Trade off

A month or so ago another homeschooling Mom and I set up a terrific trade off. I am loving this. Two days a week we each get up and get going on school so that we can be done by lunch time. Then one day she brings her kids to me and on the other I take mine to her. Our kids get to be wild, go crazy and play to their hearts content. We each get to have a just a few hours of "down" time. Such a blessing.

Taking time for myself is something I am not especially good at. I give it a lot of lip service. But I am always  thinking of other stuff I should be doing. Laundry, meal prep, errands etc. I am sure everyone has their distractions. Making time for self is as challenging as making time for listening to God. Studying about Him, Yes I do that. Giving Him my laundry list of prayer requests, yes. Just quieting my mind and listening? Not so much.

This process of quieting the mind is hard. Sitting there quiet, de-cluttering thoughts, trying to think of nothing, as soon as one thought exits another pops in from a different direction. It is work to seek the Father with open mind and just listen to Him. It takes perseverance. Most of all it takes practice. I urge you to practice seeking the Lord. Allowing Him to be King in your life and to lead you. I so often feel like a small child. I want to "DO IT Myself!" The life of Christian is very hard and very tiring if we try to do it all in our power. God designed us to NEED him.  The odds are stacked against us. Yet scripture says " If God is for us who can stand against us?" (Romans 8:31a)  He will glorify Himself in our weakness, we need only to acknowledge Him. This Christian life is not hard when we walk in Him, in obedience to His Spirit. I can do it my way. In doing it my way I can be tired, worn out, and somewhat effectual. OR I can follow His way, let Him use me and be exhilarated and successful beyond my wildest imaginings.

The trade off is me being in charge or letting Him be in charge. Similar to choosing to make time for myself or choosing to push through and keep going and going until I burn out. This theme of "do it myself!" or "let him empower and lead me" keeps coming up over and over again. Sunday school, devotions, side conversations at the dentist office, I do believe the Father is trying to get through to me.

Lord help me to listen, help me to let you be God - bigger than anything the world may throw at me, able to handle it all and lead me on this journey. Daddy, help make the trade off.