Shelter in Place, week 2

When we first moved to Texas, everything I did took immense amounts of energy.  The move brought about monumental changes across the board and every aspect of my life felt new.  Newness is fresh and exciting but it is often far from automatic.  It was that lack of automaticity that demanded my full attention and taxed my reserves.  Over time, the newness wore off and routines eventually birthed some of the automaticity that I still rely on today.   And yet. in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, I am confronting many of the same feelings I had when we first moved here.  Things have changed drastically, newness abounds, and it all requires large amounts of energy to navigate. 

The kids playing music with Shawn on Saturday night

As I maneuver through the tightening shelter-in-place guidelines, I have been reminding myself that we are healthy, we are safe, we are fed, we are loved and we have each other.  Our internet works, our house is full of books, and as of right now, we are still able to take walks around our neighborhood.  We are blessed beyond measure and yet I still don't always know how to process the far-reaching impact of this pandemic.  I have moments when I feel myself buckling from the exhaustion and mental fatigue of this journey but then I pause and remember that I am not meant to carry this on my own.   I serve a God who willingly carries my burdens whenever I openly share them with Him. 

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." We can participate in that phenomenal act of unburdening ourselves through prayer.  The verse right before this one, talks about humbling yourself under Gods mighty hand so that He can life you up.  As I read the passage, I was struck by what an important step humility is.   In our humility we  acknowledge that God is able to do the things that are beyond our capacity and capability.  Only then, can we prayerfully hand over each and every anxious thought that is weighing us down.

Yesterday I took time to prayerfully hand over my burdens and when I was done, I felt noticeably lighter.  My circumstances have not changed, but I am changed because I am no longer holding my anxieties on my own.  Today, I invite you to do the same.  Talk to God about the stress that's been mounting or the anxiety that has been crippling or the disappointments that you're having a hard time shouldering.  God will meet you in the midst of it and He will lighten your load as you humble yourself before Him and cast your anxieties on Him.  He cares for you!

With love,
Erica