Balance & Rest

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

Mother’s Day has come and gone. It was a good day and I was blessed to give honor to some very special people in my life and wish a happy and blessed day to friends and family. I was kindly blessed with some of my favorite stuff — including pens, journals, chocolate and sweet cards filled with thoughtful words, from people who love me. All the little gestures and each gift touched my heart so.

Holidays require planning, getting, preparing and just plain ole work though. The last week has been crazy busy and hectic for me, life doesn’t stop for holidays either, does it? One almost has to blind themselves to all the distractions that come and try hard-er to focus on the stuff they want to notice more of. Trying harder is stressful.

If you’re a “sensitive” person, you understand this. I began shutting down on Friday, and as much as I “worked” to enjoy Mother’s day weekend and tried to make it special, Monday rolled around, now it’s Tuesday — and I finally said it out loud to my husband tonight at supper, “I’m feeling stressed out! I need a break!”

I suppose I’ve reached my limit and now I must recharge. It looks a little bit differently for me than it might for others. I don’t want to be around anyone, I don’t want to hear anything, don’t want to be needed, I don’t want to talk, I just need to shut down and be still.

I went for tests at the hospital today, and they called me back, placed me in a small room, with soft lighting, and covered me with a warmed blanket. The technician went out of the room for a bit and I lay there in the quiet, soaking in the nothingness. Nobody. No noise. No movement. No phone. Nothing demanding my attention. IT WAS AMAZING!!! When she returned, she knocked softly on the door, then entered. I told her how much I had enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind hanging around longer. She chuckled and was pleased I had enjoyed the atmosphere she had created. However, I realized at that particular moment, when I was in a place I’m normally tense and ready to get out of ASAP, just how much my mind and body needed to be set at ease.

So, this is me. This is who God made me to be and how He designed me to function. It isn’t like this for everyone, we’ve all got different personalities and needs. In the past, I’ve beat myself up because I need time to regroup, and I don’t enjoy the “party” phase, and I need time and aloneness to regroup. I don’t do that anymore though; I’m learning to listen to my body — the one God designed specifically for me. Sure, I could keep pushing, but a person can only push for so long before they are so overwhelmed that it becomes difficult to bounce back quickly. I don’t want to get there again!

This is me slowing down, just writing to release. This is me taking care of myself so I can be ready to pour out again soon. It might not be the way you do it, but it sure works for my type. We all must work, and with that comes energy loss and the need to replenish. We all must deal with people on a daily basis. Admit it though, sometimes everybody seems to need something from us and there’s only so much we can give out — that goes from monetary to emotional and relational. We need to do our part, but we’re not anyone’s Savior, God is.

A total shutdown is needed at this moment, with extra time to take care of myself, which tonight includes a few scoops of cookies and cream ice cream. Other times it might be a cup of tea and a long and warm (not hot) soaking in the tub, or maybe even a phone chat with a friend on occasion. Actually, I wish my pool was functional right now, I’d lay my head back and float in the sunshine for an hour or so with my ears under water. Escape!

It’s okay to take the time we need to regroup after discovering we’re overwhelmed. Of course, the best thing is not allowing ourselves to get that way in the first place, but when we do…it’s okay, do what you need to do then get back to whatever needs doing. It will wait - and most assuredly will probably still be there when you get back to it!

What do you do when you’ve hit your limit? We all have get there sometimes. Even Jesus went off by Himself on occasions to rest and regroup. Stop a moment and let Him see about and bring refreshing to you! I don’t know about you, but when I get this frazzled, it’s hard to even pray, if that’s the case for you too, just spend time sitting at His feet in quietness. Allow Him to see you exactly where you are. He already knows but sometimes we waits for us to come to Him.

It’s great to give, but we must “take in” sometimes too. Refresh. Self-care in a positive way, and include Jesus! If you want to find me tomorrow, look for me at home on my porch, sipping from my favorite cuppa, enjoying a chocolate and beautiful flowers (which are flourishing this year) and possibly writing in one of my new journals - if my brain can unscramble. It’s taken everything I’ve got, and longer than usual to write this. I do so though to remind us all that sometimes it’s necessary to step away from all the ado. It’s necessary to maintain balance.

Take care of yourself, someone is depending on you to do so!