Lately, I've been letting life get to me.
By that I mean, the distractions. The stress. The crazy...
It's all been trying, for quite awhile, to sneak its way into my head, and keep me from taking a breath, and with the start of the new school year, I've been letting it.
I realized the extent of it the other day, about halfway through the afternoon.
You see, every morning I spend about a half hour or so in prayer and Bible reading before I get ready for the day.
It helps me clear my head, relax, focus, re-evaluate my heart, surrender my cares, and get a fresh perspective on life; before anything else can get in the way of that.
Well, the other day, I was going about my day (high-speed I may add), and I just stopped for a second and realized... I had no idea what I had just read that morning.
I read a chapter each day, in whatever book I'm in at the moment, and ask God what He wants me to take away from it that day.
I try to think back on what stood out to me more than once throughout the day, so I don't forget; but this time... Everything was blank.
I couldn't remember the verse, I couldn't remember the chapter, I couldn't remember what the topic of it all even was, much less what I had taken away from it that morning.
I realized that I had allowed myself to get so sucked into the distractions (everything from school and work to my phone), that I was actually pushing my Best Friend away.
Ouch. Conviction.
But I don't think I'm the only one who's ever been hit by that one before.
They say that life only ever gets harder.
I like to believe that's not true, but even just looking back at my life the first day of freshman year, compared to my life first week of junior year, it's clear to me that there is at least some truth to that statement.
It's hard to learn to balance everything, while keeping your energy up, and giving your all when you're doing each thing, and still making sure to keep God up on the top of that to-do list.
You know, it's funny.
Since that conviction, I've found that whenever I focus on all I need to get done that day, all the pressure, and all the stress, I push God away, and I never get it all done.
However, whenever I choose to just have fun doing whatever it is I'm doing, remember WHY I'm doing what I'm doing in the first place, and pour all of my attention and effort into that one thing at that time, I get everything done, and, as a bonus, never feel a bit of the stress.
I find it interesting that letting my mind do the very thing that I'm afraid will lead to nothing getting done if I do (relax), actually is the only thing that gets me through the "list", along with (usually) a bunch of other tasks and events I never thought I'd be able to get to all in one day.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to, "Pray continually."
I used to look at that verse and wonder, "How am I supposed to talk to anyone, and get anything done, if I'm constantly talking with God?"
But I've realized that your thoughts can become prayers too.
That is what I lack whenever I let the distractions get to me.
I let them take my thoughts off of my conversation with God, and when I'm not praying my way through my to-do list, nothing can get done. Because I can't do it all. Only He can. I need His strength to even just get through a normal day.
I want to leave today's post with one more story.
I told God one morning, after the conviction hit, that I, "missed Him."
I wanted our relationship back, and I missed being in continual conversation with Him.
After I had said those words, I got this thought that was undeniably God.
It was this thought that God was saying to me, "I never left."
We all have a choice.
I was the one who left, not God. He was patiently waiting for me to realize my humanity, and turn back to Him.
We have the choice to either let the distractions consume us, or to pray for strength to do it all, and do it all well- that they may see a glimpse of God through it, and He may be glorified.
Life only ever gets harder.
Good thing we can do ALL things through Him Who strengthens us.
I'm praying for you all this new school year. (Whether you're graduated or not)
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