The Joneses

One of the things I find myself doing when I’m in the midst of an active cycle of my illness is trying to keep up with “the Joneses”. 

I tend to struggle with placing my value and worth on the number of “things” that I’m doing. Then I get overwhelmed trying to juggle it all, and I work harder trying to maintain the status quo. 

I used to be able to multi-task really well. I could read, listen to someone talk, have a conversation, take notes, drink tea, walk and chew gum, all at the same time ~ the list was endless. I could have 5 different tasks going at the same time and never drop the ball. 

And then Fibromyalgia. I’m tired. Very, very tired. Long ago I reached the point of exhaustion that makes you break down and cry. Now it’s just my normal.

I can’t read a book and have a conversation anymore  ~ I either read the same paragraph 3 times or totally ignore the person talking to me. I can’t start a load of laundry and sit down to work because the laundry won’t make it to the dryer for days.

We all want to say “yes” to all of the opportunities that come our way. We all want to do what everyone else is doing, and do it perfectly.  Or maybe, I'm the only one?

I would rather do fewer tasks that serve God well than have too much on my plate and tend them poorly.

I need to make room for the great things that line up with the journey God has planned for me, and to be willing to say no, to what others expect.  But saying “no” without feeling guilty…  that’s a hard one, isn’t it? We can’t do it all, can we? But hey, guess what?  I don't think we’re supposed to.

It’s not always easy to figure out what to do next, especially with Christmas right around the corner.  

So where do we go from here? 

Do we dive into the chaos of the holidays or do we something differently this year? Is there something that God is asking you to step away from that might be good, but not great?  Maybe your “no” will be just the open door someone else has been asking God for. 

Take Care