Do you have strength? Are you a pull-yourself-up-by-your-boot-straps kind of person? I use the term "I do it myself" after it was said that way many, many times by one of my toddlers years ago. This stubborn streak can be a blessing, however. To date, my own Little Miss I-do-it-myself is a huge help and a tireless worker, and I am so grateful for all she does.
Sometimes, though, we just can't. We can't do all we used to do, all we want to do, all we feel obligated to do...[fill in your own phrase here]
Does this make you Weak... Selfish... Undedicated... Unworthy... A used-to-be-Christian?
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.1 John 4:16
I understand that you KNOW God loves you, but do you BELIEVE it? That is different, isn't it?
So how would you talk to and feel about someone who can "only do" what you are doing? Would you look down on them? Of course not!!!
You love this person. They can't DO everything. I strongly suspect you care and appreciate them for who they are.
Can you make the application to yourself? Are you believing God loves you?
Now, I never support laziness. I am a do-it-myself girl, too. I have mentally had to accept what I can and cannot do. I take kitchen shortcuts and gauge my overextendedness (just pretend it's a word) on how many times I've ordered pizza, taken naps, and sometimes just thrown in the towel on a day. And if I confess this to others, it is not viewed harshly. Time and again, I am answered with, "me, too."
I know we all understand that we should not be pointing fingers at others, but that doesn't mean you point it at yourself. Let me clearly state that, if you continue reading, you will understand that I am not saying to ignore sin.
Have you created a standard that God doesn't hold for you? If God doesn't require it of you, then why are you disheartened that you cannot complete it?
I don't grind my own wheat to make my own bread. It's not sin if I do, but it's not sin if I don't. And if I require it of myself, (which I have tried in times past) I fall into a basket full of sin.
Pride (look what I do) and anger (let me do my work, and if I am begrudging, it surely isn't to the glory of God), just to get the ball rolling. Some ladies can do this, remain sweet, and not hate their kitchen. At least for now, it's not my bread making season. I have been guilty of establishing requirements that God never did. Letting these things go is like casting aside a weight.
I know I am not physically or mentally who I was even five years ago. And I LOVE DOING. Listening to my body (with the wisdom to know my body can be a big, whiny baby, and sometimes, I have to shush it) and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to continually reevaluate and readjust my new normals can be tough.
Now take heart. It doesn't have to be a downward decline. You can gain health, even as you age, just don't beat yourself up on the way if it takes time and effort and is a bumpy road. And if God takes something out of your life, BELIEVE He loves you. He does heal the broken-hearted.
Do the next step. Do what you can do. Only God knows the future of what you can do. When I ride my bike, I love being on top of a hill and seeing the view. Do you know that I cannot look to the top of a hill? It overwhelms me. It's too steep. It's too high. I can't do it. So I look at my wheel and take it pedal by pedal. I can't get up every hill, but I have climbed some big ol' hills. Are you facing a hill? Can you just do the next thing?
If you belong to Him, then finding the balance between hanging on and letting go is really a life-long process. We are designed and uniquely created with individual areas of intelligence. Our strength isn't all about your bench press weight. We all have strength in different areas, too. Slow and steady finishes the race.
Joyfully serving her Saviour in her blessed position of wife and mother, Dr. Michelle Zarrillo has a unique perspective on health related issues. As a working chiropractor and an avid reader, she has many opportunities to practice that which she learns. Educating her children at home and discovering their special needs has further challenged her to examine the connection between the physical, mental and spiritual realms of the human nature. Her passion for healthier living and her quest for the Creator’s ways of healing keep her pressing forward in search of truth.
Read Michelle’s salvation testimony here and her articles here.
Comments 2
Thanks, Michelle, I needed that… Your articles are so practical and often very timely for me!
Well I’m crying. I wanted to hit the ground running coming home to Georgia after learning how to deal with my Lyme, but the only thing I hit was the stretcher in an ambulance.
I’ve been feeling incredibly unuseful. We leave notes to remind me to brush my teeth, the order of how to take a shower, take medicine, etc…. I’m tired of being tired, and not being able to think.
Im doing a Bible study called ‘living victoriously in difficult times’ Kay Arthur
In it we study Job. He did not blame God or get mad at Him. (I havn’t been mad or blame God, but I have been distraught.
Kay writes :
“We may not always understand why we have to go through trials and difficulties, but we can rest in the fact that God understands and promises we will never be given more than we can bear. We can be certain He is working out His purpose in our lives and using our experiences for the benefit of others”.
I asked the Lord if he would show me how to be settled; some semblance of peace. Dr Michelle texted me last night. I was just trying to make a contact for her and I was looking for a picture of her to put with the number, and I came upon this. I’m not crying anymore because it took so long for me to type this. Thank God for this typing app because it has learned my way of the words I use. A couple of letters even if they are close to being right I only have to click on the right prediction. Sorry about that tangent.
Dr Michelle wrote
“Now take heart. It doesn’t have to be a downward decline. You can gain health, even as you age, just don’t beat yourself up on the way if it takes time and effort and is a bumpy road. And if God takes something out of your life, BELIEVE He loves you. He does heal the broken-hearted”.
God has done a huge work in my marriage. So many have prayed YEARS 10++ And I just realized it, now! My husband has been the greatest partner thru this whole chapter of our lives. He has been patient and so kind. (anyone that knows Ronnie knows patients is not a gift God had given him, lol. But God has given him patience and then some. My mom always used to say I have the patience of Job. Well not so much lately. But maybe I can take a few lessons from my husband.
Lord, I will stop beating myself up. I will let go and let You Lord. And thank You for using such a great women this day.
And thank you Dr Michelle, if nobody had ever read this but me, you have written a miraculous Word. God used it to open my eyes and my heart to what God wanted me to know. Love in Christ, Carrie