A few years ago, I was awakened from a sort of slumber that I had been in. I was running a race that was not mine to run. The atmosphere was beautiful and filled with people I loved. I truly thought that this was where I was supposed to be. And it was. But just for enough time for me to figure out that, no, God had intended me to be in a different race. So I came home. I settled in. I quieted my heart. I slowed our schedule. I reigned it all in and became still. During that time, I felt a strong connection and communion with God. I eliminated tasks, gave up unhealthy habits, and poured myself into the ministry of my house, of raising children as disciples. But as with most seasons of life, we get comfortable and boundaries begin to fall away.
I can tell when imbalance is happening in my life and the lives of my family. I am aware when we have picked up too many things, even if they are good things, and all of a sudden we are out of sorts. The hard thing for me is, I sometimes only become aware of it all when we are already neck deep. I want to say yes to all the good things. I want to load my plate full and allow my children all of the experiences. The truth is, oftentimes, all of those beautiful things can become distractions from the real race we are meant to run. His Kingdom is not better for my compromising better things for just good things. And admitting this? A struggle, for sure. Because it means that I am going to have to say no to something good. But isn’t this how you run a race well? Don’t we have to strip off every unnecessary thing in order to pace, breathe, and move toward the goal?
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,” HEBREWS 12:1 AMP
From time to time, in order to walk in the direction we are meant to, in order to complete the Kingdom-work meant uniquely for us, we have to firmly choose against someone else’s ‘yes’ and hold, unyieldingly, to the ‘yes’ of our own hearts, the yes that God is asking us to hold on and move in to. We have to, resolutely, choose to say no to the distractions (no matter if they look like they might be great additions to our lives), and return to Him and His will and way, again. Teaching this to kids who have a strong desire to hang out with friends all the time, go from game to game, church events and more can be a difficult task. So sometimes I am the mean mom who has to make those hard decisions for them, knowing full well that they will be healthier because of it all. It’s a fine line, the counterbalance, the steadying…the choosing of better things. But here’s what I keep coming back to: There is a season for everything. When one season ends, another begins and when we are paying attention to living in the season we are in [in a healthy] way, we can hold on to the desires of our hearts for a bit longer, until God steers and leads us to something new. He’s not saying never, He’s just asking us to discern and determine if now is the best time.
My prayer for my heart [and yours]…
Father, you are the giver of time, the giver of seasons and the giver of balance. Lord, let the eyes of our hearts discern and pay attention to what you are showing us and where you are leading us. Let us become attentive to Your whispers of no and yes or not now. Abba, when we become distracted [because things are out of balance in our lives], lead us back to You. Lord, let us stay on the path and race which You have planned for us. Allow us to know when we are entangled, breathe endurance and persistence into our lungs. We desire to live more balanced lives so that we can race well. We trust You, Father, as the One who holds all things together. We thank You for how You will work in our lives through teaching us balance. We love you, Jesus. Amen.
Reflection Questions
Is there something in my life that God is asking me to say ‘no’ to, in order to make space for something He is calling me in to?
In this season, am I aware and attentive to where the Father is asking me to go? to stay?
What is causing me to be distracted from moving?
Where am I experiencing communion with God? Where am I not?
This piece was first published in April 2017 on glintsofgrace.com