28 “Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. 30 Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ERV
17 Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning. James 4:17 NCV
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31 NIV
Anyone else sense the shifting of the seasons? If you’re a mom with kiddos that require you to get them up and out of the house in the morning while preparing yourself for your daily grind at your workplace, you are well aware of the season we’ve stepped into.
Perhaps you’re an empty-nester who can see the rising and setting of the sun changing along with the uptick in traffic flow as you navigate the routine of your day.
Maybe you’re about to step into a journey that scares you half out of your mind, and you’re navigating the ebb and flow of new rhythms and emotions, with or without the usual cast of characters.
Whatever this season finds you doing, or wherever it may land you when it’s all said and done, you are fully aware of the shift.
With shifting and adjusting comes the evaluation that many of us overlook ~ on our part. And that’s where this brief mentoring moment (as I call it) comes into play.
So many of us say ‘yes’ to what was never ours to agree to, and ultimately find ourselves over it: overwhelmed, over-committed, overworked … you get the picture. When that still small voice of Holy Spirit whispered, “Pause and ask Me,” we were swift to hit the ignore button because our emotions shouted, “I can do that!” Yes, I’ve done that too!
It is not selfish to want to do the best thing in all situations. Sometimes, the best thing is to step back and let others who are more fully capable of involvement to step in. And to be clear, the capacity includes time, energy, emotional bandwidth, and resources, to name a few. Just sayin’.
You’re not alone in feeling badly about saying ‘no.’ However, I do believe that all things are not for us to carry. Take a moment and listen to this ~ it just may be exactly what GOD wants you to hear in this season, and the shift will lead to greater peace and calm for you. Perhaps even a new commitment to greater self-care and honoring your best noble self.
I love you to Heaven and Back, Girlfriend ~
LindaRJohnson, TitusTwo Visionary
*Thank you to Chrystal Evans Hurst for this.
Titus Two 