Work, but Don't Forget to Live

I'm at work, just finished some paperwork, and am enjoying my second cup of Echinacea tea this morning. The tag on the tea bag says "Work, but don't forget to live." How appropriate!

It's family week, my third intensive week in four weeks. I can't remember the last time I slept through the night or felt refreshed when I woke up in the morning. I am in desperate need of some R&R and some personal TLC. I'm sensing a theme in my life.

There's a reason God initiated a Sabbath day. To be fully capable of doing the things he has called us to, and to be open and able to hear him, you need to be fully rested. When life gets in the way, and you're straining to hear God through the cacophony of work and the world, it's easy to get lost. You wake up one morning and have no idea how you got so tired or when faith started to feel like a chore, one more thing on your plate.

So, here's the double bind.... What do you do when your mission is the thing keeping you tired? When the mission is just in one of those tough spots and is demanding more from you than you feel capable of giving? Is it a faith issue? God says He wont give us more than we can bear. So, am I stronger than I think I am? Or am I too tired to be able to discern what God's really telling me?

Right now, every thing feels like work. And I don't like it. I'd like to get back to living.

So, in this moment, this brief break from family week, I'll sip my tea and enjoy the warmth as it slides down my throat and circles my heart. In this moment, I will live. And I will enjoy it. And savor it. And maybe that's how you push through the hard times.... savor the moments of living when you're in a spot where moments are all you get.

Cheers!