I awoke this morning feeling overwhelmed. I have three deadlines in two days, a huge project due in a week that I haven’t started, a sick kid, a sick husband, and our apartment is being listed for sale in ten days.
I have two walls to plaster and paint, light fixtures to install, and the house to deep-clean. “Okay, Lord–this day is yours,” I began, after shutting off the alarm. A quick prayer and a cup of coffee often helps.
I’m no stranger to having more to do than is humanly possible. The strategy that works for me is to scan my massive agenda, zero in on a single item, say a quick, “This one’s for you, Lord,” and get started. No delays, no fuss, no moaning and groaning. I can’t spend an ounce of energy on protest: I need all my resources for getting work done.
READ MORE: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL
I throw myself into a task, and when I get tired or stuck or sick of it, I do something else on my list. Painting a windowsill is a fine way to take a break from writing. A trip to the hardware store breaks up the monotony of plastering. In this kind of no-gap mode, I methodically do whatever I am able to do in the moment, relentlessly moving forward.
Can I get it all done? Probably not, but ultimately it doesn’t matter. No one’s going to die if I have to delay the listing for a day or two. I won’t go to hell for being a few hours late on a deadline. There are consequences, of course, but they fall in the category of inconvenient rather than deadly. The biggest real danger is me, and how I’ll treat others if I let myself get stressed.
So I’ll do everything I can do without procrastination, offer each action to God, and remember that being flexible usually works better than striving to control it all. With that approach, the odds are good that most of what needs to happen, will.
And at the end of the day I can rest well, thanking God that I have work to do that allows me to keep my family fed and safe.
