Juggling the Good Works

Well, it’s been a few month since I wrote anything. I had high hopes of writing every week and sharing some of the things the Lord has been teaching me about biblical womanhood. While I haven’t written in awhile, the Lord has been teaching me a lot.

One of my favorite books is The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss. The best picture in the book is the one in which the cat is juggling several different items at once.

I like this image because on the very next page, the cat drops everything. It all comes crashing down. What a good reminder for my soul! I can’t hold everything. I’m fallible. When life gets busy, it’s no use pretending I can keep the cake on my head and the fishbowl on the rake. Either I can lay some things down, or we all see everything crash down on the next page.

This blog was something I laid down for the spring. Thank you for your patience – I have been so blessed by many of you who have encouraged me to keep writing. Now that the spring semester is ending, I plan to pick it back up. Remembering that I can only hold so many things at once.

Maybe this is true for you as well. Maybe you are trying to hold too many things at once. If you’re anything like me, there are some signs you can watch for to help you evaluate whether you’ve got too much on your plate:

1. Vegging Out – When I’m overloaded but then get a few minutes to rest, all I want to do is watch Netflix. I don’t want my mind to be engaged. This is problematic because moments away from the work of life should give us sweet entrances into God’s throneroom. But we often don’t want to go there because it doesn’t feel restful at the outset. It challenges us to set our hearts on Him and turn our attention to something worthwhile. We must remember that no greater rest exists than in the arms of our Father.
2. Irritability – I’ll be honest. There are many reasons I could be irritable. But when I’m maxed out, I feel justified in my irritability. I think I should be allowed to be the center of my universe because of all the things I’ve been doing for everyone else. It’s dangerous territory when I believe I deserve anything. In fact, the only thing I truly deserve is judgment.
3. Isolation – I love my family and friends, but putting too much on my plate draws me into isolation. I know I have a million things to do, so I definitely don’t have time for conversation or laughter or enjoyment. I prefer to be alone, both in my work and in my rest. Nothing could be further than the design the Lord has for us! Working and resting are meant to be group efforts. Community is necessary to every aspect of our existence, and it brings joy to our lives.

So it’s been a busy semester. Some of you who know me personally know that the things I’ve been doing have been good works. But I never want to miss the learning moment – the Lord has designed me for good works, but not all the good works in the world are good works I should be doing. He knows which works are mine to do. Thank you for allowing the good work of writing to be put on hold as other good works were taking place. I look forward to continuing our learning together.