Blank Spaces

Today I did things...

Last night I couldn’t sleep...so much running through my mind.

I was tired of feeling like everything is on hold.

In my mind I sorted though shelves and drawers full of things we no longer need. Today I boxed those things up and stacked them in storage until we can bring them somewhere to donate. Now I’m staring at empty shelves full of possibilities.

Every fiber of my being wants to fill those shelves with more things. That's what they're for, right?!?!

But I have decided to be strategic about how I fill my shelves. Rather than adding clutter, I want to place things on them that matter. I want to organize them in a way that makes my life richer and not more chaotic.

I realize my calendar is like that these days...empty blocks of life full of possibilities!

We are under a "Stay at home, stay healthy" mandate from the governor of our state. This has upended my life...I'm not accustomed to all these empty spaces on my calendar.

They won’t be empty for long, so every fiber of my being wants to stuff as much into them as possible! When they're not full, it feels like I'm doing something wrong, or I'm not doing enough, or....

But if I'm not careful, when life returns to whatever "normal" will look like after all this, I'll be left with clutter and chaos. Like my shelves, I want to organize these new blank spaces on my calendar doing things that will make my life richer, not more chaotic.

I can't do everything. God isn't asking me to do everything. The enemy wants me to think I'm not doing enough, that I have cram all those blank spaces with as much busywork as possible.

Proverbs 21:5 says "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

So today I did things.

I spent time reading God's Word and praying.

I cleared out some clutter.

I hung a piece of artwork that I bought for myself a couple years ago, but never hung up because everyone else's favorite pieces took precedence.

I let go of some possessions that don't really matter, but I was afraid to get rid of because "I might need that some day."

I registered for the next class I need to complete to finish my pastoral studies, something I gave myself a one-year break from...five years ago.

I went on a bike ride.

I wrote.

I didn't try to do things, just to have something to fill the blank spaces. I did things that encourage my heart and mind and draw me closer to the God who loves me and sees my struggles.

Thought to ponder:

How are you going to use the blank spaces available to you?

What are just a few things you can do today that encourage your heart and mind and draw you closer to the God who loves you and sees your struggles?






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