Taking care of the kids. Working. Going to school. Trying to keep your hoo hah groomed. Keeping your nails presentable.
Checking in on your parents. Holding space for your husband. Feeding the dog. Trying to keep dinner fresh and exciting. Remembering to pick up an extra tube of toothpaste and bottle of mouthwash.
The list of things we do as women on any given day is incredibly long.
It’s no wonder that we may regularly find ourselves feeling overwhelmed with life.
Sometimes, when I make it to the end of the day, I look in the mirror and notice my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow pomade melting off of my eyebrows. It feels like the perfect reflection of how I feel.
Like I’m melting. Gasping for air. Desperate for rest. Hungry for a moment to eat a chocolate chip cookie and chill.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love being a woman.
I also acknowledge that sometimes, being a woman can be downright exhausting.
Sometimes, I look at my husband and think, does he feel this? Do men feel this exhausted too?
I may never fully know, but I believe that as women, we experience some unique challenges in this area.
Whether we realize it or not, we’re often taking care of everything and everyone, all of the time. We’re trained to give so much of ourselves to the people in our lives, but we aren’t always given the permission to take care of ourselves in return.
It can leave us feeling empty, worn out and ran through. The to-do list in our heads can feel endless.
And sometimes, I just want to scream.
God, this can’t be how it’s supposed to feel. Is it?, I’ve thought to myself.
This is what I wanted. My husband is the answer to years of prayers. I’ve always wanted to raise a dog. I want to have a rewarding career. I want to be a good daughter to my parents.
These are all GOOD things! So, why do I have times where they feel so… heavy?
Can you relate?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey of adulting thus far, it’s this:
If you don’t prioritize keeping your own cup full, you’ll begin resenting God’s blessings.
In other words, when you don’t make sure to refuel yourself, the things you’ve prayed for will begin to feel like burdens. The very things you’ve always desired will feel like the things that are holding you back.
Trust me. I’ve been there. It’s NOT a fun place to be.
I’ve prayed to God, asking,
Lord, how can I live this life to the fullest that you’ve called me to without feeling like I’m drowning?
This is what he told me.
The pressure you feel is a constant reminder that you were never meant to do life on your own.
Ladies, God never intended for us to be Wonder Woman. For us to feel like we’re carrying our families, our communities, our homes and our workplaces on our shoulders all by ourselves (or with the help of a fabulous spouse).
His design ALWAYS involved himself. His will has always been for us to walk daily with him. After all, we can’t do what he’s called us to do without him. HE is our secret weapon.
When you feel the pressure that comes with your responsibilities, run to God. Cast your cares on him. Let him help you carry them. He is SO good and is faithful to provide the encouragement, perspective and support you need to carry on.
His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do life all on your own.
Lean into the God that’s always like, “I got you.”
His Spirit is an ever present source of fuel.
We need the good ol’ Holy Spirit on the regular. It’s our water. What fills us up and keeps us full. It’s literally a life source, and God gives us access to it at all times.
Pray. Spend your time with God in the morning. Do it on the toilet if you have to. But, the point is, DO It.
We need to be filled with the Spirit daily and God will always give us enough to do what we need to do that day. The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with life, remember this and rest in his faithfulness.
Rest is not optional. In God’s will, it’s essential.
Our God is a God who believes in rest. And not just any kind of rest. Regular, consistent rest. In fact, he’s so serious about it, that he modeled it by resting on the 7th day after creating the world.
In the Old Testament, the Sabbath day was a day of mandatory rest practiced by all Jews. It was an intentional ceasing of the normal hustle and bustle of life. Violating it was punishable by death.
Praise the Lord that we’re no longer under the law where violating the Sabbath Day was punishable by death. My point here is, rest was and still is serious to God.
That means it should be serious to us, too, and we should be making time each week to rest.
By carrying our burdens to God, filling ourselves with his Holy Spirit daily, and prioritizing rest, we can recover from feeling overwhelmed with life and receive what we need to show up powerfully, healthily and whole.
Comment below if you’re on your own journey on in this area. We’d love to support you!
