“Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.”
A jam-packed work day. Homeschooling children all day every day. Running after toddlers. Figuring out needs of a newborn. From the beginning of time, women have been industrious. We are hard-wired by God to walk out in tasks that He has prepared ahead of time for us to complete. So, the items on your To-Do List (and those that aren’t, but will surprise you today at some point) are some of those good works to complete.
Even though the refrain “Do not grow weary while doing good” hums through my brain, indeed I oftentimes just grow weary. Mornings might be a difficult time to get the ‘engine’ started, but once I’m awake I’m rarin’ to go. Spending time with the Lord is a helpful way for me to focus my mind on Him and not my own plans; this habit serves to give me much-needed strength as well.
However, what about that one o’clock time slot? What happens in your home around that time? Or in your soul? Does the refrain feel less possible? As we re-fuel our bodies several times a day, I’ve come to realize how few of us women re-fuel, or re-charge, our souls.
We spend some time first thing in the morning with the Lord, but then run on fumes as the day plods along. Our sins rear their ugly heads by dinner time and, once the hubby walks through the door, we are a frazzled hot mess.
So, today I’m going to share a few bits of advice that I hope will benefit both you and those in your life. In the same way as you re-charge your phone or computer, think of this as your spiritual re-charge.
As King David called upon the Lord all day long, so must we. Not just morning time, but mid-day and evening as well. What will this look like? It will be different for all of us. Maybe a mid-day Psalm reading, maybe a time of music that glorifies the Lord as you worship Him, or maybe it’s some time sneaking into your ‘prayer closet’. Re-charge all throughout the day or your battery will empty fast.
If you’re at home with children all day long, take a much-needed break from one another. Send everyone to separate rooms and quietly re-charge. This means we must resist all temptation to clean the house, check Facebook or play a game on our phones. Take some time and rest your eyes, mind, or heart from the cares of the day. Don’t feel guilty over needing this break.
Are you a full-time working woman? Take advantage of moments spent in solitude. Taking a walk during lunchtime (combine that with prayer and you’ll have a rapid re-charge for certain!) or opening the Word mid-day at your desk may be just what you need. When I worked, I remember cherishing moments of quiet when I would walk from one side of the hospital to the other. We can sneak times away with the Lord, but we often must be purposeful to do so.
Whatever you find yourself needing to do in order to re-charge, do it. Otherwise, you will begin spiraling out and giving in to sin. When we are over-tired, we usually react with highly-charged emotions. So, get some physical, emotional, and spiritual rest…then get back in your game even stronger and more industrious.
Love, Wendy
