I recently cared for my 6-month and 2.5-year old granddaughters for 6 days. I quickly remembered that you have time to care for and entertain these precious little ones, but time for little else! No time for finding God through prayer or study, unless it was late at night.
I encourage women that I teach and coach to explore ways for finding God during the midst of their day. After the week with my grandchildren, I can really empathize with how challenging it is to find quiet time!
Work can present the same challenge, particularly if you are a working mom. Do you wonder how you find time for yourself, let alone with God?
My wonderful friend, Steph, has always talked with me about how she finds God and prays in the midst of all that she does. Don’t look for that right moment – that quiet time that may never come – but invite God into your daily activities, including your mundane chores! Listen in to her story.
Steph, I have always admired your ability to accomplish so much. You are a true inspiration to all women. This is an awesome message. I have been trying to get my house put back together for almost 2 yrs now. I have so much of Mom and Nicole’s things that I have to go through and do something with. It’s such an emotional process that I can only do so much at a time (and I really don’t know what to do with most of it anyway) then I leave it for sometimes days or weeks at a time. I feel that I can’t get on with what God has for me to do with such messiness all around me. I pray for God’s grace to help me to let go. This message really spoke to me. I know that God will be with me and help me to accomplish this major task. I would so appreciate your prayers and any advice that you may have. Love you, Deb
Hi, Deb – It is Karen Lusby. I don’t think we have met, but I agree with your comment. Steph is a true inspiration to so many women. It is a privilege to know her, to be her friend, and a fellow prayer warrior. I have forwarded your message on to her. I will be praying for you, too. Have a blessed 4th of July.
Thank you, Karen for your prayers. My Mom was married to Steph’s Dad for about 10 years. I knew Steph back in Ks when she was in high school, then married and had their first baby. I have mainly kept up with her through her Dad and of course facebook. I babysat with her husband and his siblings when they were little. It’s strange to see them as Grandparents.
Hi Deb – thanks for posting. Good comments. I think loss and the trauma of loss makes it difficult to want to accomplish anything. You’ve been through a huge amount of both loss and trauma because of the loss in the last couple of years or so. Very sorry. I found that when I was struggling with loss or any type of depression, I had to really rest until I had the will to move on – and the ‘will’ to accomplish something only came when I asked for God’s help. One thing that make make moving forward possible is to break down jobs into chunks that actually can be accomplished. For instance, instead of trying to get the whole thing finished, simply start on one task, (i.e. a closet, or a dresser – or even less) – put on some great music or something you love to listen to and work as quickly as possible, so you don’t get stuck in the task. Then as soon as you are done, reward yourself for finishing – with a movie or something you enjoy. While you are working, set a goal for the next accomplishment. Because you’ve worked in increments, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the job is accomplished. I hope this helps. Again – it was great to hear from you, Deb – Praying for God’s healing, blessing and JOY in your life. Steph