I would like to start this morning off by saying I hope your weekend was everything you wanted it to be and so much more. Because Buttercup I have a story for you this morning. Boy, oh boy, was this weekend full of trial and error! One where Charlie wasn’t able to work because Bradley left him hanging.
David worked late as usual. Gerald didn’t move off the couch. My sister was here as well camped out in the living room. I was stuck in limbo because the site was down but I didn’t let that stop me. It was the perfect time to read which I didn’t even think about but I did find plenty to keep me busy and that was a Godsend because it kept me from getting frustrated.
I know you’ve heard this over and over again but I had so many plans for Greatful Moments this weekend. I was working Saturday, trying to get things organized, planning posts, and thinking about everything I wanted to accomplish. But you know what I forgot to do?
I forgot to include the Lord in my plans. And man, oh man, did I get a wake-up call! Was it a wake-up call I wanted? No. But it was one I needed. My website went down Saturday morning while I was finishing up a post I had written and needed to publish but it wasn’t the LORDs will.
Renee David Brown called Tech support and they said it should be fixed in a couple house that would have been around 3p.m.. Saturday morning. Oh, no! It didn’t happen. I went to bed around midnight, still waiting for it to come up. I got up Sunday morning, and guess what? It STILL wasn’t up!
By around noon on Sunday, the site finally came back up. By then, I was frustrated, a little angry, and wondering why everything had to be so difficult. But instead of letting it ruin my whole weekend, I finally did something different. I walked away.
Now, don’t get me wrong. While I was waiting for the website to come back up, I wasn’t just sitting around twiddling my thumbs! I built a brand-new series, worked on four reviews, and prepared other posts that are waiting to be published throughout this week. I even went through emails.
In a way, I used that unexpected time to get ahead, and I’m grateful I did. Having those posts ready means I can spend less time scrambling to get everything written and published this week and more time working on other things I need to do or simply want to do. And that, my friends, is a blessing in itself!
But here’s what I had to learn: just because I CAN keep working doesn’t mean I HAVE to keep working every minute of every day. There comes a time when we need to close the computer, walk away from our to-do lists, and remember that there’s a whole life waiting for us outside the work we’re trying so hard to finish.
So, that’s exactly what I did. I watched some movies. I cleaned my house. I peeled some potatoes, put the ribs on for dinner, and then I sat down with Phoebe and spent some time loving on her. Something I honestly hadn’t done in a while. And you know what? It felt good.
Sometimes we get so caught up in what we THINK we need to accomplish that we forget to take care of ourselves, our families, and the little things that make life worth living. I finally walked back over to the blog, and it was up! Let me tell you this time I took the time to thank the LORD for the site and the work he provides me.
Now, I can’t tell you exactly why the site went down or why it took so long to come back. But I can tell you what I took away from the experience. Maybe the Lord was reminding me that I needed to slow down, spend some time with Him, and stop trying to carry everything on my own shoulders.
After all, what good are all our plans if we leave the One who guides our steps out of them? And let me tell you, I took that time for myself! I watched Fire Country, Sheriff Country, Blue Bloods, and Blue Sky. I thoroughly enjoyed my television time. Nobody was here to bother me, and I even took a nap late in the afternoon because I wasn’t feeling very good. And do I feel guilty about it? NOPE! NOT ONE BIT!
Sometimes a girl needs a little peace and quiet, a comfortable spot to sit, a good show to watch, and maybe a cup of hot chocolate. And if you know me, you know I absolutely LOVE my hot chocolate! I spend so much time thinking about what needs to be done next, what needs to be published, what needs to be organized, and how I’m going to make everything work. But this weekend reminded me that I can’t keep pouring from an empty cup.
Greatful Moments is important to me. My family is important to me. My faith is important to me. And so is taking care of the person God gave me to be. Today, I’m back, I’m stronger, and I’m ready to kick the world’s butt! But this time, I’m going to try a little harder to let the Lord lead the way instead of running ahead of Him and expecting Him to catch up.
I’ve got plans for Greatful Moments. I’ve got a new series to share, reviews ready to go, other posts waiting in the wings, and plenty of ideas for things I want to accomplish. But now, thanks to getting some of that work done ahead of time, I have a little more breathing room.
I can take care of the things that need my attention, enjoy the things I’ve been wanting to do, and hopefully stop feeling like I have to squeeze every single minute out of the day. I’m learning that I don’t have to do everything at once, and I don’t have to do it all by myself.
Sometimes the Lord answers our prayers by opening a door. And sometimes, perhaps, He reminds us to sit down for a while and stop trying to push that door open ourselves. So, if you’ve been running yourself ragged, trying to get everything done, please give yourself permission to rest, too.
Spend some time with your family. Love on your pets. Watch that movie you’ve been putting off. Take that nap. Say a prayer. Sit quietly with the Lord and let Him remind you that your worth isn’t measured by how much you accomplish in a day. Tomorrow will bring its own list of things to do.
Today, I’m grateful for a website that’s back up, work that’s ready to be published, a home where I could relax, a sweet Phoebe to love on, food on the table, a few good shows, and a reminder that I don’t have to be in control of everything. I’m grateful, thankful, and blessed. And today, I’m letting the Lord lead the way!
Now, tell me, friends: Have you ever had a weekend when everything seemed to go wrong, only to realize afterward that maybe you needed to slow down, too? I’d love to hear your stories! Have a blessed Monday, everyone. And remember, sometimes the best thing we can do is stop, take a breath, and let the Lord handle what we’ve been trying so hard to handle ourselves. With love and blessings,
GreatfulMoments.com — Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
