The New Year always fills me with more hope and dream fuel than I can handle. I have the grandest of plans for the next twelve months and in my excitement, I tend to begin to spin the plate on every dream right away.
My practical side says, “Patience, Grasshopper.”
But that antsy, excited girl drunk on hope and aspirations tells the practical side of me to go jump in a lake. She starts planning and hopping from one project to the other. The burnout comes swift when you already have three kids under the age of 9 and two at home most days (thanks to homeschool and preschool). The everyday-new-year-same-chores minutia didn’t change just because I added a few extra goals on my task list.
So what makes this year different?
I see it.
I realize my own tendencies to eat the elephant in a single bite.
I am working within my wheel house, not my dreamer’s capacity.
I have entered a new season as well as a new year. I am not only in my second semester of homeschooling our second grader, but I am also working for my husband’s office part time. These are recent challenges and positive changes that have been added to what I do. When I began writing devotionals and blogging almost three years ago, these jobs didn’t exist in my world. It is easy to sit and evaluate my job description and cross “author” off the list. It would be easy to say this is not my season and put it in the hopper for he next decade. However, I am confident that I am called to write. I am confident in all of my yeses. Which means that it is not about saying no and pushing these things off my plate. No, not these things. I have already had that talk with God and we have eliminated things–things that aren’t for me right now. And the writing thing made the list of non-negotiable activities. So that left me with a new season and new adventures and a dependance on God to show me, guide me week by week. Huh, guess that is the key to anything really. Asking God. Expecting God to come through on His promises to care for us, to guide our paths and make them straight.
The difference this year is I am giving grace to myself for not getting my book done when I wanted to. Funny thing is, I had a major spiritual breakthrough about two months after I had planned to get it done…coincidence? I think not. I am not going to worry about how neglectful I was in the past 6 weeks as I spent time with my family and enjoyed my days being a little more present than I have been in the past. It just wasn’t my time. And when my time does come, I jump on it and squeeze every inspired word out that I can. It will happen. In His timing.
So if you feel caught up in a new season, don’t get tripped up in feeling guilt for now executing it perfectly, or feel overwhelmed by fitting in one more new thing into your crazy schedule. Stop. Breathe. Then have a talk (or in my case many talks) with the Father and ask for wisdom. He will give you clarity, peace and a vision for the future.
I leave you with a few verses to remember when you are making changes.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
I see Jeremiah 29:11 quoted often, but 12 and 13 are of equal importance. If you really believe that 11 is true, then 12 and 13 are natural. You will come to the One who has good plans for you. You will listen to His counsel. Take the time to quiet your inner busyness enthusiast long enough to accept the peace-driven advice of the Creator of the Universe!