Exhausted

Yesterday was the last day of a really hectic, stressful and at times, just plain scary semester. It was full of chaos and extra work. I think it is safe to say that during the last few months, work has consumed me. I have not had time for anything, let along writing. Some days I got to work unsure of whether or not I brushed my teeth!

Needless to say, the fact that work has taken most of my time also means that the house is a complete disaster. Dirty dishes pile up in the sink. I haven’t even been able to do regular grocery shopping trips, which means we’ve been doing the drive-through rounds more than I’d like to admit. And the kids have had to be on their own several afternoons due to longer than usual work hours.

Sigh…

In more than one way, I have been making Martha proud…distracted to the core.

The good news is that, in spite of my messed-up priorities, our Heavenly Father has been able to penetrate through the noise, clutter and distractions in a way that has brought me peace and comfort in the midst of my messy life. The way He has done this is by giving me daily, short readings that have provided a way for me to hear His voice above the deafening gongs being struck all around me.

The Lord has spoken to me a constant stream of words about peace, thanksgiving and surrendering in a way that has been impossible to ignore. Even in the middle of my distractions, He has spoken directly to my issues…and I have noticed:

“Come to me for all that you need…”

“Do not search for security in the world you inhabit. You tend to make mental checklists of things you need to do in order to gain control of your life. If only you could check everything off your list, you could relax and be at peace. But the more you work to accomplish that goal, the more things crop up on your list. The harder you try, the more frustrated you become.”

“If you learn to trust Me…really trust Me…with your whole being, then nothing can separate you from My Peace.”

“Do not long for the absence of problems in your life. That is an unrealistic goal since in this world you will have trouble.”

And one of my personal favorites:

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I can bring good even out of your mistakes.”



Lord, You know me better than anyone. You know what I need to hear every day. You know I am like a toddler who needs repetition in order to learn. You know I am deeply flawed. You know I deal with an overwhelming mountain of insecurities. Thank you for being here with me…even when I don’t deserve it. I pray for a summer of peace, beauty and health…but above all…for it to be a time to keep my eyes on You, the creator and sustainer of all that I am.