Less Is More

If you were to talk to someone about what they believed God was calling them to do in their life at any give time, you would assume that they would answer with some great "call to action." You may hear answers like these:
"Oh yes, God is calling me to go on a missions trip to Mexico."
"God is calling me to start a Bible study in my neighborhood."
"I believe that God is calling me to be a Sunday School teacher."
"I am certain that it is God's will for me to work with the homeless people in my community."
Well, not me! Nope, that's not how God is dealing with me right now. I am pretty certain, although it's not how I want it, God is calling me to "CHILL OUT, SLOW DOWN, RELAX, JUST STOP!!!!!"
In a recent sermon, Pastor Tod spoke right to my heart. He talked about the psychological purpose for anxiety. He said it was our bodies way of telling us that we are getting off track. Anxiety's purpose is to lead us back to where we should be. Well, for the last several months, I have been a basket case of anxiety. I have been overwhelmed, overstressed and spread too thin. I have been taking on too much, committing to too many things and trying so hard to be everything to everybody. I thought that if I volunteered for every opportunity that came up to serve other people, that it would be pleasing to God. In the midst of that chaos I have been an impatient mom, a grouchy, nagging wife and a misguided servant of God. I know that's not how God wants it done.
It became clear to me, at 2am on Monday, in the middle of an anxiety attack, that this is not what God wants for me. This is not the life he is calling me to. In prayer on that dark, quiet, tearful morning, I realized that God is simply calling me to "stop!" He wants me to slow down, take a deep breathe, focus my eyes and ears on Him, play, really sit down and play with my kids, attend to my husband, take care of myself, be in the moment, be in His presence, raise a Godly family and quietly listen for his next call.....rather than creating the call for myself.
My whole life I have been an achiever, a driven do-er and leader. And now I really feel like I need to fight the impulse to take on so much. It's really starting to affect who I am in my relationships, especially in my home. It's time to really accept that "less is more."
"Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone: a new life has begun!'" 2 Corinthians 5:17