Same slow walk. Still no chance of running. Stay in it, Tommy.
By the time he made it to home plate, walking the ENTIRE way, three runners had passed him. As I was laughing at how non-committed this little guy was, I felt God’s Spirit tap me on the shoulder. “You’ve been acting like Tommy, you know. And that’s not how I intend for you to live.”
Oh.
He was right. I knew it immediately.
I hadn’t been putting my whole heart into “running the bases” of my life at that time. That particular t-ball game was near the end of not just the school year, but also of a long, challenging year of ministry at a new-to-me church.
I was tired. I knew I had been slipping into patterns of apathy and laziness, but I had been ignoring it. I wasn’t taking care of myself the way I should have and it was starting to show in every area of my life.
I was still going “up to bat”, but I wasn’t really trying to hit a home run and, when I did manage to connect with the ball, I certainly wasn’t running. A half-effort is super cute on a 4-year old on the t-ball field. It’s not that attractive on a 44-year old who’s been blessed with the gifts of a beautiful life, but is burning out due to a lack of balance. I simply wasn’t taking care of myself the way God intended.
So, sitting in those stands that night, I asked God to forgive me for my lack of real effort and asked Him to help me live a better balance. I needed more rest, real food, and realistic boundaries and I needed Him to help me figure it all out. A year later, I can attest to the fact that balance is key! Rest works wonders and boundaries, though challenging to keep, are blessings.
If we’re going to “run the race” set out for us, we’re going to have to take the time to come to Him and rest. There’s no healthy way to do one without the other.
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This article originally appeared at Shades of Mercy and Grace.
