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Reset

I am good when it comes to diet and exercise. Well, for the most part. I eat clean about 80% of the time and exercise five days a week. I feel good most of the time and don't get sick often. I attribute my health to my diet and exercise. Because of this, I tend to ignore other areas in my life.

Being sick for a week was not my favorite. I usually bounce back by day three and the most when I am sick. I have a difficult time with rest. I know I need it. I just struggle to do it. This week taught me that I needed to reset.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

I am currently reading a book entitled, Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me, by Alexandra Kuykendall. In the book, she poses the following question: What is motivating you to make a change to love your actual life? While I can't say I don't enjoy my actual life, I can say that I do not enjoy my life in its entirety. I tend to over-schedule and over-do leaving little time to actually stop and enjoy this life I am given. I want to make space to love my actual life. I don't want to be burdened and bogged down with the lists and things that need accomplishing. I want joy and in order to have joy I need to allow for change.

One thing I am learning to allow time for is quiet: literal quiet and virtual quiet. All too often, I lay down to relax with my phone in my hand. I tell myself I will quickly catch up on my Facebook and Instagram feeds and then set it down. Inevitably, I wind up on Pinterest and then back on Facebook and Instagram one more time. An hour has passed and it is time to get up again losing that time of rest. I can try and convince myself that laying down perusing social media is rest but it isn't. My mind is going in a million different directions leaving me anxious and mentally exhausted.

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

I decided I need quiet. I long for quiet. I need a moment in the morning for quiet to start my day. I need coffee, prayer, and a Psalm or Proverb. If time (and children) permits, then I may add a little journaling into my routine. Writing soothes me. I am usually pretty good about having some quiet time with myself and the Lord during the school year but tend to get a little lazy in the summer. I let the sounds of the boys getting up wake me, stumble into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and plop on the couch to watch a little of The Today Show catching up on the latest happenings. I cannot do this anymore. The news is too volatile sending me into a frenzy at 7am. Done-zo. The outcome of my days have changed dramatically just by turning off the noise in the morning and allowing myself to be still.

I have also decided to get the heck off of social media. I am not a better friend if I make sure I like all the posts. I am a better friend if I am mentally available and make time for face-to-face interaction. So often I concerned myself with giving my friends attention via social media that I believed people would forget about me if I didn't like their posts. What?!?!?! I mean, y'all, how crazitown is that thinking?!?!?! For the love. I need to stop. So, down the phone goes and can I just say, I feel like a turkey that has been pardoned on Thanksgiving. FREEDOM!!! This doesn't mean I will be completely void of social media. It just means that I will limit my access and I will not find value in my relationships by making sure I hit my quota of likes and comments.

"His compassions never fail. They are new every morning." Lamentations 3:22-23

The last thing I am learning in this reset phase is to give myself grace. His compassion never fails even when I screw up. I am going to stumble and get sucked back into the black hole of social media. I will be reminded of how it makes me feel sending me into another reset to begin again. I will flip the news on instead of quietly sitting and relishing in that first sip of coffee and grace will be waiting for me when I realize that's not what's best.

I think God allows us to get sick sometimes (He doesn't make us sick. He allows it. Big difference.) in order for us to realize we need a reset. We need a little kick in the pants to get us back on the right track. We can do all the things to make ourselves healthy, but if we aren't allowing space for quiet and rest none of it will matter. My life is joy-filled. I want to experience that joy. There's a new sunrise and sunset to see each day. A new discovery to be seen through the eyes of my children. A new relationship waiting to be nurtured in order to be a blessing. He has great things waiting for me. I only need to reset so I can be still enough to experience them.

Here's to a reset so that I may love my actual life!

Love & Blessings,
Meg
"Come near to God and He will come near to you." James 4:8

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