I am so ready to plant my fall garden and for all things fall. I can’t wait to spend more time outside, cook different stews, and read cozy books. Cool mornings and evenings prove that fall is near!
So, in anticipation of planting my fall garden, I decided to go out and tackle all the weeds. Weeds thrive in summer, and I just haven’t been able to keep up. It needs just a bit of daily attention. As I sat on the ground and started pulling the weeds nearest my door, I looked up and out over my garden at the numerous weeds ahead of me. Ouch. I was immediately overwhelmed and uninterested. This would take forever, and I had many other things to do.
Isn’t this how it goes with the demands of life? We look out to the vital work before us – the work we are called and equipped to do – the work we want to do – and we are overwhelmed by what it will cost us. We feel the weight of all other life demands pressing in on us, and the work before us feels impossible. We ditch the things that don’t seem necessary for our survival.
We must care for our kids, so we put off caring for ourselves. People are waiting on things from us, so we skip our time with the Lord. Our house is messy, and it feels more vital to clean than to connect with our kids before bedtime. Even when we attempt to prioritize the important things, we are overwhelmed by what it will require.
If your schedule is already full, and you are considering tackling a demanding fitness routine, a new meal prep strategy, a time-consuming Bible study, and one one-on-one time with each of your kids… Ouch. That is going to make you overwhelmed and uninterested.
A garden needs daily attention. When left for too long, it can feel unmanageable. But, even then, it can regain order by tackling one thing at a time. When I looked out at the wild amount of weeds, knowing I had let them go for too long, I decided to focus on the ones right in front of me and pull until I ran out of time. Then, I planned to continue the next day until I caught up.
I enjoyed the process and cleared way more than I anticipated. When done with intention and consistency, those simple daily actions build to a great work in your life.
- Connection with the Lord
- Caring for your body
- Investing in the people around you
Choose just the first small step in the right direction. Don’t look at the lifetime of work before you; instead, look at the decisions you can make today and tomorrow that will allow you to be faithful to your work.
Maybe that’s a walk around your neighborhood today. Perhaps you can include your kids and ask them heart questions while walking together. Maybe 15 minutes of solitude in your backyard to ponder and pray over God’s Word.
Then, carry on with the day’s demands—small steps in the right direction. Connect with the Lord, care for your body, invest in your people, and then feel good about whatever you accomplish for the rest of the day. Do it well. And whatever is left undone… can wait.
Brittany K. Miller 