Have you ever put yourself on a time-out?
I have, and to be honest, I had to do this the other day.
See, life and circumstances can bring out the yuckiness in each of us. This past week has been a doozy for me. As I was getting a massage for some chronic back, leg, and hip pain I’ve been having, I just wanted to boohoo cry as I laid there in pain with my mask on. I’m not wanting to wear it anymore and to just wake up from this LONG nightmare in our world.
I didn’t wake up from it. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and pressed on.
We are in the middle of remodeling our kitchen (well, really, we have been remodeling our entire house for the past five months since we moved to Kentucky), and the dust, the clutter, the disorganized mess was getting to me. I’ve been working from home and had some technical issues with the internet and the Telehealth appointments I had for the week. With the banging noise of my husband working in our kitchen, which I am so GRATEFUL to be married to my general contractor, I tried to find a quiet room where we didn’t clash with one another’s schedules each day. I cleaned off the dust around me, moved to different places between each appointment, and pressed on as I went throughout my work week.
A few days later, I was having some technical issues as I recorded some future episodes for my podcast. The static was terrible, and this interview was on a crucial topic for many women, and I knew the devil was not happy about this series I am working on. We pressed through the interview, but I realized the need more than ever to have others pray for this podcast show.
The next day I went out to get groceries, and you can sense the tension in the air. It was so thick everywhere and with everyone. I think many others feel as I am tired, overwhelmed, and ready for a fresh new beginning. People were rude, impatient drivers were on the road, and I couldn’t wait to get myself back home.
Things weren’t going well at all. Once again, I could feel the tension, the hurt, the struggle within me rising up. It was then I realized I need a time-out. I also recognized that we battle not with flesh and blood, but against powers, principalities and rulers of this dark age, as Ephesians 6:12 tells us.
See, I can make this about other people. I can blame my grumpiness rising up in me on the PEOPLE I encountered during the day or on the CIRCUMSTANCES I was facing. But that’s not the truth. The truth is, I’m in the press. The truth is, we are in a spiritual battle right now as a nation, world, and as individuals. The truth is, people are not the enemy.
So today, I refocus my eyes on Jesus, the Author, and Finisher of all things. I place my trust in Him in the middle of the mess we are all in. I choose to see others as my brothers and sisters in Christ. I choose to pray for them as they, too, are in the middle of their mess. I choose to extend grace and mercy to others as they are overwhelmed as well. I choose to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others and NOTHING ELSE.
I choose to see we are in a spiritual battle that requires me, you, really all of us, to be more diligent about our prayer time with Jesus.
So, I pull myself aside into time-out and spend the time with Jesus, my soul and spirit desperately need.
If you feel as I did this past week, may I encourage you to put yourself in time-out with Jesus as well?
I would love to hear from you this week. What is God whispering to your spirit today? Comment below or go to my social media pages to comment. (links below)
Blessings,
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