All ‘the Things!’

I have a mountain of things to do, says every mother everywhere! Lately, I’m feeling overwhelmed and overworked.  There are so many situations and relationships that need my attention.  It seems there’s more to do each week than I can realistically get done. Some of it is my daily work and duties of the household. Some of it is the drudgery of tasks I’ve put off as long as possible, like cleaning out a basement storage room that hasn’t been touched in 20+ years. (Yeah, I think I’m making time for that never.) Some of the things are good, fun stuff like watching my little girls perform in their musical or one of my teens on the soccer field.  Others are tough things, like the recent loss of my beloved mother-in-law and walking with my kids through another goodbye that has broken our hearts. I feel like Dr Suess: one thing, two things, red things, blue things. Things, things, and more things! 

But the desire of my heart in all these things is to do what the Lord would ask of me.  I’m not getting any younger but still, the demands are piling on and so, I can get frustrated, resentful, and sometimes even a little angry. 

I’m praying as best I can through all the things, but have gotten to the point of crying out, “What do You want from me, Lord?” “Why, if You are right here with me, can I not just handle all the things?  How can I be fruitful for You instead of just chasing the end of an endless list?”

“Why does it seem so hard that I don’t want to even try sometimes?” “Why aren’t You doing something about that?”

Of late, it seems that as soon as I set a course, I feel like I’m trudging through setting concrete, which makes me wonder if it’s the right way to go at all. I’m very nearly stuck.“I don’t know how to trust You in this.”

My mantras have always been ‘just keep swimming’ and ‘don’t think, just do.’ I know times like these call for fortitude and perseverance; the only way out is through. But sometimes it feels like ‘the concrete’ I trudge through is an immovable force and alone I am powerless against it. 

A favorite Bible verse says, “In the world you will have trouble but Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33) But, how do I cheer up when there’s nothing but adversity all around me? What’s cheerful about that? I know the answer – I already said it! 

“You are here with me.”  I know that’s the greatest reason to be cheerful. I know that is the reason for my JOY.  

“You are steady and constant and true. You are with me, Lord.” 

Through all ‘the things,’ and trudging in the ‘setting concrete,’ He is there. That’s enough! If I’m stuck then I’m stuck with Him. Or more correctly, He’s stuck with me. But it’s silly to think of God as stuck, right? Surely not even setting concrete can trap Him.  And I trust Him enough to know He doesn’t want me to feel trapped either. More likely I just can’t see the plan for the way out that He does. “Lord, I hate when I don’t know, can’t see, can’t plan, can’t do, and overcome. I hate feeling powerless, especially when what I truly desire is to serve you, Lord. What’s the plan? What would you have me do here?” Just trust and be cheerful? That won’t get the laundry folded or the dishes done, or the annual blog written…(Hi, I’m still alive!)

So I guess the truth is that I just want to be near Him. I want to be with Him more than all else. He is what feeds my soul. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The rest is just joyful fruit. “Help me rest, simply knowing You are near – even if I’m stopped in my tracks with my feet set in stone. Melt my heart, if not my feet. Give me the grace of surrender to accept the times You may want to redirect my plans and gently veto my ideas. Let me be in You and You in me, truly one. It’s not the doing for You that feeds my soul, but rather, YOU Lord, feed my soul. The doing is the fruit, not the way. You are the way. And You are ALL, in all ‘the things’!

And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all. 1Cor 15:28