Overwhelmed upon waking. That's how I enter my mornings on occasion. (Can you relate?)
Today was no exception. Immediately my mind is filled with my long list of to-do's. Yesterday was an "off" day as I spent most of my day at the hospital awaiting the arrival of our newest family member (another cousin!). It ended up being a bit stressful but in the end mom and baby are doing great, praise The Lord!!
So, as I'm trying to get dressed for the day, our 6 year old bursts in the room telling me his brother cut his foot and is bleeding.
*sigh*
Gee. Not exactly the morning I had hoped for. There's never a dull moment, that's for sure.
Alas, up the stairs I go.
I tend to the hurting child and kiss the booboo. We see Daddy off to work then it's game on. Toys are strewn across the house so orders go out to clean, followed by whining voices and complaints, of which I pay no attention and proceed to tell them to trod on.
Breakfast ensues (along with more whining and some screaming...gotta love 2 year olds) then I send the kiddos off to play a bit.
Meanwhile, I'm staring at the sink full of dishes and cluttered counters. (Wait...is that another toy? Ugh!) All the while the overflowing baskets of laundry are calling my name.
*heavy sigh*
And I've not even met with Mr. Coffee yet.
*Sound of hungry cry*
Ahh, yes, right on cue baby girl cries out to be nursed.
So off I go to the recliner with an armload of my routine morning essentials: my Bible, oversized coffee cup full to the brim, baby girl and the remote. Yes, I let our 2 year old watch Mickey so I can try to squeeze in a few uninterrupted minutes of Bible study and coffee drinking whilst nursing our 4 month old. There's no harm in that. ;-)
Keep in mind the dishes and laundry are still in the forefront of my mind, making me antsy. But I know I NEED to dive into God's Word...or at the very least take a quick splash into it.
All is well the first 5 minutes. Then the fights break out. Instead of my usual response though, this time I call them in and put to use our new Child Training Bible. (More about this in another post)
Situation is handled and things calm down a bit.
Hmm, maybe they really are listening.
Back to the seemingly never-ending to-do list. I just remembered I still have to finish painting our oldest son's room today so we can put it back together.
Let's add to this already busy list; school work, phone calls to be made, bills to be mailed, and the general day-to-day stuff (making meals, diaper changes, sweeping, mopping, and other mundane tasks) and it's no wonder I wake up overwhelmed.
Ever have days like these?
Maybe not exactly like these. Maybe you work outside the home and have to deal with getting kids ready for school or daycare, breakfast, overdue projects, co-workers, errands, after-school activities and then all the household chores once you're home.
I won't hesitate to admit the FIRST thing I should do before ever getting out of bed is to pray! Obviously, I failed at that this morning. I let the worries of the days surmounting tasks get in the way of a few quiet moments with Jesus.
"It is good to praise you, Lord, to sing praises to God Most High. It is good to tell of your love in the morning and of your loyalty at night. Lord, you have made me happy by what you have done; I will sing for joy about what your hands have done. Lord, you have done such great things! How deep are your thoughts!"(Psalms 92:1, 2, 4, 5 NCV)
Honestly, how long would it take to say a simple prayer of thanks first thing in the morning before rising from bed? Or going to bed in the evening? Not long.
"It is good to tell of your love in the morning and of your loyalty at night."(Psalms 92:2 NCV)
Then why is it so hard? Because we are sinful, stubborn and busy creatures.
If we would just commit to starting and ending our day in communicating with God, our "too much to do" days wouldn't seem quite so bad.
If your day has you feeling overwhelmed, cry out to Jesus!
"O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!"(Psalms 61:1-4 NLT)
We can apply some simple, practical applications on those super busy days to keep us from becoming overwhelmed and in turn, over-stressed.
1) Pray!
"Never stop praying."(1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)
This means as you go throughout your day, pray. When you pass by something that belongs to your husband or child, pray for them. Pray for our country (2 Chronicles 7:14). Pray for your Pastor and your church family. Go to God with thanksgiving for His many blessings on your life. Pray pray, pray!
I promise you that prayer can change your outlook on your whole day!
2) Make A List
Choose the top 5 most important things that MUST be accomplished for that day. We must put our priorities in order. Once the major things are marked off, you can move on to the minor things. Remember, everything is important: some things are just more pressing than others some days.
3) Do What You Can...Tomorrow Is Another Day
Once you've accomplished your priority tasks, work on the others as diligently as you can. But don't be discouraged if it doesn't all get completed. If there's some laundry left over or you didn't get to dust, put it at the top of tomorrow's list. Focus on the day at hand and do what you can, working unto The Lord.
"So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own. "(Matthew 6:34 NCV)
"In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people." (Colossians 3:23 NCV)
Enjoy family time in the evenings.
Laugh.
Play.
Love on your husband.
Don't fret about what you have to do tomorrow. Once the day's work is complete, relish in the time God has given you with the family He has blessed you with.
May God Richly Bless You!
Kayla
