It's a new year and I have a lot of people asking me what my goals are in 2016.
I have been taking a lot of time to think this through. To think all of last year through. Was I satisfied? Was I content when looking back?
What would I do differently?
What would truly make 2016 different this year?
The plain truth is that I don't want to live life through a bunch of deadlines written in my calendar.
And I don't have to.
And neither do you.
There are so many voices out there telling us we need to do this and that. The next project. The next event. The next activity. The next ______.
But we don't need those voices. These voices make most of us crash and burn.
We only need REST.
His rest.
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11. 28
I am not sure where we started to think of "busy" as important or even more noble. Being "busy" can be a huge handicap to the point where your mind is racing and you can't even focus enough on a simple thought because your mind is swimming and drowning in overwhelm.
And so I turn to that rest.
And fully embrace it this year.
My husband has made it possible for me to have the flexibility of choosing my schedule and I want to make sure I am taking advantage of precious time for me and my family.
Not squandering it.
We don't have to keep reaching for the next thing, because sometimes the results of the next things turn up fruitless and empty. They are deceiving and not what we think that they are. And the time we spent on them are forever lost.
Instead, I am reaching for the best things. The things that count. The things that will be gone in a blink of an eye if I don't take the time to notice them today.
What is striving and what is success?
Don't let someone else define that for you.
Don't play victim to someone else's desire.
Live your life.
Not someone else's idea of "success".
"...in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15
Take the time to look into the face of your child.
And to breathe and exhale.
To linger and watch the sun rise.
To rest and love on your family.
Enjoying the simple...
because that is where the true richness of life comes from.
What are your plans for 2016?
4 comments:
I really love what you have written. Yes it is so easy in this life to be distracted by so many things, and our lives become cluttered and we lose sight of the eternal things of value.
Thankyou for sharing and reminding each of us of what is really important in life!
This is for sure a refreshing post. I will be honest I have taken a few days off from reading blogs because I found myself getting caught up in all the things and challenges. I was burned out before I even started. It was very discouraging. I had all these grand plans to walk, read more, organize the home, be debt free, study the bible more, homeschool perfect (Smiles), and on and on. Build a pantry, learn scratch cooking, learn to save more money, spend more time here and spend more time there, learn to sew....wow! Even typing all that out has made me almost cry. One- it seems so overwhelming with my season. Two- I just feel so tired that this seems hopeless.
Not the way I wanted to look at my year ahead. I appreciate your post. Rest! Rest in Him! So very encouraging.
"...our lives become cluttered and we lose sight of the eternal things of value." I couldn't agree more. Thanks for visiting!
Thanks for sharing, Mrs. Chrissy, I am sure you are not alone and please don't cry! We all start out with good intentions--I even have some plans for this year but the over all theme is going to always point back to this post. If I get out of line (and sometimes my type A personality likes to do that) I know that I need to remember His faithfulness in providing that true rest that I need and have contentment and peace in that.
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