This was me yesterday! Had a whole day of rest and then wondered how to avoid this again.  I’ve been going at quite a pace as we probably all do at different times.  How I need the balance of recreation and fun and time off work to recuperate – but how?

I often take a day out to listen to what God has to say to me.  I had actually planned it for yesterday only having to cancel it. Our balance hinges on what God has to say about our lives.

He stipulates that we humans need one day off in seven and if we don’t heed this (and God isn’t a kill joy) then we suffer.  We’re to love others as we love ourselves but how often do we truly love ourselves by perhaps saying ‘no’ to a need or request or choosing to go for a walk and see the sunset.

To instil quiet and stopping times in our schedules is essential for mental health too. Also, physical exercise that gets our brains refreshed too.

Drinking loads of water in a day keeps our brains active so why don’t we drink more? It’s so easy to pick up a coke or even a fruit juice but no liquid is better for the body than water and filtered at that.

Sometimes when life becomes overwhelming we need to take stock and work out what is really necessary. I hope to do this next week and am trusting that there will be enough space to do this in.

One essential that I need to make a habit of doing is learning to wait on and for the Lord. There are several promises in Scripture regarding this, the most well-known being in Isaiah 40:28-30 (New International Bible) “…The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. he will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no-one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope (other versions say wait) in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”

How our children need to be relieved of stress that we can so easily pass onto them. They, like we, need to learn to walk and not run so much through life. Laughter helps and the more we can do this the better we all are as a families.

Let’s let God lead us more carefully as we give him room. He is not a taskmaster over us but sometimes we treat him and ourselves as if he is. Let’s embrace his love and attention and give him all that we have and then he gives us all his power, love, grace and strength to lead the lives he wants of us – free of worry, anxiety, fear and even deadlines that we put on ourselves.

Sit back and enjoy ‘The Creation Series’. Just trying to find the snails in one of the books or daisies in another will make your heart sing as you share the joy of God’s creation and stop the inward looking!