Grace 7/12/22

Some days I just feel tired and over it.

Some days there's no particular reason for that feeling. Other days, it makes sense.

Has anything bad happened? No. But sometimes I just feel weighed down by the weight of it all.

The weight of:

*schedules - remembering who needs to be where and when

*what we need - are we running low on soap, milk, socks?

*emotions - who's had the best day? Who's overwhelmed? Who's battling friend drama?

*food - what are we eating three meals a day?

*laundry - this uniform and these socks need to be clean by tomorrow

*work - gotta work to pay the bills

*marriage - finding time to stay connected

These are just a few things that feel heavy. Things that I feel guilty for feeling weighed down by.

Guilt: it comes in heavy. Heavy because every one of the things above are blessings to have. Therefore feeling weighed down by them breeds guilt. And the guilt becomes another weight.

Then the outside factors of the world add an additional layer. The layer of loss of life, illnesses, violence, and the subconscious weight and fears that these produce.

Sometimes it feels like too much. Like I just want to shut it all out. Close the door. Keep my family in a safe little bubble.

On these days, it's a choice to concentrate on finding the good. It's intentionally counting blessings. It's remembering to cast my burdens on the One that can carry them.

In those days when it's easy to be hard on myself for feeling overwhelmed instead of grateful, I have to remember to give myself grace.

Grace to know that I'm not alone.

Grace to know that I can still be thankful for all of my blessings and yet still feel overwhelmed by them.

Grace in knowing that I'm human and therefore it's ok not to have it all together.

Grace to know that this too shall pass.

These days, I have to remember that His grace is sufficient for me.

Friend, you're not alone in being grateful and overwhelmed simultaneously. You and I simply have to remember that He can handle our burdens and give us the grace that we often don't give ourselves.

2 Corinthians 12:9