This habit sets me up for daily success.
Studies show that people who make their bed are more successful during the day because they have a small task accomplished first thing in the morning. Well, if I made the bed, I’d have to either kick Lyndon out or tuck everything around him! So I had to find another small victory that gives me motivation to keep going forward.
Finally, I want to encourage you to quit beating yourself up. Everyone has been doing the best they can over these last few years. It’s exhausting. And now it’s time to show ourselves a little grace where we haven’t quite hit the mark. If all you did today was get out of bed and interact with other people, and that took everything you have, then you did good today. On the other hand, I will never condone allowing shortcomings or past hurt (sometimes even current hurt) to become a stumbling block or a crutch. You can allow life to beat you or you can enjoy life more abundant. Ultimately, it’s your decision.
“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 NLT
There really is no secret to leveling up in life. Give yourself time to think on all the good. Set small, reachable goals each day to give you a sense of accomplishment. Show grace to everyone, including yourself. Live as Jesus lived, showing love and grace in everything He said and did. And on days when life gets the better of you, remember that you have another opportunity to make tomorrow better. Above all, keep moving forward.
Every 365 days around the Sun, we level up. Remember that the ultimate reward is Heaven and eternity with our Lord and Savior. With His help, keep moving to the next level!
© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries. All rights reserved
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