Putting 2020 in the rear view felt amazing, but 2021 will have many challenges of its own.
Many of us are still struggling through the hardships 2020 hurled at us, so beginning to navigate 2021 is challenging. None of this is surprising to God. He is not shocked by what is happening.
GOD KNOWS. God knows the way!
He knows how you should navigate the stuff in your life. Whether it’s your family, job, city, state, nation or the world. HE KNOWS!
MY STUFF
At the beginning of the summer, my future was uncertain. My job teaching at the middle school didn’t pan out the way I hoped. (There is a WHOLE blog post for this story and I am in the process of writing it.) I looked ahead to nothing in my schedule outside of my home. I love my family dearly, but I also enjoy having responsibilities that pull on my skills outside of my home.
My family was in full pandemic mode and I couldn’t see past August for myself or my family. I loved having a summer to BE a family. We did so much together and had a blast! But I also wanted something to do once school started that was just for myself.
LOOKING AHEAD
I needed something to do outside of my home or I would go stir crazy. My husband and I began to look at what I could do to keep myself busy while I looked for a job.
One of the first things we decided I should pursue was going back to school. Getting my masters in middle school science was something I always wanted to do. Life had gotten in the way in the past, but not now. I applied and started the program on July 1st.
In the meantime, fall was quickly approaching and the pandemic was still raging. Kevin and I had to make a decision about our kid’s schooling fast. As we weighed our options, we reflected on the previous school year and how it affected our kids.
When the governor of MN shut down in-person school and learning went completely online, my kids did not like it. We talked about it often and began to brainstorm ideas to make it more palatable for everyone. It was the kids that brought up the idea of being home and having me teach them. I did some research and agreed to take it on.
I never thought we would try it, but we agreed upon homeschooling for the year.
After we decided on homeschooling, I was asked to be a long-term sub for a former coworker. If I agreed to take the position, it would look very similar to my job in the spring. I would be in a professional school setting again, work alongside the same staff as last year and teach some of the same students I had. I loved my job last year, so saying yes to this job offer was easy!
A few days later while on vacation, we concluded our five-year-search for a house. We weren’t expecting to stumble upon our dream home that fit all our needs AND wants while scrolling through Zillow on the beach, but we chose to go for it! (That is another blog post that I will write soon. God was in ALL of the details.)
However, buying that home meant we needed to put our current home on the market. FAST. And unfortunately, it was NOT ready. In addition, the home we wanted to buy was not move-in-ready either! While getting our old home ready to be sold, we also had to get the new home livable by slathering on new paint, rolling on new carpet, and getting rid of old furniture that the previous owners did not take with them.
On top of all of that I managed another job as well. I oversee a satellite location of a nine month ministry school called Emerge Transformation School. This is something I LOVE doing and couldn’t see myself not participating in. Talking about Jesus and helping people strengthen their relationships with the Lord brings HUGE life-giving JOY for me. However, my involvement is contingent on how many people sign up. Towards the end of the summer, it was looking like it would start up again…and it did! So it was a no-brainer to say, “Yes” again.
WHY I SAID YES TO ALL OF IT
Now I know, it sounds like creating margin in my life was not on the forefront of my mind. However, each time something came up, I asked the Lord if I should say yes. Each time He said,
“You can if you want to.”
I wanted to!
Each one was important to me!
I know myself. I know I can get overwhelmed. When that happens, I shut down and get really emotional. But, if the Lord really had given me the green light for all of this, then He must have a plan to get me through it all.
As I looked ahead to when I would be immersed in all of this, I asked the Lord for wisdom.
One night in prayer I asked Him, “Lord, when I start to get overwhelmed what should I do?”
He said,
“Look to me. Do not think about what the world thinks of your responsibilities or if you can do it all. Do not look outward to the world. LOOK AT ME! Take it one day, one responsibility at a time. It will all get done.”
He was telling me to actively pursue Matthew 11:28-30,
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Some days I would forget this. I would feel the emotion start to creep in and the tears would well up. In those moments, I would reach out to a couple of my friend groups who are AMAZING prayer warriors. When I texted them asking for support, they would wrap me in prayer.
As soon as I would hit send, the wisdom I asked for came rushing back into my mind. I would look to the Lord and begin to picture His face.
Each time, the image I saw had a slightly different “movie” play out, but they always started with the Lord looking at me the way a tender daddy looks at one of his kids. His hands would tenderly hold my cheeks. Our foreheads would touch and we would gaze at each other.
When I rested in these images, the world ALWAYS melted away around me and I felt GREAT peace. Sometimes He would say something to me and sometimes we would just sit together in that space as I calmed down.
In those moments, I knew I was not alone and that I could do it all. Matthew 11:28 had come alive!
WHAT WAS HAPPENING
Each time this would happen, I wondered why it was working. Jesus is always with me, why did I have to look at His face to get this peace? I remembered that He doesn’t want to force me to look to Him.
He wants me to choose Him.
In this time, He taught me to not be concerned with the ways of this world. His plans are better than my own, and when I begin to view a situation like He does, I will be transformed by the renewing of my mind.
Renewing your mind is exchanging our natural ways of thinking for God’s way of thinking. This is illustrated in Romans.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2
I firmly believe that the Lord gave me the green light to do it all. He was there to give me HIS peace when I was overwhelmed. He was there to reassure me that I could do it all, with Him by my side.
MY CHALLENGE TO YOU
Have you gone to the Lord to ask Him how you should handle your “stuff?” He can see every part of it and knows you more intimately than you do. He sees the perfect way to get through it. Just ask.
If talking with Jesus in a two way conversation is a new idea to you, know that I was once in your shoes. It took hearing someone else’s story for me to pursue this with Him AND I needed someone to walk me through how to do it.
If you do not have anyone, I would love to come alongside you and guide you toward understanding how to hear His voice in your life. The Lord is communicating with you daily. His name is “The WORD.” He has a lot to say! When we can tune into it, your life will never be the same.
I would love to hear from you. You can reach out through my CONTACT page or leave a comment below.