“What in the world am I carrying??”

I still vividly remember the steamy Spring afternoon — sitting in my minivan, parked and watching my sons practice baseball — I read a devotional based on Matthew 11:28-30. Things like trusting God, light burdens — and rest? Honestly, I don’t remember much of the content, but I do remember saying:

“If this is true, God, then why do I feel like I am carrying a Toyota truck on my back?”

While I have to admit I went on to throw a small pity party, I was also being honest with myself — and with God. I was exhausted. At that particular moment, I was sitting amidst papers that needed to be graded, lesson plans that needed writing, and a massive bag of mail to be sorted.

And when I finished there I would stop by my mother-in-law’s to bring her some supper and do some light housekeeping. Then, on to my own home to prepare supper and manage three children by myself due to my husband working out of town.

Whew! Just recalling those days is exhausting!

However, God is faithful to work all things for our benefit (Romans 8:28)! ♥ I was blessed to learn some fabulous lessons. Such as, instead of saying, “Sure!” to every request for my time and energy, to say: “Let me get back to you about that.” (Because you know how impossible it feels to actually just say, “No.”)

I learned to give myself at least a day before I committed to anyone or added an activity to my schedule. And I learned to do the math of planning my days! Here is a quick planning check-list that is as simple as 1+2=3! And guarantees a home run (instead of running on empty with a Toyota truck on your back!).

• Assess — How many unscheduled hours do I currently have?
• Add in — The time (and effort) required to participate (driving distance, traffic, expenses, personal energy).
• Total — What is the sum of the days and times I will have available? Compare this with the days and times of the activity.

Determine your priorities and remember: There are only 24 hours in each day. And you have to sleep, my friend!